I believe that the most impactful way to combat climate change is to drive less. While I understand that there are moments when a person has to drive because of the distance between two points of destination, I feel it is important to walk or ride a bike when possible. This is good for a person's health and well-being as well as the environment. During the shutdown during the pandemic, I have paid attention to the news on the carbon footprint, pollution, and animal activity. I have noticed that when nobody could drive anywhere except for work if they were essential that the air was cleaner and the oceans and any other body of water were cleaner. There was also less pollution and garbage along the roadways that I could see if I had to go out to get groceries or any other essential items for my family. I also noticed that when everyone had to stay home the animal populations thrived and were out more so it was nice to see the animals from a safe and respectful distance. So now that I have to be back to business as usual for work and school I only leave the house when it is absolutely necessary with my car. This is good for the environment and it saves me money on gas because it cuts down on the number of trips I have to take to get things done. I also carpool with someone if I can to cut down on the emissions for my car. If I can walk to my destination I will walk instead of driving. This saves money on gas and cuts down on air pollution. It also helps get me actively doing something for my health as I am obese. Walking more often has helped me lose weight and my doctors are happy with that. In addition to walking to my destination, I have been recycling more or finding ways to reuse something. This cuts down on the amount of trash my household puts out every week. Why throw a bottle away when I can rinse it out and use it for drinking water? It also cuts down on the amount of water we use to do dishes if we use the same cup, mug, glass, or bottle for drinking. This saves money on the water bill and with the droughts that have been happening around the country it cuts down on the amount of water we take from the local rivers.

I would have to say that the book that transformed my life would be The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. This is not the usual type of book that I read. I had to read it for a college course a year ago and I am glad that my professor had me read it for an assignment. The book made me think about how I approach people from different backgrounds than I am from. I also learned something new about myself while reading the book. It made me think about how much of what I know about other cultures is based on other people's biases and stereotypes. My professor told us that the main character in the book changes the way she acts and talks depending on the environment she is in. She also told us that this is called code-switching. I realized that I do this too. I did not know that it was called code-switching but I change the way I talk and act based on where I am and the people that I am with. I realized that I need to be who I am no matter who I am with or where I am just like the main character in the book did. I work in childcare so I always try to approach everything I do with an inclusive mindset. I realized that some of the things that I learned from my parents needed to change because I could identify some things in this book in myself and some were identifiable in the people in my life. I have had to make some changes in my life to make it better. That meant cutting some people out or limiting their presence in my life.

Learning is important to me because life is constantly changing. In order to grow as a person, I need to learn to accept the changes in life. I also want to better myself and the best way to do that is to constantly learn new things and unlearn other things. I plan on continuing to learn by completing my Bachelor's degree with a major in Early Childhood Education and a minor in Special Education. I am almost done with that journey. I work in childcare so I have to attend ongoing education courses to keep my job and keep up with the changes in childcare itself. I try to learn something new every day in general but with my college classes, I am learning new things all the time. I also try to take what I am learning at school and adapt those lessons to my job as a childcare teacher. Sometimes I do learn something new while at work because I am learning it with the children. One time I did a lesson on birds and I learned about what certain types of birds ate and lived alongside the children. One way I plan on learning after graduating from college is by reading new books, the newspaper, or a news journal. I also plan on watching documentaries about things that interest me or want to learn more about. Sometimes when I am watching a program about something that I have prior knowledge about I do learn something new. I want to learn new things to be a better teacher for the children that are in my care, to be a better person, and make the world a better place than it is right now. The best way to do that is to keep learning.

I am currently a childcare teacher with my Associate degree. My goals for the future are to be a better teacher for the children I am taking care of. I am working to complete my bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education and have also added a minor in Special Education. One of the hardships that I have faced is changing jobs not only while going to school but during a pandemic. I am required to have my clearances up to date for work and I had to wait to get some of my clearances done because I had to do them in person. I also had to wait to get my physical and TB test updated. After I had everything in my employer decided to retire earlier than expected so I had to apply for work in the middle of a pandemic. Another hardship that I am facing right now is that I am almost maxed out on my student loan amounts and pell grant. Last semester I had to pay money out of pocket and I have to do the same this semester. Since I am a full-time college student my availability for work has gone down so I am not bringing in as much money as I was previously. This semester I am paying more than I had to pay last semester. I had to go on food stamps just so I could afford to eat since I do not live on campus or have a meal plan. There have been times when I have had to borrow money from my retired father just to afford certain necessary items. I have had to take a loan from my father to pay for my car inspection since I will need it to go to work, school, and my field placement. Right now I am averaging 20 hours a week at work with one day doing a split shift. During my four-week field placement, I will only be able to work about 15 hours a week. I am so close to finishing my program and I do not want to give up now. I work hard for the grades that I do have and I work hard at work to keep my job. My goal eventually is to stay where I am to get a raise in pay or work in the public school system. I do have some benefits at my current job that I do like so leaving would be a huge decision for me.

I truly do not understand the online gaming that is going on in the world today. I grew up during a time before the internet took off. If I wanted something to do it was either do my homework; which got done anyway, do chores around the house; I did those too in order to earn an allowance from my parents for spending money, or go outside and play with my friends in the neighborhood. I went to my friend's houses as often as I could as soon as my chores and homework were done. I did not like having my parents find more stuff for me to do if I looked too bored, complacent, or comfortable. I mean if the weather was bad then yes I stayed in the house and spent time with my parents and siblings. We would watch a movie and eat popcorn or play a board game. My parents always preferred we play a board game or read a book instead of playing video games. We did have them but it was Atari, Nintendo, or super Nintendo and we were only allowed to play for some long on any given day. This was because we had to share the television set in the living room between two parents and four kids. If we were not playing outside, doing homework, doing chores, watching a movie, or playing on the Nintendo; we would play with our other toys in the house. We had GI-Joes, Barbies, Cars, Ponies, and a toy kitchen set. We really had no reason to complain that we were bored. We also had no reason to be anti-social either. My parents also made sure we interacted with our Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and cousins. We would also go out on trips, usually small ones, but we got out of the house and spent time with each other. At the end of the day, the internet is a great research tool when I need it but I do not get online to play games. It just is not my thing.

It is important to eat healthy because how a person eats affects their health in various different ways. I already have some health issues and I do not want anymore. I am prediabetic so I do have to watch my sugar intake. I try to eat naturally sweet foods like fruits over candy or I go for the low-sugar option since my body does need sugar to use for energy to survive. I drink water over any sugary drink but occasionally I will have a soda, juice, or sweet tea on holidays as a treat. This sets a good example for the other people around me as well. I have lost some weight according to my endocrinologist in the last few appointments that I have had with her. This is a good thing because I am also obese. Noticing that I have lost weight and having other people tell me that I look like I have makes me feel good about myself and the choices that I have been making. Another thing I have been doing more of is exercise. I will purposely park a little bit away from the building I am going into to get more walking into my daily routine. I also try to use the stairs over the escalator or elevator to get more walking and crunches into my daily routine as well. While I do not go to the gym for exercise I do get exercise into my day by fitting it into my daily routine. I work in child care so I have to lift infants and toddlers on a daily basis and it is multiple times a day. So in that respect, I get my weight lifting in as well as when I grocery shop. I put my own groceries in the bags so I am the one getting them in and out of the car. When I grocery shop I buy foods that I have to cook myself over processed microwavable foods. I also get vegetables and nuts or baked crackers as snack food. This has helped me not be so sluggish throughout the day from greasy foods. When I do go out to restaurants I will usually get a soup and sandwich option or get a salad. Choosing these foods and not eating after a certain time of night has also helped me lose weight. I also watch my portions with everything I eat as well.

My mother taught me from a young age to give back to my community. When I was younger she enrolled me in Girl Scouts from 1994 to the time I graduated in 2003. While in Girl Scouts I did volunteer work for the community doing things like planting flowers around a parking garage and helping a local church make Apple Butter for one of their fundraisers. Girl Scouting not only gave me volunteer experience when I was younger but the organization gave me something to do and kept me off the streets as my mother would say. I also learned other skills like time management, money management, social skills, and goal setting. I lost my mother in 2008 just six months after I graduated with my Associate's Degree from Edinboro University and five months after I got my first job working in child care. During my time at Edinboro, I watched my mom suffer from Ovarian Cancer. She did get to see me graduate but it was hard to watch her suffer and not be able to do much to help her. In 2016 I decided to go back to Edinboro now part of the new Penn West University and finish out my bachelor's degree. My major is Early Childhood Education. I work hard to make mom proud of the woman I have become if she were still alive. Last semester I added a Special Education minor to my course of studies and I also made the Dean's List at school. I was going part-time to classes and working at my childcare job as much as I could. Now I am taking full-time courses to finish school sooner and working part-time. I am already giving back to my community. I now work at my local YMCA as a childcare teacher and I donate some of my paychecks back to the company to help give some scholarships to low-income families for childcare costs so parents can work. I also participate in any community activities that the YMCA hosts even if I have to volunteer time to do childcare so parents can attend the activities. In addition to going to school and working, I also attend ongoing education courses when I can so I can be a better teacher for the children that I currently take care of. At the end of the day I hope that I have made my mother proud.

My favorite Disney character is Mal. I like Mal because she proves that a person can start out bad and become good despite their upbringing. Mal is Maleficent's daughter as well as Hades' daughter and she lives in Auradon instead of the Isle of the lost because she changed her ways. At first, she did what her mother told her to do because she thought that she did not have a choice. Ben pointed out to her and her friends Carlos, Evie, and Jay that they did have a choice between being bad or being good. She did struggle with the person that she was on the Isle and the person that she was in Auradon. She finally figured out that she was who she is now and that included her past. Mal also realized that everyone has the capability of being bad or being good. She realized that the people of Auradon accepted her flaws and all.

I was born premature so I am short in stature. I am also obese but I do make sure I have physical movement in my daily routine. I have prediabetes, metabolic syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and hyperparathyroidism. I go to my doctor's appointments with all my doctors on time and take my medications as prescribed. I also take a multivitamin at my doctor's advice. I also had surgery to have part of my parathyroid removed and have my vitals monitored by my doctor. As stated before I make sure that I am as physically active as possible with my daily routine. I exercise by parking the car so I have a bit of a walk to work and the buildings that my classes for school are in. I am a daycare teacher so I go for walks whenever I can with the children and play in the gym with them as much as possible. I model healthy food choices at work by eating a healthy packed lunch or eating the lunch that is made for the kids at work. I also drink water throughout the day over drinking sugary drinks. I will have a soda or juice every once in a while as a treat around the holidays for example. I talk about eating healthy foods with the children too and encourage them to drink water and milk.

One thing I do to help maintain my mental health while working and attending school is keeping a daily planner to help me keep track of appointments, class and work schedules, assignments, due dates, exam dates, and to keep track of my overall time management for studying and housework that needs to be done. I also take time for myself to relax while listening to music, reading a book for fun, spending time with friends and family, or watching a movie. My physical health is taken care of by going to my doctor's appointments to keep up with my health and various health issues. I also take my medications as prescribed and get them refilled when necessary and also discuss any other health concerns that I may have with my doctors and any medication issues are discussed with my doctor or my pharmacist. I get exercise when I can and fit into my daily routine by parking my car so I have to walk a little bit to get to work and the buildings that my classes are in. I also run around the gym or go for walks with the children that I take care of while I am at work. I work in a childcare program so I model getting physical activity by playing with the children in the gym, going for walks, and climbing up and down the stairs. My physical health is also affected by my nutritional choices so I try to model healthy food choices when I pack a lunch for work and I drink water while I am at work. I also eat healthy meals when I am not at work even if I am eating out, I will choose a healthy option on the menu. I try not to snack a lot but if I do snack I eat healthy things like crackers that are baked, cheese, vegetables, or fruit. I do allow myself the occasional cheat meals like around the holidays I will eat what is served at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter dinners. Sometimes allowing myself to eat cheat foods at cookouts during the summer but I will opt for smaller portions at those meals. I also stop eating at a certain time of day to allow myself time to rest at night. I do make sure that I am hydrated for sleep and try not to drink water at night so I can get enough sleep.

I would not say that I completely love Math. I do however understand that just like reading; math is just about in every aspect of my life. Especially in my chosen profession. I work in childcare and I am always to math with the children even when I am not using numbers or counting. I know that working with shapes and colors is a part of mathematics as well as Art. The children love to work with colors and shapes and yes along the way they do math with colors and shapes without even realizing that they are doing math. I love seeing the look on their faces when they realize that they have learned something new or figured something out for the first time. Most of the time it is a math concept that they have just learned and sometimes I am getting a refresher course with that concept while working with the kids. Sometimes I amaze myself and learn something new or a new way of working with a math concept along with the children learning it. This helps me become a better teacher for the children and I love that idea. I want to be a better teacher for them and help them with their struggles.

I have always wanted to be a teacher growing up. I remember as a kid I would play school with friends and my siblings, sometimes by myself with pretend students. I was always the teacher when we played school. I enjoy working with children and helping them figure something out. I love the look on their faces when they finally accomplish something that they have been working on or learn something new. I especially love it when we learn something new together when we look up something that we are researching. I work in childcare and have been working in the profession since 2008. While in high school I took the childcare services course at my local Vocational Technical School graduating in 2003 with their equivalent of the valedictorian representing my high school. After graduating from there I enrolled at Edinboro University because I felt that I needed more educational experiences working with young children. In December 2007 I graduated with my Associates degree in Preschool Education. Since receiving my Associates Degree I have worked in the childcare field as a float staff and as a lead teacher in various classrooms. While working I have attended ongoing education classes and did lesson plans for my classrooms. In 2016 I decided to go back to Edinboro University to work on my Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. I still work in childcare while attending classes giving myself an income but also allowing time for homework and studying. Last semester I decided to a Special Education minor to my course of studies to help give me a career boost. Taking the extra course has helped me work with the special needs children that I take care of and helped come up with strategies to help them learn and grow. One advantage to working in childcare and going to school to pursue a second degree is that it helps set an example for the school age children that are in my care. They see the importance of attending classes and paying attention as well as completing assignments. The children are also motivated to do well in school because they see one of their childcare teachers working hard in school so she can be a better teacher for them. As I have previously stated I enjoy working with children and have always wanted to be a teacher in some capacity helping future generations become better than generations before them.

I have always wanted to work with children as a teacher. I currently work in childcare and love teaching small children new things. I also love to see the look on their faces when they accomplish something that they have been working on. I have my certificate from my local Vocational Technical School for childcare services and felt that I needed more education and experience so I went to Edinboro University for my Associate's Degree and graduated in 2007. Since that, I have been working in childcare and attending ongoing education classes. In 2016 I decided that I needed to go back to school to finish out my bachelor's degree and re-enrolled at Edinboro. I want to be a better teacher for the children I am currently working with and for the future children I will be working with either at my current location of employment or in the public school system. I am majoring in Early Childhood Education and last spring I added a minor in Special Education. As of July 1, 2022, Edinboro University integrated with California University and Clarion University to make up one big school called PennWest University with three campuses. I will still be attending the Edinboro campus. I have worked while attending my college courses even during the pandemic as well as paying down some of my student loans. I have almost maxed out my financial aid from the government so this scholarship would help pay for the school expenses that I will have during my last expected school year. I am almost finished with my minor and major programs. During the spring semester, I made the Dean's List. I have gotten to the point where I have to take a full-time course load and that cuts down on my availability for work. This means fewer hours and less money in my paychecks and I do have other bills that I have to pay. This money would help pay my school costs some and I can pay my other bills with my paychecks. I will not know what my bill will be until sometime in August so I do not know how the campus integration will affect tuition and other fees associated with attending college. At this point in the program, I would not like to drop out because I can not pay for my classes. My new degree with the minor will make me more marketable for future employment and help me with my current job.

I work in childcare and love to read. I read almost anything I can get my hands on especially when it shows the children I take care of a passion for reading. Reading to the children gives me an experience of bonding or closeness that I do not get when I read to myself. I get to explain concepts that the kids are struggling to understand so that they can make connections from the text we are reading to their own lives. I already have my associate's degree in preschool education. I have to go to continuing education classes whether they are in person or virtual and usually there is a lot of reading involved. I am currently working towards my bachelor's degree majoring in Early Childhood Education and minoring in Special Education. I get to do a lot of reading for my classes at school and sometimes the text is a hard copy and other texts are digital. I have learned the different ways of learning to read a digital text compared to a hard copy text. This has helped with taking notes and highlighting important details in the text that I may need the professor to clarify in class. The children at work are always asking me why I am going to school. I explain to them that I am going to school to be a better teacher for them. It also shows them the importance of reading in everyday life. We sometimes do cooking or baking activities with the children and I model how to read the instructions in the recipe and follow them to get the dish that we making to come out correctly otherwise it does not turn out right and we can not eat it. Working with school-age children is part of working in childcare so I get to talk to them about the importance of reading quite a bit. I explain to the younger school-age children they are learning to read so they can find the answers themselves when they are older. For the older school-age children, I explain to them that reading is crucial to learning their other subjects like Math, Science, Social Studies, and History. When they ask me if I have to read to learn how to be a better teacher I say yes. I explain to them that I have textbooks that I have read just like they have textbooks that they have to read. Mine just cover different types of concepts than they would read and it may be more complex than they are used to reading. At the end of the day, I hope that I pass on a love of reading and learning to the children I am currently taking care of and the future children that I will be teaching.

My father served in the army and was stationed in Berlin, Germany during the cold war. He worked at the field station in berlin. While he did not have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, because he was not serving in an active combat area, he still to this day has things that he will not discuss with the family during his time serving. He was out of the service by the time he married my mother and they had me and go his official discharge papers when in the mail when I was a little girl. I remember having a toy helmet as a child and playing soldier with it. All three of my father's children played with the helmet. My father took his weapons training from the military to good use when we were little by locking up his guns and ammunition to keep us kids safe. He was a hunter when I was little so I was taught not to get into his gun cabinet or safe when he finally got the gun safe. He was gentle with us when we were little and strict when he had to be. My dad kept in mind that we were children and not soldiers in his unit. My dad put an emphasis on education and we had to get our homework done and chores had to be done before we were allowed to anything else. I believe this is from his military training as well because when my brother turned 18 he made sure my brother signed up for his selective service (draft) card. He also encouraged us to go to some type of post-secondary school. My older sister went to Nursing school, my brother went to a trade school, and I got my associate's degree from Edinboro University. He did encourage us to do the military if we chose to do that but none of us wanted to and he accepted that decision. Growing up I had always wanted to be a teacher. I did learn things from my father and mother that I did not learn in school and I think this is the reason why I wanted to be a teacher. I want to build on the lessons that children are learning at home and do that now working in childcare. I am currently working towards my Bachelor's Degree majoring in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Special Education. I feel that with the new degree I can be a better teacher and use the lessons from my parents, school, and life to build a better future for the future generations to come.

As someone who is works in childcare and currently seeking my bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Special Education, I feel it is important to be ready for questions that children may ask us, even if we do not have all the answers. That is why I never stop learning new things because someone is always asking me questions that I feel I should have the answers for or be able to look up the answer. Children are naturally curious about the world we live in and why things are the way they are. I believe a person is never truly done learning new things. Life and the universe have ways to throw new lessons at us every day. We are still learning new things about space and the universe due to technological advances in science so we can explore space and the universe. I just saw on the news this morning coverage about infrared imaging of the start of a new galaxy or universe that NASA release on CNN. Teaching children requires that adults in the world to understand how things work before we can explain it to the children. After all we cannot explain or teach something we do not understand ourselves. We learn about safety, right, and wrong from a very young age. In order to teach those things to children we have to be able to simplify the larger lessons into smaller lessons and build onto them every year. Children do not understand laws at the age of one and two, they have to start out learning smaller rules in order to understand that laws keep us safe just like the rules at school and home keep us safe. Life is really about a lot of small lessons to build up to the big picture of things. The human brain has to build upon prior knowledge to make sense what the new information is otherwise it makes no sense. It is difficult to truly stop learning new lessons because they can come up with a life change, career change, or they can happen in the moment and sometimes we are not aware that we are learning something new or refreshing upon something that we already knew until it has happened. I hope to teach the children that as I continue working in childcare or work in the public school system. I want them to always be curious and want to learn something new or build on something that they already know.

I am currently enrolled at Edinboro University which has become part of the integration into the Pennsylvania Western University or Pennwest for short. The school will integrate with Clarion University and the California University of Pennsylvania. I am currently working at my local YMCA as a childcare teacher. I make payroll deduction donations back into the program to help keep the company going. I enjoy working with children and have even come in on my time off to do some observations and volunteer work for school. I like that I can give back to the company that employs me and allow me to have time off to attend classes and do schoolwork. I like giving back to them because having the time to go to school to become a better teacher and get my coursework done pays off. I have been able to earn good grades and this past semester I received A’s and B’s for hard work and even made the Dean’s list. When I was in the fourth grade I enrolled in Girl Scouts at the Junior scout level. I stayed in girl scouts until I graduated out at the Senior Scout level. I have done various volunteer projects with the girl scouts ranging from helping a church make apple butter for their yearly fund-raiser to planting plants outside a local parking garage. Girl Scouts have taught me so much on top of what I was learning in school and what my parents taught me. While in Girl Scouts I learned money management, note-taking skills, time management, and additional social skills. In 2001 I was enrolled at my local Vocational Technical School and took childcare services. I graduated from there in 2003 with my certificate and also earned the Vocational Student of the year award representing my high school. In 2007 I graduated from Edinboro University with my Associate's degree. When I graduate from PennWest University (Edinboro University campus), I plan on continuing to work with children. Either I plan on staying at the YMCA for a pay raise and better benefits or work in the public school system. My hope is to teach future generations to treat each other and the planet well in order for them to create a better world to live in than the one we live in now. I want to teach by example by showing children to accept people for who they are no matter skin color, family make-up, religion, orientation, or way of life. Everyone deserves and has the right to be included and to fit in.

I believe legacy means leaving behind a good word of the deeds that you have done. Leaving something that future generations can be proud of like a body of work, charitable works, and people remembering how kind and generous you were. My father is a veteran and served in the army during the cold war. He was stationed in Berlin, Germany. He taught me to work hard for the things that I want and earn them. He did tell me that it is okay to ask for help when it is truly needed but to pay it back in kind. Pay back the money borrowed and time spent to help me. I was also told to give an ear to listening as other people have listened to my problems and never judge them as I have not been judged. My mother instilled some of the same work ethic in me as my father did. She had an impact on me because she had Ovarian Cancer when I was a young adult. My mother still worked even though she was going to chemotherapy treatments so she was a productive member of society. Because of my parents' work ethic, I have the drive to make them proud and work for the things that I have. That includes my Associate's Degree and the degree I am currently seeking. I am going to college for my Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Special Education. Both my parents also taught me to pay my bills either on time or ahead if I could pay ahead. I was also a member of the Girl Scouts. The girl scouts have a legacy to live up to and I am proud to have been part of it. While in the girl scouts I did volunteer work around my community helping a local church make Apple Butter, planting flowers near a local parking garage, and many other opportunities. I also participated in every fundraising event my troop leader had us do as we did a trip every summer. We went to Boston, Savannah, Georgia; Wisconsin, and did two trips to Ohio. I have Juliette Gordon Low to thank for those opportunities and lessons with the Girl Scouts as she founded the organization. I learned time management, money management, and independence (my parents did not go on the trips as there were other chaperones). In the end, I hope I have left behind a legacy worthy of my parents and the girl scouts.

As a child, I struggled with math. I found out in Elementary school that I had a learning disability in math. By the time I had started the 9th grade, I was in the mainstream classes and out of learning support because I no longer needed help from the learning support teachers. I went on to college and earned my Associate's Degree in Preschool Education. I worked in the childcare field for eight years and decided to go back to college for my Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education. As it turns out I still struggle with some math concepts. I found this out because I have to have math courses as part of my four-year degree curriculum. I did pass the courses but struggled with some of the concepts. In 2022 I added a Special Education minor to my course of studies. My special education classes helped me understand my learning disability better. I learned in my course that focused on learning disabilities that people with a learning disability have a pretty high IQ but learn differently from others. This had a lightbulb go off in my head that made me realize that when I do the math I usually understand the concept better and can make the computations better when I have a set of manipulatives or can draw them. I now have the understanding that some children may need to draw a picture or set of pictures to solve a math equation. Some children may need to use a set of manipulatives to help them solve a math problem or to see the equivalent of one fraction to another one. For example, I know that 2/4 makes 1/2 but some people may need to see a visual to understand the concept that these two fractions are equivalent to each other. As an adult, I have come to understand the importance of knowing how to do basic math skills because I have used them to balance my checkbook and understand how much is taken out of my paycheck for taxes. I have also been able to make better estimations about certain amounts because of having to do math in my everyday life. Math is everywhere even if I don't get the complexity of the math used to build a building that I am in. As a childcare teacher, I do have to teach children how to do Math. Even if it is just as basic as counting, colors, and shapes.

I am already working in my chosen field. I work in child care and have a certificate from my local Vo-tech as well as my Associate Degree in Preschool Education. In 2016 I decided to go back to school to complete my Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education and this past spring I added a minor in Special Education. I also ended the semester making the Dean's list. I hope that I can leave a positive influence on the children that I take care of. I already know that some of the children have a teacher-child attachment to me and they look forward to seeing me at school every morning. I want to show the children to be accepting of all types of people from all walks of life. I show the children to be helpful towards others and that we are all human no matter what the skin color, religion, identification, orientation, or family makeup. I have two people in my life that I consider being my heroes for two very different reasons. The first person would be my mother. She is my hero because despite losing her battle with Ovarian Cancer she still faced each day head-on. My mother worked while receiving chemotherapy up to the day she broke her foot. Even though she was sick she still spent time with her husband, children, and grandchild. She had a positive outlook that she would be okay. She never once talked about dying in front of any of us even though my dad would ask her what she wanted for her funeral. My dad is another hero. He kept going and stayed strong for his children and granddaughter. That is one reason why he is my hero. The other reason is that he served in the army during the cold war. He doesn't talk about what he did during his service but he did tell us he was stationed over in Berlin, Germany. I have seen the medals he has earned and the certificate he has for serving on the other side of the Iron Curtain. I am in awe that he was able to be that far from home and family which is something I do not think I will ever be able to do. I do not know about changing the world. I can think of one thing I would change in the United States. Looking at the gun violence that has happened in our country it is only happening in the United States because the rest of the world has stricter gun laws. I would change the gun laws in the United States so everyone could feel safer going out into their communities.

My favorite scientific discovery would be vaccines. Vaccines are my favorite because they have helped fight off so many childhood diseases and allowed longevity of life to happen. The latest vaccine has proven that they are a scientific breakthrough. I am talking about the Covid-19 vaccines that have come out to help fight this new disease. I am vaccinated and boosted against covid. I have come into contact with some people that have had it given my line of work. I work in childcare and I consider getting any vaccine a job requirement because they will help protect the children I take care of, the other people I come in contact with, and myself. I remember having Chicken Pox as a child. I grew up before they came up with that vaccine and I can clearly remember how having Chicken Pox feels. I also remember missing a week of school because of it. When the Chicken Pox vaccine came out I asked the question "Where was that vaccine when I was little?". In conclusion, I have received many vaccines for school attendance. I am grateful to have gotten them because given that I was a premature baby I was susceptible to catching many illnesses. Vaccines helped my body recognize those illnesses and fight them off.

I would use $1,000 to do so many different things. One thing I would do is put some of it towards paying down my student loan a little bit. Another thing I would use it for would be to get my car inspected and fixed before the school year starts back up. I will be starting to do field experience and student teaching this upcoming school year so having a working car is a necessity. The money would also help pay for gas for my trips to my field and student teaching placements. I could also put it aside to help pay for tuition costs for the upcoming school year. There is also the possibility of having to update my clearances for school and my physical and tb test. I am an Early Childhood Education major with a minor in Special Education so having those up to date is very important. In general, I have other bills that the money could help keep me paid ahead. I pay rent to my father to help him out with the household bills because he is retired. I have insurance; life, health, and auto that I pay for. It could also help pay for groceries and personal needs.

I love to eat superfoods because I want to eat healthily. I want to set an example for the children that I take care of at the childcare facility I work at. I have a variety of superfoods that I will eat. I usually try to stay away from candy but one superfood that I eat is dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is healthier than most other candies because it is rich in antioxidants. I am pre-diabetic so having this superfood handy when my blood sugar needs a pick-me-up helps. I drink water throughout most of the day instead of drinking sugary drinks. I will only have a soda on special occasions. Soup is a good meal starter or meal on cold winter days. It is also a great way to get more water into my body. When having meals like lunch and dinner I will start off with a salad. Especially a salad that has a mixture of leafy greens. This helps me feel fuller quicker and gives me extra vegetables at meals. It is also a good meal substitute on a hot summer day when I am not feeling that hungry. Sometimes a light meal is best plus the salad gives me energy. I normally do not snack during the day but I do have some snacks on standby just in case I do get those munchy feelings. I will have some nuts in the house to snack on and those are a great snack because they have protein that I can supplement on a hot summer day. I sometimes even sprinkle them on top of a salad. I also have peanut butter in the house to spread on crackers, bread, toast, and celery for a healthy snack or breakfast.

Generosity means giving time and help to others. Sometimes a person just needs someone to talk to about whatever is going wrong in their life. Others may need time given to help them with a difficult task or when they are going through a difficult time. Some people may need help purchasing food or clothing for their children because after they pay their bills they have no money left over for their children's needs. I have gone to funerals with friends so they would have a shoulder to cry on during the event and some support afterward. I have also had others show up to funerals that I had to go to so I would have support for letting go of my loved ones. I understand what it means to be tight on money and have to ask for help getting groceries and I am single with no children. I have taken a friend grocery shopping to get food for her children when she was tight on money. In return, she has helped me out when things have gotten tight for me to get necessities. There are some people out there who have fallen down on their luck and have had to go to other people's homes for shelter or even a shower. My family has let veteran's into our homes to take a shower and have a meal. My father is a veteran so it hits home when a fellow veteran is struggling.

Growing up I usually echoed the opinions of my parents not knowing any better. This would shape my political choices and personal choices as well. As I have gotten older and worked in childcare I have learned that I had to find my own voice that was different from my parents, family, and friends. I have learned that some of those opinions have no place in my line of work. As a teacher, I want to create an environment for the children that I serve that is inviting and inclusive. This goes beyond special education inclusion for me. I am majoring in Early Childhood Education and minoring in Special Education so I know the laws when it comes to serving people with disabilities. I also have to serve children that have different religious beliefs than I have. This includes teaching children that are part of the LBGTQ+ community. While I have my own opinions about certain things I do not voice them at work or at school. Everyone has the right to go to school for education regardless of religion, orientation, identity, skin color, ability level, and political views.

I have been working in the childcare field for a while now. I have my Associate's degree and I am going back to school for my Bachelor's degree. I am majoring in Early Childhood Education and minoring in Special Education. I hope to give good advice to anyone coming into the field after me and also make a good example for the children that I take care of. I currently found out that one of my co-workers decided to go to school to get his Associate's degree. He has come to me for advice about working and going to school. I was able to give him some good tips for scheduling his work schedule to get hours and make sure he has enough time to do class and the assignments he will have. I hope he has paid attention to what I have been doing with work hours and getting class work done. It can be done with discipline and a good work ethic.

I feel that nature can be very pretty and peaceful. I work in childcare and I always strive to teach the children in my care to respect nature. We try to teach them to catch an insect and put it back outside instead of killing it. If it does accidentally get stepped on then we have a funeral for the insect to teach the children to respect dead creatures. I took an ongoing education course on nature. It was called Growing Up Wild and I got a certificate from the game commission for taking the class. In that class, we were taught to teach about plants and respecting them as well as caring for the plants. We even learned which plants we could eat and which we should leave alone. We also learned to respect the animals we see in nature whether they are wild animals or pets. I even have a book with all kinds of lesson activity ideas to use with children ages 3 through 5. I feel it is important to teach future generations to respect and treat nature kindly. After all the earth is what we will be leaving those future generations and if we treat it well it will be there for many more generations.

I usually like to read a book series. A book series gives me more than one book with a continuing story to read for a while. Right now I am currently re-reading the Harry Potter books. Every time I read them I find something new or I am reminded of some detail from the book that I do not get to enjoy in the movies. I also like to read a book series because I can usually relate to something that is happening in the book. Whether it's something happening with the main character or something going on in a sub-plot that is going on in the background is separate from the main story. This is also another reason why I like to read Harry Potter books because I can find out other information while reading the books. This especially comes to light in the final book when I finally get to read why Professor Snape agreed to help protect Harry from Voldemort and be a double agent. I was always confused by the fact that Severus Snape was protecting Harry but it looked like he was still a Death Eater. I knew that Severus did not like Harry's father, James, but I had no idea that Severus was friends with Harry's mother, Lilly. I also had no idea that Professor Snape was in love with Lilly and that this was his sole reason for protecting Harry. The Harry Potter Series was full of plot twists that I never really saw coming and I was sad when the series ended with the Deathly Hallows. I wish there were more stories to read about Harry as a husband and father. It would have been nice to know if he ever became an Auror.

One of the most helpful pieces of financial advice I ever received came from a professor I had last school year. He told the class to avoid taking out student loans if we could. He told us the story of how he paid for his college education with grants and scholarships without taking out student loans. He also worked while going to school. He did tell us to make sure to fill out the FAFSA because there are some grants that we can get from filling that out. Another thing he told us was to put aside savings even before paying bills. We were told to pay bills before doing anything fun. He also said to pay ahead on some bills to help pay them off faster or to get ahead. He did say that if we had to take out loans to pay for school that it was okay to do because we were making an investment in our future. I was told to avoid credit cards if I could unless I knew that I could pay them down. The interest can make it difficult to get ahead. My professor also told us if we could pay cash for a car to pay cash for the car and make sure we could afford it. He also said to make sure it was practical for the life we have. He also advised us that we should look into getting a house that needs work to cut down on costs when buying a house.

My greatest achievement to date would be opening up a Savings account. I know that I have one degree already and I am going back to college to complete a second degree but I have had difficulty saving money. I am currently enrolled at Edinboro University and soon to become part of the integration into the Pennsylvania Western University or Pennwest for short. The school will integrate with Clarion University and the California University of Pennsylvania. I am currently working at my local YMCA as a childcare teacher. I make payroll deduction donations back into the program to help keep the company going. I enjoy working with children and have even come in on my time off to do some observations and volunteer work for school. I like that I can give back to the company that employs me and allow me to have time off to attend classes and do schoolwork. I like giving back to them because having the time to go to school to become a better teacher and get my coursework done pays off. I have been able to earn good grades and this past semester I received A’s and B’s for hard work and even made the Dean’s list. I have also helped friends out during the pandemic when they were tight on money to get food for their children. They have also helped me out when things have been tight for me. During the pandemic, I was laid off from my previous employer which was forced to close permanently due low enrollment due to the pandemic. During this time my landlord allowed me to pay my rent as a could and when I started working at the YMCA he allowed me time to get caught up on my rent. Today I am not only caught up but a little bit ahead. Over the years I have had to ask for help getting food. I have used the soup kitchen, food pantry, and food stamps to help keep myself fed. I have had some family and friends buy me food packages every once in and while and sometimes some family members have given me gently used clothing for interviews when I was between jobs. This understanding of the economy and those things can get tight is the reason why I have helped my friends get groceries so they could feed their children. Sometimes there just is not enough money to pay all the bills and still have enough money to buy food or other necessities. I have learned that I am eager to help others as well as receive help. I need to be a little more strict with my money in order to save money. Even if that means not being able to help others so much. My hope in the future is to get better at saving money to afford to be off public assistance.

I already have a certificate from my local Vo-Tech for Childcare Services. I also have my Associate Degree from Edinboro University in Preschool Education. I have used both of those certifications to work in the childcare field. I have been working in childcare since 2008. I also attend ongoing education classes to keep my job and keep up with the changes in childcare law and practice. In 2016 I enrolled at Edinboro University to finish my Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education. I have been working part-time and going to school part-time until last spring when I started going to school full-time and working part-time. I still attend training when I need to for work. I love working with children and watching them learn new things. When the children ask me why I go to school for grown-ups I tell them that I am going to college to be a better teacher for them. This past spring I added a Special Education minor to my curriculum of studies. This will help give me a boost for employment if I change jobs or stay where I am after graduation. I will be able to better help the children in my care with their struggles using my minor. This past semester I made the Dean's List at school so I know that I am getting enough time to work and do my classwork. I set an example for the school-age children at my center by going to work and class. I rarely miss class or work. This is how everyone knows I truly am sick when I do miss and that they can rely on me to be there when I should be. I also show the children when to buckle down and get their school work done by doing my school work. Sometimes when they do their school work I will try to complete some of my schoolwork. I also show them that it is okay to take a break from a difficult assignment and go back to it later. We will take a break in the gym and play for a bit and then go back to doing schoolwork if they choose to do so. If they choose not to do schoolwork then they read books or do another educational activity. I also have taken some health classes and use the lessons from those classes to set a good example for the children as well. I eat healthy foods, drink water throughout most of the day, and get exercise by going for a walk or playing in the gym.

I can think of one thing problem that is facing my country right now. That problem would be gun violence. This is a problem in the United States because we have loser gun laws than anywhere else in the world. The rest of the world has stricter gun laws than we have and they have no mass shootings and fewer problems with murder and suicide than the United States currently has. One thing that we can do to work on this problem is to look into a gun purchaser's mental health. If the person has a mental condition or shows signs of mental issues then that person should not be allowed to buy a gun. We can also keep doing checks into a gun owner's mental health and if that person develops a mental issue or shows signs of mental illness then their guns should be taken away from them. Another thing we could do to control this problem is to raise the age for buying a gun to 21. A person can not buy alcohol or tobacco unless they are 21 so this should not be that big of a deal. Background checks need to be tightened as well. If a person has broken the law and has any type of record they should not be able to own a gun. If they have them and have broken the law then they should be taken away. If they go to purchase a gun and have a record then they should be able to buy a gun at all. If a gun is being bought to go hunting then only certain types of guns should be allowed to be sold.

I find making a budget to be important. Making a budget can help save money and pay down certain bills faster. Setting a budget can help a person set priorities as far as what to buy when looking at needs versus wants. If it is a need such as food then it should be gotten before a want like going to a concert, sporting event, or a movie. Having a budget can even help a person figure out to buy name-brand foods over generic store brand foods to save money. Using coupons can help when you have to set a budget for groceries as well so you can have money to pay for other needs such as clothing and shoes. When living on a budget a person can even put some extra money towards bigger bills to get them paid down quicker or to get a head for when things do become difficult.

My mother had her GED because she had my older sister when she was 17. My father took college courses while serving in the army but never graduated from college. My older sister went to nursing school and has done very well for herself and she went back to school to get her Bachelor's Degree. She has a house and is still doing well for herself. I went to my local Vo-Tech while still in high school and got my certificate in Childcare Services but still felt that I needed more education. I went to college and got my Associate's Degree and went into the workforce. I feel that college gave me a chance to get an education and get to know what I wanted to be and who I wanted to be. I went to ongoing education classes while working for minimum wage. My education gave me knowledge that I needed to have while working with children and how they typically grow and develop. I recently started working for a childcare facility that now pays me above minimum wage due to my Associate's Degree while I still go to school to complete my Bachelor's Degree. I am majoring in Early Childhood Education and minorin>g in Special Education. This new degree will allow me to stay at my current job with the chance of a raise, going full-time, and benefits. I could also go to work in the public school system if I choose to do that. Even though I had my Associate's Degree I was still living under the poverty level and I had to have the help of public assistance to afford food and health insurance. I believe in education and feel it is a good thing. Depending on the field of work an education and college degree or some type of post-secondary education and training are required. For example; welders need training, teachers need training at a college along with a degree and state certification. Lawyers, doctors, and nurses need training, degrees, and certifications for their jobs as well. Education can take a person far in life. It can provide valuable insight for making some decisions as an adult that I feel I could not have made without the opportunities that a post-secondary education has given me. I am my aunt's emergency contact person for all of her medical stuff and she is in a nursing home. I manage my money a little bit better because of having to pay for school, loans, car expenses, insurance, and groceries.

A healthy lifestyle is important to me because I have some medical conditions that affect my weight and I am trying to make changes for a healthier outlook. I get as much exercise as I can even if I have to fit it into my daily activities while I am doing it. I work in childcare so I set an example by going for a walk with the kids and playing outside to get the gross motor activity of the day in while getting fresh air. If the weather is bad out I go to the gym and play ball games with the kids or we just run around the gym. I also set an example by drinking water most of the day in front of the children. If I have meals with the kids I will drink milk because they have to have milk with their meals as part of the food program. I also eat what is served that day for lunch if there is enough for staff to eat too. Otherwise, I bring a healthy packed lunch to eat.

My goals for my future are to get through one semester at a time with school. I plan on working part-time during the fall semester even while doing my field placements. This will help me have time to do homework and schoolwork as well as study. So far this plan has worked for me as the spring semester ended with me making the Dean's list. I plan to do the same during the spring 2023 semester even though I will be student teaching. This will help me have the money I will need to pay for gas. I will also need to be able to pay for school and my other bills so I will have to work even if school cuts my availability for work down. I currently work in a childcare facility and will have to opportunity to stay once I graduate and could possibly earn a pay raise with my new degree.

The person that I admire in History is Juliette Gordon Low. I admire her because she is the founder of Girl Scouts. I was a Girl Scout from the fourth grade until I graduated at the end of my senior year in high school. If it was not for Juliette founding the Girl Scouts I do not know what my life would be like now. I learned so much from girl scouting in addition to what I was learning in school. My mother would point out that girl scouting gave me something to do and work towards. She said this because during my junior and senior high school years I was in a troop that would take educational trips during the summer. I would attend any fundraising activity in order to go on these trips. We went to Boston, Wisconsin Dells, Savannah, and two trips to Ohio. These trips gave me opportunities that I never had or no longer have now. I gained skills in independence that the trips gave me. I also learned time management, and money management, and learned about the history of the towns that I visited. When we took the trip to Savannah I learned that Juliette was a child during the Civil War and she met General Sherman when he went through Savannah during his campaigns in the south. We also tried on corsets during the trip during a tour of Juliette's birth home. I can understand why women did not like to wear them back then.

I like to read in my spare time or watch a good movie. I also color or draw if the mood strikes me. I work around children so I dance to music with them to get some exercise and they have shown me some pretty interesting dance moves. I show them some dance moves too so everyone is learning something new. We go for walks too and sometimes we come up with different ways to walk. One child suggested we walk like elephants and another suggested that we walk like a cactus. One child blew my mind when he suggested that we walk like Egyptians.

I walk to places that I can walk to instead of driving. If I have to drive I do all my errands when I leave the house to save on gas. I reuse any containers that I can and wash them instead of throwing them away. I recycle items that are recyclable. If the weather allows me to dry my laundry on a clothesline I dry my clothing that way otherwise laundry is done on one day of the week so I am only using the dryer one day a week.

I have always wanted to be a teacher ever since I was a little girl. I remember playing school when I was a little girl with my brother, sister, and friends. I was always the teacher when we played or I would play by myself with my imaginary friends. When I was a kid I would save all of my worksheets to use as materials or my mom somehow got a hold of old textbooks from my elementary school and I would play with those. I also enrolled at my local Vocational Technical School during my Junior and Senior Years of Highschool to take the Childcare Services class to get some experience before College to see if I truly wanted to be a teacher. I liked it and graduated with the Vocational Technical Student of the Year Award representing my Highschool. This was their equivalent to the Valedictorian for their school. I attended Edinboro University the following year and pursued my Associate's Degree in Preschool Education. I got my first job at a childcare center within a month of graduating. I worked at a few centers after that getting work experience and attending continuing education courses for eight years. After that, I decided to go back to Edinboro University to finish out my Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education because my director at the time gave me the choice of pursuing that or getting my director's credential. She felt like I was not getting anything out of the ongoing education classes that I had to attend every year. I still worked part-time and took classes part-time. When the pandemic hit that center was forced to close due to low enrollment so I finished out the semester doing online classes and looked into finding another job and renewing my clearances. After three months of being unemployed and finally getting all of my clearances and physical up to date I started applying for work. I quickly got hired at my current place of employment because I had all of my clearances on me and they offered me more pay than what I was making at my previous center. This was based on the fact that I had my Associate's Degree and there is a chance for a raise when I graduate with my Bachelor's Degree. I also recently added my minor in Special Education to give myself a marketable boost if I chose to go to work in the public elementary schools after graduating. This past semester I made the Dean's List at school. At my current position, I work as a floater full-time during the summer and part-time during the school year because I now attend classes full-time. This gives me time to do homework and study for class. I still love working with children and enjoy seeing the looks of enjoyment on their faces when they learn something new.

I deserve this scholarship because I have no ambition at all. My academic goals are to get by and not really work at all. When things get tough for me I give up.

I read the assigned chapters and take notes as I read the chapter. I also look ahead to the chapter review questions and try to answer those before the class lecture and after the class lecture. I also take notes from the PowerPoint slides prior to the lecture and highlight any information that is similar to the lecture notes and the reading. I also leave space to add what the professor says during the day of the lecture and highlight any key terms that the professor talks about during the lecture. I study the notes as the unit progresses for the test or quiz. I study during any free time I have at home, at work, and at school. I also look over my notes before bed so my mind can absorb the information overnight into my long-term memory. I will usually also make connections to any prior knowledge that relates to the new information that I am learning. I also participate in any class discussion in class or on the online discussion board. I also discuss any new information that I am learning with my co-workers at the childcare center that I work at.

I am 1/4 Italian and in my family, we love our pasta and pizza. There were six in the household when I was growing up my parents bought food that was cheap and easy to make. Pasta dishes and pizza were served quite a bit. As an adult, I tend to buy cheap and easy meals to cook. I have developed some health conditions that can be tied to heredity and some to the fact that I am obese. I have been struggling for years to lose weight so while going to College I did enroll in a Weight Management course. I learned so much in that class about exercise, portion control, processed foods, eating out, looking at the nutrition facts, and looking at the ingredients list on food packages. I also learned to listen to my body when I need rest and sleep. I have been able to start losing weight with the tips from this class and by listening to my doctors. I take my medications when I am supposed to take them, sleep when I need to, and watch what I eat and the portions I am eating. I also have been getting more exercise by doing more during the day. I work in childcare so I have been modeling good eating habits and exercise habits to the children that I take care of. I drink water throughout most of the day and if I need a flavor boost I will drink tea or juice. I only cheat once and a while with soda on special occasions. I also eat healthy foods in front of the children and cook at home more than I eat out. I splurge every now and then for Mcdonald's or another fast food choice. If I do eat out I choose healthy options on the menu and also eat a salad or have soup as appetizers. Soup is another way for me to sneak water into my diet. I also go on walks with the children and play with them in the gym at work. I also play with them at the local park that we stop at while walking around so we can get more fresh air and more gross motor into our day. I also plan on listening to my body more when it comes to feeling satisfied when eating a meal and stopping. I also plan on resting more when my body tells me I need rest.

I was born premature and I am now 4 feet 10 inches tall. I am in my late 30s and have difficulties due to my height along with other health issues. I have always been shorter than other people my age. I have to ask for help reaching for things on high shelves by asking other people that are taller than me or using a reaching stick. When it comes to driving I use a cushion on the seat to help me see better over the dashboard and reach the pedals if the car does not have automatic adjustments to the pedals. My other health issues include obesity, polycystic ovarian syndrome, metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes, and psoriasis. My obesity can be explained by my height somewhat as there is nowhere for the weight to distribute in my body and I have a slower metabolism that does not keep up with my food intake. I do watch what I eat and portion sizes along with exercise. I drink water throughout most of the day. My other conditions are monitored by my doctors along with my weight and I do take medications for those conditions. I also have a learning disability in Mathematics. I plan on using my Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education and minor in Special Education to help children learn alternative learning strategies for the subjects that they are struggling in. I hope that I can show others that you can achieve anything despite your height, health issues, and ability level. Given that I also work in the Childcare field I already serve some children that are the underserved or underrepresented groups. I want to teach children to include others in activities regardless of religion, ability level, height, weight, family make-up, orientation, and skin color. I believe everyone can succeed when their basic needs are met and they feel safe and included in their surroundings and they have a feeling of belonging. I want to show future generations that the world can improve and be better than what they were born into and grew up in. We are all human and have feelings and should be included without feeling alienated from the others in our peer groups.

I am an undergraduate majoring in Early Childhood Education and minoring in Special Education. I also work at a childcare center. I believe in setting a good example for the children that are in my care. I drink water throughout the day especially while at work. I eat what the children are eating for meals to model healthy eating. If I pack a lunch I eat that on my lunch break or during nap time. We take the children to the gym for gross motor activities or go for walks every day. We also stop at a local park while on a walk to let children do gross motor activities outside in the fresh air. If I am in a classroom that day I do go on walks or play in the gym with the children. I also model proper resting methods if you get hurt while going on a walk or playing in the gym. It is important to let the body rest so it can heal while injured. I have taken a Weight Management and Stress Management course during my studies at Edinboro University. These two classes have helped me make healthy food choices, and activity choices, and taught me strategies to let my body and mind rest when needed. Both courses have taught me the value of good sleep routines and if I am tired during the day a small nap is okay. I have also learned that it is healthier to cook my own meals than to eat out. If I do eat out I choose healthy options on the menu but also allow myself one cheat day every now and then. This comes in handy around the holidays but I also pay attention to the portion size I am taking. I also take the medications prescribed by my doctors for the medical conditions that I do have. If I am going through a period of not feeling well I let my body rest and drink plenty of fluids. This can include beverages with electrolytes like Propel water made by Gatorade or Gatorade itself. I also take a multivitamin to help my body so I do not get sick. I still eat when I am not feeling well but go for lighter options like soup, salads, crackers, or jello. Lighter options are easier on my stomach when I am not feeling well. I listen to my body to make sure that I am not overdoing it on activities or overeating food.

My father served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany during the cold war. He was discharged by the time I came around but I am proud that he served his country. I always talked about the fact that he was in the Army at school. Growing up I always wanted to be a teacher and I currently work as a childcare teacher. I have my Associate's Degree and I am currently seeking my Bachelor's Degree majoring in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Special Education. I support our veterans by frequently going to businesses that are veteran-owned like the laundry mat I use. I also support our active service personnel by donating food when I can. This past winter I bought some girl scout cookies and donated some boxes to the military. I did play soldier as a little girl with my brother and sister but my true passion is working with children. One year at a center I was working at we did a Veteran's Day bulletin board posting pictures of the children's family members in their service uniforms. I even brought in my father's military training yearbook and showed the children his picture and showed a certificate he was awarded for serving in Berlin on the other side of the Iron Curtain in addition to some pictures of him in his army fatigues. I remember when I was in school I would ask him to come in and talk to my class about his time in the Army but he was always working. I even asked him if I could show the metals that he had but he said no because he was worried about them getting ruined or lost. My father now has a license plate that says Veteran on his car, he wears a baseball cap that has the word veteran on it, and he has a wall in the house showcasing the metals he won and the certificates from serving in Berlin.

I already work in childcare and have my Associate's Degree in Preschool Education. I decided to go back to college to finish out my Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Special Education. I want to be a better teacher for the children that I already take care of. I can help our school-age kids learn subjects that they struggle with using the special education minor. I enjoy working with children and love the looks on their faces when they learn something new or figure something out. It brings me joy to help them learn new things and I also enjoy helping the children understand things that they struggle with. I have found that it helps them when I can share a personal experience just like theirs or one similar to their experience. They get that I truly understand their struggle with separation from parents or struggle with a concept that they are learning about and that I want to help them in any way I can. I plan to use my education to be a better teacher and use new strategies to help children learn and grow. I want to teach them to include everyone and accept people for who they are regardless of gender, family make-up, learning style, ability level, skin color, or religion. I want to give them a better world and future than the one we live in now.

I currently work in childcare and help plan lessons. I have to find lessons that are Stem-related activities to teach toddlers. Sometimes I have to use the learning standards for ideas other times I look them up on a google search. I am going to school to learn how to be a better teacher. My major is Early Childhood Education with a minor in Special Education. I have even taken some ongoing education courses on STEM for children and even one that included Art to make the acronym STEAM. I want to instill a love for learning in young children and help those that struggle with Science and Math. I have even taken some technology integration courses to help incorporate technology into my lessons. While STEM is not my major it is part of my curriculum of study at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. I have even found ways to combine STEM activities with reading, gross motor, and other lessons to enrich the learning that children experience. I myself struggled with Science and Math when I was younger. I even have a learning disability in Mathematics but have learned ways to do Math that work for me. I have learned my own way of learning the subject and have shared some of my tricks with some children in my center's before and after school programs. I did better in Science although that was because I had help from friends with some of the material that I did not understand. My struggles are the driving force in learning how to be a better teacher. It is also a factor in taking certain courses to help learn strategies to help children learn the subjects better even if a reading disability is a reason that a child is struggling with Science. Sometimes a reading disability can affect a child's ability to learn other subjects like Science and Social Studies. Other difficulties can lead into problems with learning Mathematics. Dyscalculia and Dysgraphia are some learning disabilities that affect a child's ability to learn math effectively. Dyscalculia is a learning disability that affects learning arithmetic. Dysgraphia is a learning disability with writing coherently. One or both of these can explain a child's struggle with Math. I have had to learn different ways to solve Math problems than the other kids in my classes but that is because I am a smart person that learns differently. I will definitely use my education to help children learn Science and Math better.

My mother passed away six months after I received my Associate's Degree. Since her death, I have been working in child care. I find the field rewarding and enjoyable. In 2016 I decided to go back to school for my Bachor's Degree in Early Childhood Education with a Minor in Special Education. I want to be a better teacher for the children that I take care of at work. My classes have helped me understand that children sometimes act out because they are dealing with trauma. I knew that losing a loved one could cause some outbursts but my Trauma-Informed Practices class helped me understand that children do not know how to process the traumatic event let alone cope with the loss. Going back to college in my 30s was not an easy decision for me to make but I am glad that I did it. I am a better student than I was when I was younger. I prioritize things better and real-world work experience has helped me with my classwork. I work hard to better myself and I hope that my mother would be proud of the woman I am today. Even though she is gone she is still a driving force in my life.

I already have my Associate's Degree in Preschool Education. I work in child care so I have to go to ongoing education functions to keep my job. This also helps me keep up with changes in child care practice and law. I chose to back to college to pursue my Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education back in 2016. I recently added a special education minor to help me in my job at my local YMCA. Going to school helps me get the training hours I need for ongoing education and will help me earn a pay raise when I complete my studies.

I am a current undergrad student seeking my Bachelor's Degree. I am majoring in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Special Education. My mother passed away on June 30, 2008, from Ovarian Cancer six months after seeing me graduate from college with my Associate's Degree. Since then I have been working in child care as a teacher serving infants through school-age care. I did live on my own for a while but I now live with my father and brother. My father supports me in my educational goals by giving me a place to live while attending school and giving me time to study. I do pay him rent and help out with the housework. During the school year, my father helps me with my chores so I can do homework and keep up with my studies. He also supports me by letting me borrow his car when mine is in the shop getting inspected or fixed. This helps me save money so I do not have to rent a car.

My older sister is divorced and a single mom. She still gets along with her ex-husband and they do spend time as a family. Her daughter just turned 18 and will be graduating high school next month. My sister wants to go back to college to earn her master's degree in nursing but is going to wait until my niece is done with college before she goes back to school. I admire my sister for getting along with her ex and making an effort to do things as a family for my niece. She has also supported me in going back to school for my second degree by helping me get school supplies and supporting my need to study and do homework.

I work at my local Ymca as a childcare teacher. I also spend extra time helping with community-based activities that involve children. Last summer we did an exercise program for preschool and pre-k-aged children. We took our children down to the gym to learn different ways to move their bodies and invited children from the community to join in the fun. I float around to the different classrooms giving restroom breaks to my co-workers. I also step into the room if the lead teacher needs time to plan lessons or do some assessments on the children. I give the teacher time if they need to step out of the room to make a phone call or go talk to the director about anything that may be frustrating them. I work any shift that the YMCA asks me to work. Most of the time I work a split shift which means I come in and open the center and work for a few hours and then return in the evening to help close the center. I have also been able to share new strategies that I have learned in my college courses. I set an example for the new staff members and give them advice. I also share advice with co-workers about working and attending college at the same time.

Loss is a part of life. Accept that people will leave this world and remember them every day. Shortly after graduating with my Associate's degree, my mother died of cancer. This loss taught me to live my life and remember her. I stay focused on things better now and work to make her proud. I do things in my life that make me happy and honor her memory. Honoring my mother's memory gives me the drive to succeed. I am working to better myself and be a better teacher for the children I take care of at work. I have lost other people since then and even a family member while pursuing my Bachelor's degree. I use that loss to show my cousin's children that it is okay to miss their father and remember who he was while living their lives. I have shown them that life goes on and to focus on what is important to them and to be helpful and understanding to others who struggle in life. Throughout my life, I have learned to take time for myself and take care of my needs as well as taking care of others. What I can not get done today can wait until tomorrow and I can enjoy life.

I don't have any food allergies. I do however have a diagnosis of prediabetes. This diagnosis has helped me better understand any future student I may have that has type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, or hypoglycemia. I have to take medication to help regulate my blood sugar in addition to watching what I eat. I have also learned to pay attention to reactions if my body has to wait too long to eat. Given that I also have other conditions that affect my weight I have learned to control my portions and eat healthier snacks and have lost weight. I have chosen to be a teacher because I want to help children learn and grow and set a good example for them This scholarship will help me pay for school so I can become a better teacher for the children that I take care of at my current job. I work as a childcare teacher and care for infants up to before and after school care. I can also use my new degree to earn a raise at work and get better benefits or become a public school teacher. Also if needed I could use the money to help teach the children I care for skills in money management and what a priority is versus what a want would be. I could pay bills or pay down some of my student loans if there would extra funding from my school that would be refunded to me. I also plan on helping teach the children healthy food choices and activity choices. I would go for a walk versus sitting around playing games. I could also model these behaviors for the children. I would explain to them that being active is a good thing compared to sitting around. I would explain to them that drinking water is better than any sugary drink which I already model while at work and at home. I would also point out that being aware of other people's food sensitivities and allergies or health conditions is a good consideration to have when planning any type get together where food would be served. This can avoid a person from having an allergic reaction while at a potluck or a party that someone else is cooking for them. I could also use the lessons I learned in my health classes at my current job or future job in making food choices and exercise choices.

I lost my mother to Ovarian Cancer back in 2008 6 months after graduating with my Associate's Degree from Edinboro University. I had just turned 24 a few weeks before she passed on June 30, 2008. I watched my mother battle her cancer and Lupus while going to school. I worked hard on my classwork to graduate and make her proud. I had gotten my first job within a month of graduating from school and was at work when I got the phone call. Even though I knew her death was coming I wasn't ready for it. I still miss her to this day and think of her often as I work through this current stint of college. I am seeking my bachelor's degree now that I have some life experience. I have a better-paying job and want to finish my degree to earn more money to make my mother proud once more.