“Teaching children is an accomplishment; getting children excited about learning is an achievement.”-Robert John Meehan I am a mother of four incredible children, I enjoyed the great pleasure of being able to homeschool them for four years. I learned how to coach, inspire, direct and encourage children to find joy and excitement in learning. This is my greatest achievement! I was able to build my confidence learning that I was capable of providing an exceptional education for my children in creative and unique ways. As I learned along side them, and taught them they were capable of anything they set their minds to I realized that same truth within myself. I am capable of anything I wish to achieve so long as I am willing to put in the work. I found within myself a deep passion for learning and teaching. “Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring”- St. Catherine of Siena Life throws arduous challenges at us all, pushing us further than we ever thought we could handle without breaking. My homeschooling experience was cut short due to a family crisis, our entire world seemingly crumbled to the ground. But we preserved, I give credit to my previous experiences enabling myself and my family to endure hard trials and be able to overcome them. Life looks much differently now than I had envisioned our future just a few short years ago, though different it is still beautiful! I have now set my sights on continuing my own formal education and obtaining my bachelors degree in order to become a teacher. Not only do I aim to be able to support my family financially, I hope to do it through an avenue that I may lift and inspire those I teach. I will be teaching biological science in secondary education. I hope to further inspire my own children as they watch me persevere and work hard to achieve this goal. When I become a teacher I aim to utilize my experience homeschooling paired with my formal education to impact the way formal educators inspire and teach their students in creative and engaging ways. As a society I believe we have lost the joy that should accompany learning. We shouldn’t be stuffing children’s brains full of facts and information. We should be instilling a thirst for understanding and exploration within their hearts. We live in a world filled with knowledge and information, what we lack is creativity, understanding and inspiration.

As the spouse of an individual enduring mental health issues, I have been personally advocating for better healthcare specifically regarding mental health. My husband has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and we have yet to find a realistic solution that treats the issue at its core. As every other patient who has struggled with mental health, we have been offered countless “bandaid” solutions that come at the cost of numerous side effects and merely masking symptoms. I have set off on my own personal mission studying all I can about mental health and its connections to nutritional deficiencies and physiological dysfunctions. Over the past fifteen years I have been fighting along side my husband to adjust lifestyle habits, dietary deficiencies and explore various psychotherapy strategies in hopes to improve his mental health and personal wellbeing. We have discovered many helpful strategies but the fight is far from over. I have become very interested in neuropsychology and aim to someday obtain a bachelors degree in psychology and then move on towards graduate school focusing on neuropsychology. I would love to lead a fulfilling career in a mental health field where I could provide more wholistic care to patients leading to solutions rather than bandaids. This is a long journey and I am only at the beginning, but with my personal experience and passion I believe I can truly make a difference in the world of mental healthcare. As you can see from my profile, I have two very different fields of interest and I have yet to find a defined path in which they both converge. My background is in early childhood education, I studied at Utah State University before my oldest child was born. I took a break from my studies fully intending on continuing much sooner than the season of life I am in now. That being said I have enjoyed my journey through motherhood and the hands on experience I have been given in early childhood development and education as I have homeschooled our four children. I intend to finish what I have started by completing my bachelors in Educational Studies as I am too close to simply drop all of my progress to the wayside. Once I have completed that work I will then be able to dive into my passion for psychology and further refine my path towards the convergence of education and mental health. I have served my community through my church where I have been able to teach Sunday school voluntarily. I believe that if everyone starts small and focuses on being kind and generous to those they interact with daily, they will create a ripple effect and change the world one small act of kindness at a time! I serve my neighbors by offering to bring them dinner when they are sick or struggling. I make it a point to recognize and kindly greet anyone I come into near proximity. A smile, a high five, a hug and encouraging words all go a long way when offered to the people we interact with in our community.

I began studying early childhood education at Utah State University directly after high school, I put my education on pause when my oldest child joined our family but as our family grew that pause became much longer than I had initially intended. Homeschooling my children has inspired me to continue to pursue my formal education and obtain a bachelors degree. I have always loved learning and exploring all of the wonder this world has to offer! I have enjoyed the privilege of homeschooling my children and learning along side them for over four and a half years now and this experience has only enhanced my passions and abilities which I now plan to incorporate as a student myself. We all face obstacles in life and especially in pursuit of higher achievements such as a college degree. I would not consider having a family and homeschooling my children an obstacle, perceive it as magical detour! Now that I am continuing my education the obstacles I face are going to be time management and financial hardship. Let’s be honest though, these were already obstacles before I decided to jump back into college haha. If the reader happens to be a mother you’ll be able to empathize with my humor in this. Life just never goes as planned and it isn’t a smooth ride for any of us right?! In order to better manage time and focus energy towards my own studies in this new season of life, I am going to ask my children to step up and be more responsible. I have taught them well and they are capable of managing themselves while mom studies. Of course we will still make time for family fun and adventures but I’m realizing that the groundwork we have already laid has prepared them to be more self sufficient and take charge of certain aspects of their lives. I will sit down and have a one on one with each child discussing their goals and needs, we will create a personal routine and check list to help keep them each on track and keep our household in order. The obstacle of financial hardship isn’t a nuance by any means, our financial hardship as a family stems from serious health challenges my husband has faced over the past two years. With him being the main provider in our family this has employed us to make many adjustments as we’ve navigated life from day to day. Things aren’t smooth sailing right now but we’ve become resilient and I am looking for creative ways to help support our family financially while I continue my education. The more energy I have to focus on school and my children the better which is why I am reaching out for scholarship opportunities. I am also creating curriculum products for homeschool families and searching for part time work that I can perform early in the mornings while my children are still sleeping. I know that although the road may be bumpy, pursuing my degree right now will only further help me provide financially for my family and I am excitedly ready to take on the challenge!

Unfortunately our healthcare system is still largely neglecting preventative care and band-aiding issues with quick fix pharmaceuticals. There is a time and place for modern healthcare practices, but why wouldn’t we start with a more wholistic approach and resolve the root problem by balancing our bodies nutritional deficiencies first? Food is medicine! I whole heartedly believe this and I am appalled by healthcare professionals overlooking basic nutrient deficiencies, jumping straight to prescribing pills to treat symptoms. Personally I have seen and felt the lack of solutions provided specifically in the mental health field of medicine. I have several close family members who have suffered with mental health illnesses, they have painstakingly searched for solutions to no avail. Sure, doctors prescribe medications and practices that sometimes help relieve symptoms. The issue is that the solutions are short lived, accompanied by side effects and can even worsen the condition they are aiming to treat. Many pharmaceuticals create unnecessary dependency and mask the root cause of the issue leaving patients in a never ending loop of mismanaged symptoms and distress. I am particularly passionate about substance abuse and its co-occurrence with mental health disorders. I have seen loved ones, out of desperation, go down the road of self medicating. Misusing prescription drugs and alcohol to numb their discomfort, to escape the persistent agony brought on by mental illness. I have become disheartened by the standard of care in the field of mental health and addiction. This has lead me on a quest of my own to better understand the root cause of the specific mental health disorders that my family members suffer from. Unsurprisingly, I have come to find that many nutrient deficiencies and food sensitivities play a large role in mental health decline. Who knew that the whole body is an integrated system in which nutrition plays an integral role in its ability to function optimally?! (I’m being sarcastic) I’d argue that as a species we have known this truth for thousands of years. We have simply traded wholistic health for quick fixes due to our lack of patience in this fast paced world. I aspire to join those practitioners who utilize a more wholistic approach to treating mental illness. Harnessing the power of balanced nutrition, emotional regulation, lifestyle changes and psychotherapy to heal mental health disorders at their core. My first step is to finish what I started and complete my bachelors in educational studies, then my bachelors in psychology with an emphasis in neuropsychology, to help me better understand the underlying mechanisms of the human brain. I deeply appreciate any support I can get in this endeavor so that I can be an instrument of change in the world of mental healthcare and education.

Unfortunately our healthcare system is still largely neglecting preventative care and band-aiding issues with quick fix pharmaceuticals. There is a time and place for modern healthcare practices, but why wouldn’t we start with a more wholistic approach and resolve the root problem by balancing our bodies nutritional deficiencies first? Food is medicine! I whole heartedly believe this and I am appalled by healthcare professionals overlooking basic nutrient deficiencies, jumping straight to prescribing pills to treat symptoms. Personally I have seen and felt the lack of solutions provided specifically in the mental health field of medicine. I have several close family members who have suffered with mental health illnesses, they have painstakingly searched for solutions to no avail. Sure, doctors prescribe medications and practices that sometimes help relieve symptoms. The issue is that the solutions are short lived, accompanied by side effects and can even worsen the condition they are aiming to treat. Many pharmaceuticals create unnecessary dependency and mask the root cause of the issue leaving patients in a never ending loop of mismanaged symptoms and distress. I am particularly passionate about substance abuse and its co-occurrence with mental health disorders. I have seen loved ones, out of desperation, go down the road of self medicating. Misusing prescription drugs and alcohol to numb their discomfort, to escape the persistent agony brought on by mental illness. I have become disheartened by the standard of care in the field of mental health and addiction. This has lead me on a quest of my own to better understand the root cause of the specific mental health disorders that my family members suffer from. Unsurprisingly, I have come to find that many nutrient deficiencies and food sensitivities play a large role in mental health decline. Who knew that the whole body is an integrated system in which nutrition plays an integral role in its ability to function optimally?! (I’m being sarcastic) I’d argue that as a species we have known this truth for thousands of years. We have simply traded wholistic health for quick fixes due to our lack of patience in this fast paced world. I aspire to join those practitioners who utilize a more wholistic approach to treating mental illness. Harnessing the power of balanced nutrition, emotional regulation, lifestyle changes and psychotherapy to heal mental health disorders at their core. My first step is to finish what I started and complete my bachelors in educational studies, then my bachelors in psychology with an emphasis in neuropsychology, to help me better understand the underlying mechanisms of the human brain. I deeply appreciate any support I can get in this endeavor so that I can be an instrument of change in the world of mental healthcare and education.

"You will be endeared to him forever!" Years ago these cherished words were gifted to me from my next door neighbor. Emily's youngest son was charged with mowing the lawn while his parents were away for a short vacation. While they were gone I noticed my young neighbor frozen in his back yard, lawn mower gripped tight within his palms and tears flooding down his cheeks. My mama heart sank and I rushed to see what was wrong. He told me that he was terrified of bees, he knew he needed to complete his chore but couldn't bring himself to mow past the long strip of lawn adjacent to the lavender bushes. Bees had swarmed the lavender making a loud humming sound that would have surely frightened any child. There was no consoling him in that moment, so I offered to mow the strip near the bees. This was a seemingly small gesture, but to my little neighbor it meant the world and to his mother it meant even more to know that her son was looked after by not only his grandparents but the neighborhood as well. As mothers we all know it truly takes a village and that experience taught me the great impact of small gestures. For years I’ve observed my neighbor Emily patiently love, nurture and educate her children next door. I watched them thrive, explore and savor every possible opportunity to learn something new! I took careful note of how creative she was in making lessons exciting and engaging as they all learned and played together as a family. I dreamt of creating an equivalent environment for my own children some day. Now I am pleased to inform you, that for over four years I have enjoyed the privilege of being able to homeschool my children and learn along side them just as my wonderful neighbor Emily did! My studies in early childhood education at Utah State were inspiring and enlightening, but with the birth of my eldest child, my formal education was put on pause and I was gifted an immersive hands on education in early childhood development and education incomparable to any experience formal education could have offered me. My passion for learning and teaching has been poured into raising and homeschooling my own children. Some subjects such as history and science we've studied as a family greatly benefiting from shared ideas and insights. Other subjects, math in particular, have been tailored to each individuals needs and pace as each child masters foundational concepts one step at a time. Each of my children learn differently and I have found that there is no "one size fits all" curriculum for anyone, adjustments and flexibility are a necessity for every child to thrive. Now here I am, having entered a new season of life where I am able to once again pursue my own formal education but with the benefit of being able to incorporate my hands on experience into my college studies. I have learned the importance of emergent learning opportunities, how to accommodate a myriad of different learning styles and how to engage and inspire students through creative lesson planning. I see the value in allowing children to grow at their own pace and the value in shared group experiences. Most importantly I have learned the impact small acts of kindness and connection have upon the heart of a child. As I become a teacher I will retain the beautiful lessons life has afforded me and become a larger part of my community village in providing love and care for the rising generation.

“Lead Like The Savior” Here in mortality we have the agency to choose faith, over fear and faith in Gods plan for each of us. As a parent, as a teacher and as a leader in all opportunities presented to me, the Savior’s example is at the forefront of my mind. The church focuses on “Teaching The Savior’s Way” and “Leading Like The Savior”. Unlike a forceful dictator, Jesus Christ lead by example. With kindness, patience and the power of God. I know that aligning my will with the Lord’s, I can move mountains! This is where deep faith is forged, in trusting the creator and knowing that if we are willing to follow, he will lead the way. By no means does this denote that a life of faith will be easy or carefree, as I’m sure you’ve experienced it is often in reality, the opposite. MORE challenging, but more refining as we follow His lead. If we are perceptive we can see that although trials do not disappear, when yolked with the Savior our burdens truly do become lite. As I practice leading like the Savior, I aim to coach and teach with a confident and compassionate demeanor. I have yet to perfect this skill and I fear it will take more than a lifetime, but this surely won’t deter me from trying. Recently my husband and I have faced some truly heavy trials together. Trials that I have thought countless times were nearly about to break me. We have each supported one another through our weakest moments with faith and encouragement. I have inspired him as he has in turn inspired me, to trust in the lord, to seek comfort and guidance through prayer and scripture. I fear to imagine how we ever would have made it through the roughest bouts the past two years have brought to us without relying on each-other and the Savior for strength and hope. This season of life has also taught me the importance of living one’s faith out loud and not hiding the light given to us by the Lord. I have openly shared the tender mercies and miracles God has bestowed upon us along the way. I have found that in my sharing I have been able to strengthen others, especially close friends and family in their testimonies. Sharing and acknowledging my experiences with the Holy Spirit has reaffirmed and strengthened my faith as it has inspired others to share likewise with me. When we converse about such things, a magnifying effect occurs as we build upon one another’s faith and testimonies. I now understand more deeply the importance of NOT hiding one’s light under a bushel. As we are taught, light begets light! My future path is not definitively clear, but I do know that wherever the Lord leads me I am meant to use the experiences I have had to help build his kingdom here on earth. I am passionate about education and mental health/psychology. I have nearly completed my bachelors in educational studies and I intend to do so before moving on to follow my passion in the field of mental health. My experience homeschooling our four children has taught me more than words could ever describe, and my experience battling mental health issues along side my dear husband has inspired me to use any and all of the gifts I have to aide others who are deep in the throws of that fight themselves. I aimed to lead, teach, coach and care for others as I follow in the footsteps of my Savior.

As the spouse of an individual enduring mental health issues, I have been personally advocating for better healthcare specifically regarding mental health. My husband has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and we have yet to find a realistic solution that treats the issue at its core. As every other patient who has struggled with mental health, we have been offered countless “bandaid” solutions that come at the cost of numerous side effects and merely masking symptoms. I have set off on my own personal mission studying all I can about mental health and its connections to nutritional deficiencies and physiological dysfunctions. Over the past fifteen years I have been fighting along side my husband to adjust lifestyle habits, dietary deficiencies and explore various psychotherapy strategies in hopes to improve his mental health and personal wellbeing. We have discovered many helpful strategies but the fight is far from over. I have become very interested in neuropsychology and aim to someday obtain a bachelors degree in psychology and then move on towards graduate school focusing on neuropsychology. I would love to lead a fulfilling career in a mental health field where I could provide more wholistic care to patients leading to solutions rather than bandaids. This is a long journey and I am only at the beginning, but with my personal experience and passion I believe I can truly make a difference in the world of mental healthcare. As you can see from my profile, I have two very different fields of interest and I have yet to find a defined path in which they both converge. My background is in early childhood education, I studied at Utah State University before my oldest child was born. I took a break from my studies fully intending on continuing much sooner than the season of life I am in now. That being said I have enjoyed my journey through motherhood and the hands on experience I have been given in early childhood development and education as I have homeschooled our four children. I intend to finish what I have started by completing my bachelors in Educational Studies as I am too close to simply drop all of my progress to the wayside. Once I have completed that work I will then be able to dive into my passion for psychology and further refine my path towards the convergence of education and mental health.

My ADHD often presents as anxiety, especially when I have a metaphorical plate full of important tasks. I’d wager most women with ADHD feel similar, especially when charged with juggling school work and the responsibility of managing a household of young children. I have learned to be patient with myself and to let go of the vision of having everything perfectly organized. My secret weapon is to create a daily/weekly flow for myself rather than a rigid schedule. This seems to work better for my children as well which makes it an overall winning strategy! How does my ADHD come into play while actively studying you may wonder? I like to refer to this particular scenario as “Alice In Wonderland Brain”. Cute huh? Just as Alice slips away into daydreaming, as do I while reading anything I set my eyes upon. A word, a phrase, or intriguing thought sends my mind down one rabbit hole after another, my eyes still skimming over now meaningless letters. Sooner or later I catch myself in a mental adventure and realize I need to significantly back up and re-read what my eyes have just glazed over. This is quite an annoyance, leading me to absorb extended amounts of time to complete most tasks, especially school related. On one hand the extended time may be viewed as a wast or hindrance to my progress. On the other hand though, I’d like to argue that I possess a beautiful gift of creativity, imagination and curiosity that has fueled my thirst for knowledge! You see not only am I studying the intended material I had set out to, through my rabbit hole adventures I end up learning at least double as I indulge my sporadic curiosities. Now, can you imagine such a brain being in charge of homeschooling four children?! I don’t need to imagine, I can tell you first hand it was an absolutely beautiful and exciting experience. Though messy and disorganized at times I have thoroughly enjoyed the privilege of homeschooling our children. I can also vouch for the enjoyment they experienced throughout the journey filled with questions and endless rabbit holes to discover. My experience homeschooling has further inspired me to jump back into college and complete the education I had sought out years ago before becoming a mother. In order to prioritize my mental health and stay on track, I am utilizing my tried and true strategy of creating a flow schedule for myself and taking courses through an online university which enables me to go at my own pace. I will also be asking my children to step up and take charge of more responsibilities regarding our home and their personal care. This will relieve some of the mental load and time consuming burden from my shoulders. This will also empower my children to be more self sufficient which will in turn strengthen their self confidence. How do you eat an elephant? ONE bite at a time. Step by step, day by day I will accomplish my goal of obtaining my bachelors degree. I am determined to do this for myself, and for the impressionable children I now have watching and cheering me on.

For years I’ve observed my neighbor Emily patiently love, nurture and educate her children next door. I watched them thrive, explore and savor every possible opportunity to learn something new! I took careful note of how creative she was in making lessons exciting and engaging as they all learned and played together as a family. I dreamt of creating an equivalent environment for my own children some day. Now I am pleased to inform you, that for over four years I have enjoyed the privilege of being able to homeschool my children and learn along side them just as my wonderful neighbor Emily did! My studies in early childhood education at Utah State were inspiring and enlightening, but with the birth of my eldest child, my formal education was put on pause and I was gifted an immersive hands on education in early childhood development and education incomparable to any experience formal education could have offered me. My passion for learning and teaching has been poured into raising and homeschooling my own children. Some subjects such as history and science we've studied as a family greatly benefiting from shared ideas and insights. Other subjects, math in particular, have been tailored to each individuals needs and pace as each child masters foundational concepts one step at a time. Each of my children learn differently and I have found that there is no "one size fits all" curriculum for anyone, adjustments and flexibility are a necessity for every child to thrive. Caring for the four beautiful souls God has given me charge of has impacted my entire life on a core level. My hopes dreams and goals are shaped with them in mind as I strive to be the best mother I possibly can be. This includes me striving to be my best self as an individual in order to inspire these little ones watching my every move. I have now entered a new season of life where I am able to once again pursue my own formal education but with the benefit of being able to incorporate my hands on experience into my college studies. I have learned the importance of emergent learning opportunities, how to accommodate a myriad of different learning styles and how to engage and inspire students through creative lesson planning. I see the value in allowing children to grow at their own pace and the value in shared group experiences. Most importantly I have learned the impact small acts of kindness and connection have upon the heart of a child. As I become a teacher I will retain the beautiful lessons life has afforded me and become a larger part of my community village in providing love and care for the rising generation.

"You will be endeared to him forever!" Years ago these cherished words were gifted to me from my next door neighbor. Emily's youngest son was charged with mowing the lawn while his parents were away for a short vacation. While they were gone I noticed my young neighbor frozen in his back yard, lawn mower gripped tight within his palms and tears flooding down his cheeks. My mama heart sank and I rushed to see what was wrong. He told me that he was terrified of bees, he knew he needed to complete his chore but couldn't bring himself to mow past the long strip of lawn adjacent to the lavender bushes. Bees had swarmed the lavender making a loud humming sound that would have surely frightened any child. There was no consoling him in that moment, so I offered to mow the strip near the bees. This was a seemingly small gesture, but to my little neighbor it meant the world and to his mother it meant even more to know that her son was looked after by not only his grandparents but the neighborhood as well. As mothers we all know it truly takes a village and that experience taught me the great impact of small gestures. For years I’ve observed my neighbor Emily patiently love, nurture and educate her children next door. I watched them thrive, explore and savor every possible opportunity to learn something new! I took careful note of how creative she was in making lessons exciting and engaging as they all learned and played together as a family. I dreamt of creating an equivalent environment for my own children some day. Now I am pleased to inform you, that for over four years I have enjoyed the privilege of being able to homeschool my children and learn along side them just as my wonderful neighbor Emily did! My studies in early childhood education at Utah State were inspiring and enlightening, but with the birth of my eldest child, my formal education was put on pause and I was gifted an immersive hands on education in early childhood development and education incomparable to any experience formal education could have offered me. My passion for learning and teaching has been poured into raising and homeschooling my own children. Some subjects such as history and science we've studied as a family greatly benefiting from shared ideas and insights. Other subjects, math in particular, have been tailored to each individuals needs and pace as each child masters foundational concepts one step at a time. Each of my children learn differently and I have found that there is no "one size fits all" curriculum for anyone, adjustments and flexibility are a necessity for every child to thrive. Now here I am, having entered a new season of life where I am able to once again pursue my own formal education but with the benefit of being able to incorporate my hands on experience into my college studies. I have learned the importance of emergent learning opportunities, how to accommodate a myriad of different learning styles and how to engage and inspire students through creative lesson planning. I see the value in allowing children to grow at their own pace and the value in shared group experiences. Most importantly I have learned the impact small acts of kindness and connection have upon the heart of a child. As I become a teacher I will retain the beautiful lessons life has afforded me and become a larger part of my community village in providing love and care for the rising generation.

"You will be endeared to him forever!" Years ago these cherished words were gifted to me from my next door neighbor. Emily's youngest son was charged with mowing the lawn while his parents were away for a short vacation. While they were gone I noticed my young neighbor frozen in his back yard, lawn mower gripped tight within his palms and tears flooding down his cheeks. My mama heart sank and I rushed to see what was wrong. He told me that he was terrified of bees, he knew he needed to complete his chore but couldn't bring himself to mow past the long strip of lawn adjacent to the lavender bushes. Bees had swarmed the lavender making a loud humming sound that would have surely frightened any child. There was no consoling him in that moment, so I offered to mow the strip near the bees. This was a seemingly small gesture, but to my little neighbor it meant the world and to his mother it meant even more to know that her son was looked after by not only his grandparents but the neighborhood as well. As mothers we all know it truly takes a village and that experience taught me the great impact of small gestures. For years I’ve observed my neighbor Emily patiently love, nurture and educate her children next door. I watched them thrive, explore and savor every possible opportunity to learn something new! I took careful note of how creative she was in making lessons exciting and engaging as they all learned and played together as a family. I dreamt of creating an equivalent environment for my own children some day. Now I am pleased to inform you, that for over four years I have enjoyed the privilege of being able to homeschool my children and learn along side them just as my wonderful neighbor Emily did! My studies in early childhood education at Utah State were inspiring and enlightening, but with the birth of my eldest child, my formal education was put on pause and I was gifted an immersive hands on education in early childhood development and education incomparable to any experience formal education could have offered me. My passion for learning and teaching has been poured into raising and homeschooling my own children. Some subjects such as history and science we've studied as a family greatly benefiting from shared ideas and insights. Other subjects, math in particular, have been tailored to each individuals needs and pace as each child masters foundational concepts one step at a time. Each of my children learn differently and I have found that there is no "one size fits all" curriculum for anyone, adjustments and flexibility are a necessity for every child to thrive. Now here I am, having entered a new season of life where I am able to once again pursue my own formal education but with the benefit of being able to incorporate my hands on experience into my college studies. I have learned the importance of emergent learning opportunities, how to accommodate a myriad of different learning styles and how to engage and inspire students through creative lesson planning. I see the value in allowing children to grow at their own pace and the value in shared group experiences. Most importantly I have learned the impact small acts of kindness and connection have upon the heart of a child. As I become a teacher I will retain the beautiful lessons life has afforded me and become a larger part of my community village in providing love and care for the rising generation.

‘It is very subtle. But it brings no rain and grows no corn […]. It does not even give them boldness to die. […] Much less does it give them understanding of holy things. They demand to see such things clearly, as if the gods were no more than letters written in a book. I, King, have dealt with the gods for three generations of men, and I know that they dazzle our eyes and flow in and out of one another like eddies on a river, and nothing that is said clearly can be said truly about them. Holy places are dark places. It is life and strength, not knowledge and words, that we get in them. Holy wisdom is not clear and thin like water, but thick and dark like blood.’ (50) By: C.S. Lewis, The Wisdom Of The Greeks True wisdom is not a gift to be granted merely upon one's aching desire, it is to be earned through toil and strife, pains and failures. This is how wisdom is won. Wisdom is carried as a quiet, subtle badge, only visible to those who have also earned it's muted stripes upon their own hearts. Many learned men have an illusioned perception of wisdom, confusing it with knowledge and perhaps prestigious accolades bestowed upon them. Thinking it a thing to be flaunted and waived as a bright flag of glory for all to see. In the passage above, Lewis is drawing our attention to the folly of men searching for wisdom through the mere acquisition of knowledge. He reminds us that although knowledge is an integral component to gaining wisdom, we must ponder and metaphorically read between the lines seeking for deeper understanding to obtain it. Wisdom cannot be imparted from one to another through words written or spoken, no matter how precisely one tries to transfer it. Surface level wisdom may on occasion be obtained through patient contemplation and envisioned circumstances within the confines of one's imagination. Testing theories by playing out events and imagining the results of various courses of action can indeed lead to treasured morsels of wisdom. But holy wisdom, that is something greater is it not? There is a great depth of meaning attached to the word "holy", aside from the religious context of meaning sacred (which also pertains to the reverence one should hold for wisdom) the word also represents an extraordinary nature. Wisdom is not an ordinary thing, is it? I would argue that it is indeed NOT. Wisdom is often viewed as a virtue revered by those who seek it and acknowledge its powerful utility in the pursuit of of a meaningful life. By attaching "holiness" to wisdom the writer is amplifying the attribute to something even more powerful and coveted. Such an attribute must surely command an even greater deal of labor to procure. This passage implores me to seek such wisdom personally, inspiring greater patience and fortitude amongst life's challenges! Lewis presents the contrasting image of thin clear water and thick rich blood, comparing holy wisdom to the latter depiction. Blood is a significant clue as to how Lewis sees holy wisdom is to be acquired. Blood denotes pain and sacrifice, it's thickness in contrast to water represents the depth and weight attributed to wisdom in contrast to the frank acquisition of knowledge. We must experience hardships and failures to gain deep wisdom, persevering through dark and difficult circumstances teaches us lessons that can only be found through experience. When we grapple with complex realities, or battle through grey circumstances we refine our ability to discern for ourselves and find not only clarity but strength. This powerful passage is very powerful to me especially now as I have come through a particularly trying season of life. I have patiently refined myself as life's challenges have attempted to knock me off my feet. I will continually need refining, as I still hold many imperfections and find myself lacking luster in countless facets of my own character. But I can say that through the lonesome darkness of personal strife and hardship I have gained wisdom, dare I even say a bit of holy wisdom. I have polished some of my rough edges and I have become more fortified than the woman I was previously. That is the purpose of life is it not? To grow and be refined as we battle through challenges becoming something more than we were before. Not to be compared to others but to become more whole than we once were, step by step and piece by piece. I love C.S. Lewis and the treasured insights he points us toward through his writing. The way he coaxes us to dig for truth and wisdom through our own experiences and deliberation. In my opinion he is one of the greatest teachers of all time and I aim to develop myself patterned after his great example as an inspired teacher and seeker of wisdom.

I began studying early childhood education at Utah State University directly after high school, I put my education on pause when my oldest child joined our family but as our family grew that pause became much longer than I had initially intended. Homeschooling my children has inspired me to continue to pursue my formal education and obtain a bachelors degree. I have always loved learning and exploring all of the wonder this world has to offer! I have enjoyed the privilege of homeschooling my children and learning along side them for over four and a half years now and this experience has only enhanced my passions and abilities which I now plan to incorporate as a student myself. We all face obstacles in life and especially in pursuit of higher achievements such as a college degree. I would not consider having a family and homeschooling my children an obstacle, perceive it as magical detour! Now that I am continuing my education the obstacles I face are going to be time management and financial hardship. Let’s be honest though, these were already obstacles before I decided to jump back into college haha. If the reader happens to be a mother you’ll be able to empathize with my humor in this. Life just never goes as planned and it isn’t a smooth ride for any of us right?! In order to better manage time and focus energy towards my own studies in this new season of life, I am going to ask my children to step up and be more responsible. I have taught them well and they are capable of managing themselves while mom studies. Of course we will still make time for family fun and adventures but I’m realizing that the groundwork we have already laid has prepared them to be more self sufficient and take charge of certain aspects of their lives. I will sit down and have a one on one with each child discussing their goals and needs, we will create a personal routine and check list to help keep them each on track and keep our household in order. The obstacle of financial hardship isn’t a nuance by any means, our financial hardship as a family stems from serious health challenges my husband has faced over the past two years. With him being the main provider in our family this has employed us to make many adjustments as we’ve navigated life from day to day. Things aren’t smooth sailing right now but we’ve become resilient and I am looking for creative ways to help support our family financially while I continue my education. The more energy I have to focus on school and my children the better which is why I am reaching out for scholarship opportunities. I am also creating curriculum products for homeschool families and searching for part time work that I can perform early in the mornings while my children are still sleeping. I know that although the road may be bumpy, pursuing my degree right now will only further help me provide financially for my family and I am excitedly ready to take on the challenge!

"You will be endeared to him forever!" Years ago these cherished words were gifted to me from my next door neighbor. Emily's youngest son was charged with mowing the lawn while his parents were away for a short vacation. While they were gone I noticed my young neighbor frozen in his back yard, lawn mower gripped tight within his palms and tears flooding down his cheeks. My mama heart sank and I rushed to see what was wrong. He told me that he was terrified of bees, he knew he needed to complete his chore but couldn't bring himself to mow past the long strip of lawn adjacent to the lavender bushes. Bees had swarmed the lavender making a loud humming sound that would have surely frightened any child. There was no consoling him in that moment, so I offered to mow the strip near the bees. This was a seemingly small gesture, but to my little neighbor it meant the world and to his mother it meant even more to know that her son was looked after by not only his grandparents but the neighborhood as well. As mothers we all know it truly takes a village and that experience taught me the great impact of small gestures. For years I’ve observed my neighbor Emily patiently love, nurture and educate her children next door. I watched them thrive, explore and savor every possible opportunity to learn something new! I took careful note of how creative she was in making lessons exciting and engaging as they all learned and played together as a family. I dreamt of creating an equivalent environment for my own children some day. Now I am pleased to inform you, that for over four years I have enjoyed the privilege of being able to homeschool my children and learn along side them just as my wonderful neighbor Emily did! My studies in early childhood education at Utah State were inspiring and enlightening, but with the birth of my eldest child, my formal education was put on pause and I was gifted an immersive hands on education in early childhood development and education incomparable to any experience formal education could have offered me. My passion for learning and teaching has been poured into raising and homeschooling my own children. Some subjects such as history and science we've studied as a family greatly benefiting from shared ideas and insights. Other subjects, math in particular, have been tailored to each individuals needs and pace as each child masters foundational concepts one step at a time. Each of my children learn differently and I have found that there is no "one size fits all" curriculum for anyone, adjustments and flexibility are a necessity for every child to thrive. Now here I am, having entered a new season of life where I am able to once again pursue my own formal education but with the benefit of being able to incorporate my hands on experience into my college studies. I have learned the importance of emergent learning opportunities, how to accommodate a myriad of different learning styles and how to engage and inspire students through creative lesson planning. I see the value in allowing children to grow at their own pace and the value in shared group experiences. Most importantly I have learned the impact small acts of kindness and connection have upon the heart of a child. As I become a teacher I will retain the beautiful lessons life has afforded me and become a larger part of my community village in providing love and care for the rising generation.

"You will be endeared to him forever!" Years ago these cherished words were gifted to me from my next door neighbor. Emily's youngest son was charged with mowing the lawn while his parents were away for a short vacation. While they were gone I noticed my young neighbor frozen in his back yard, lawn mower gripped tight within his palms and tears flooding down his cheeks. My mama heart sank and I rushed to see what was wrong. He told me that he was terrified of bees, he knew he needed to complete his chore but couldn't bring himself to mow past the long strip of lawn adjacent to the lavender bushes. Bees had swarmed the lavender making a loud humming sound that would have surely frightened any child. There was no consoling him in that moment, so I offered to mow the strip near the bees. This was a seemingly small gesture, but to my little neighbor it meant the world and to his mother it meant even more to know that her son was looked after by not only his grandparents but the neighborhood as well. As mothers we all know it truly takes a village and that experience taught me the great impact of small gestures. For years I’ve observed my neighbor Emily patiently love, nurture and educate her children next door. I watched them thrive, explore and savor every possible opportunity to learn something new! I took careful note of how creative she was in making lessons exciting and engaging as they all learned and played together as a family. I dreamt of creating an equivalent environment for my own children some day. Now I am pleased to inform you, that for over four years I have enjoyed the privilege of being able to homeschool my children and learn along side them just as my wonderful neighbor Emily did! My studies in early childhood education at Utah State were inspiring and enlightening, but with the birth of my eldest child, my formal education was put on pause and I was gifted an immersive hands on education in early childhood development and education incomparable to any experience formal education could have offered me. My passion for learning and teaching has been poured into raising and homeschooling my own children. Some subjects such as history and science we've studied as a family greatly benefiting from shared ideas and insights. Other subjects, math in particular, have been tailored to each individuals needs and pace as each child masters foundational concepts one step at a time. Each of my children learn differently and I have found that there is no "one size fits all" curriculum for anyone, adjustments and flexibility are a necessity for every child to thrive. Now here I am, having entered a new season of life where I am able to once again pursue my own formal education but with the benefit of being able to incorporate my hands on experience into my college studies. I have learned the importance of emergent learning opportunities, how to accommodate a myriad of different learning styles and how to engage and inspire students through creative lesson planning. I see the value in allowing children to grow at their own pace and the value in shared group experiences. Most importantly I have learned the impact small acts of kindness and connection have upon the heart of a child. As I become a teacher I will retain the beautiful lessons life has afforded me and become a larger part of my community village in providing love and care for the rising generation.

"You will be endeared to him forever!" Years ago these cherished words came to me from my next door neighbor, Emily, gifted upon her return from a vacation with her husband. The children's grandparents came to stay and look after them for the week so I knew they would be well cared for, but had mentioned that I would gladly be an extra set of hands or eyes if needed. Emily's youngest son, who was ten years old at the time, was charged with mowing the lawn while his parents were away. The morning after Emily and her husband had left I noticed my young neighbor frozen in his back yard, lawn mower gripped tight within his palms and tears flooding down his cheeks. My mama heart sank and I rushed to see what was wrong, fearing a possible injury of some sort I braced my self for a possible E.R. visit. He saw me coming and turned the mower off, upon verifying no physical harm had come to my dear neighbor I asked why he was so sad. He proceeded to tell me that he was terrified of bees and that he knew he needed to complete his chore but couldn't bring himself to mow past the long strip of lawn adjacent to the lavender bushes. Of course bees loved the rich fragrant lavender, and had swarmed the bushes making a loud humming sound that could certainly be intimidating to a young boy as well as many adults! I explained to my neighbor that the bees did not intend to harm him and in fact they would leave him safely to his mowing as they were concerned with collecting pollen for their hive. As we conversed I came to realize his fear was much to large to be dispelled in that moment, so I offered to mow the strip of lawn adjacent to the lavender so that he could complete his chore and carry on with his day. He kindly thanked me and released a great sigh of relief, I quickly pushed the mower past the swarm of bees and turned the mower back over to him to finish. This was a seemingly small gesture, but to my sweet little neighbor it meant the world and to his mother it meant even more to know that her son was looked after by not only his grandparents but the neighborhood as well. As mothers we all know it truly takes a village and that experience taught me the great impact of small gestures. I have since then been on the receiving end of many such small gestures and have taken comfort in the support of my own little neighborhood village. It is to this very same neighbor, Emily, that I grant credit for inspiring me to homeschool my own children and work in education. For years I have observed my neighbor Emily patiently love, nurture and educate her children right next door. I watched them thrive, explore and savor every possible opportunity to learn something new! I took careful note of how creative she was in making lessons exciting and engaging as they all learned and played together as a family. I dreamt of creating an equivalent environment for my own children some day. Now I am pleased to inform you, that for over four years I have enjoyed the privilege of being able to homeschool my children and learn along side them just as my wonderful neighbor Emily did! My studies in early childhood education at Utah State were inspiring and enlightening, but with the birth of my eldest child, my formal education was put on pause and I was gifted an immersive hands on education in early childhood development and education incomparable to any experience formal education could have offered me. My passion for learning and teaching has been poured into raising and homeschooling my own children. Some subjects such as history and science we've studied as a family greatly benefiting from shared ideas and insights. Other subjects, math in particular, have been tailored to each individuals needs and pace as each child masters foundational concepts one step at a time. Each of my children learn differently and I have found that there is no "one size fits all" curriculum for anyone, adjustments and flexibility are a necessity for every child to thrive. Now here I am, having entered a new season of life where I am able to once again pursue my own formal education but with the benefit of being able to incorporate my hands on experience into my college studies. I have learned the importance of emergent learning opportunities, how to accommodate a myriad of different learning styles and how to engage and inspire students through creative lesson planning. I see the value in allowing children to grow at their own pace and the value in shared group experiences. Most importantly I have learned the impact small acts of kindness and connection have upon the heart of a child. As I become a teacher I will retain the beautiful lessons life has afforded me and become a larger part of my community village in providing love and care for the rising generation. In my teaching and daily life I aim to emulate three of my most inspiring personal heroes, Mrs. Frizzle, Marry Poppins and C.S. Lewis. If I grow to be even half the character of one of these great figures I'd call that a win, so I thank you dear reader in cheering me on!

"You will be endeared to him forever!" Years ago these cherished words came to me from my next door neighbor, Emily, gifted upon her return from a vacation with her husband. The children's grandparents came to stay and look after them for the week so I knew they would be well cared for, but had mentioned that I would gladly be an extra set of hands or eyes if needed. Emily's youngest son, who was ten years old at the time, was charged with mowing the lawn while his parents were away. The morning after Emily and her husband had left I noticed my young neighbor frozen in his back yard, lawn mower gripped tight within his palms and tears flooding down his cheeks. My mama heart sank and I rushed to see what was wrong, fearing a possible injury of some sort I braced my self for a possible E.R. visit. He saw me coming and turned the mower off, upon verifying no physical harm had come to my dear neighbor I asked why he was so sad. He proceeded to tell me that he was terrified of bees and that he knew he needed to complete his chore but couldn't bring himself to mow past the long strip of lawn adjacent to the lavender bushes. Of course bees loved the rich fragrant lavender, and had swarmed the bushes making a loud humming sound that could certainly be intimidating to a young boy as well as many adults! I explained to my neighbor that the bees did not intend to harm him and in fact they would leave him safely to his mowing as they were concerned with collecting pollen for their hive. As we conversed I came to realize his fear was much to large to be dispelled in that moment, so I offered to mow the strip of lawn adjacent to the lavender so that he could complete his chore and carry on with his day. He kindly thanked me and released a great sigh of relief, I quickly pushed the mower past the swarm of bees and turned the mower back over to him to finish. This was a seemingly small gesture, but to my sweet little neighbor it meant the world and to his mother it meant even more to know that her son was looked after by not only his grandparents but the neighborhood as well. As mothers we all know it truly takes a village and that experience taught me the great impact of small gestures. I have since then been on the receiving end of many such small gestures and have taken comfort in the support of my own little neighborhood village. It is to this very same neighbor, Emily, that I grant credit for inspiring me to homeschool my own children and work in education. For years I have observed my neighbor Emily patiently love, nurture and educate her children right next door. I watched them thrive, explore and savor every possible opportunity to learn something new! I took careful note of how creative she was in making lessons exciting and engaging as they all learned and played together as a family. I dreamt of creating an equivalent environment for my own children some day. Now I am pleased to inform you, that for over four years I have enjoyed the privilege of being able to homeschool my children and learn along side them just as my wonderful neighbor Emily did! My studies in early childhood education at Utah State were inspiring and enlightening, but with the birth of my eldest child, my formal education was put on pause and I was gifted an immersive hands on education in early childhood development and education incomparable to any experience formal education could have offered me. My passion for learning and teaching has been poured into raising and homeschooling my own children. Some subjects such as history and science we've studied as a family greatly benefiting from shared ideas and insights. Other subjects, math in particular, have been tailored to each individuals needs and pace as each child masters foundational concepts one step at a time. Each of my children learn differently and I have found that there is no "one size fits all" curriculum for anyone, adjustments and flexibility are a necessity for every child to thrive. Now here I am, having entered a new season of life where I am able to once again pursue my own formal education but with the benefit of being able to incorporate my hands on experience into my college studies. I have learned the importance of emergent learning opportunities, how to accommodate a myriad of different learning styles and how to engage and inspire students through creative lesson planning. I see the value in allowing children to grow at their own pace and the value in shared group experiences. Most importantly I have learned the impact small acts of kindness and connection have upon the heart of a child. As I become a teacher I will retain the beautiful lessons life has afforded me and become a larger part of my community village in providing love and care for the rising generation. In my teaching and daily life I aim to emulate three of my most inspiring personal heroes, Mrs. Frizzle, Marry Poppins and C.S. Lewis. If I grow to be even half the character of one of these great figures I'd call that a win, so I thank you dear reader in cheering me on!

Unfortunately our healthcare system is still largely neglecting preventative care and band-aiding issues with quick fix pharmaceuticals. There is a time and place for modern healthcare practices, but why wouldn’t we start with a more wholistic approach and resolve the root problem by balancing our bodies nutritional deficiencies first? Food is medicine! I whole heartedly believe this and I am appalled by healthcare professionals overlooking basic nutrient deficiencies, jumping straight to prescribing pills to treat symptoms. Personally, I have seen and felt the lack of solutions provided specifically in the mental health field of medicine. I have several close family members (my husband included) who have suffered with mental health illnesses, they have painstakingly searched for solutions to no avail. Sure, doctors prescribe medications and practices that sometimes help relieve symptoms. The issue is that the solutions are short lived, accompanied by side effects and can even worsen the condition they are aiming to treat. Many pharmaceuticals create unnecessary dependency and mask the root cause of the issue leaving patients in a never ending loop of mismanaged symptoms and distress. I am particularly passionate about substance abuse and its co-occurrence with mental health disorders. I have seen loved ones, out of desperation, go down the road of self medicating. Misusing prescription drugs and alcohol to numb their discomfort, to escape the persistent agony brought on by mental illness. I have become disheartened by the standard of care in the field of mental health and addiction. This has lead me on a quest of my own to better understand the root cause of the specific mental health disorders that my family members suffer from. Unsurprisingly, I have come to find that many nutrient deficiencies and food sensitivities play a large role in mental health decline. Who knew that the whole body is an integrated system in which nutrition plays an integral role in its ability to function optimally?! (I’m being sarcastic) I’d argue that as a species we have known this truth for thousands of years. We have simply traded wholistic health for quick fixes due to our lack of patience in this fast paced world. I aspire to join those practitioners who utilize a more wholistic approach to treating mental illness. Harnessing the power of balanced nutrition, emotional regulation, lifestyle changes and psychotherapy to heal mental health disorders at their core. My first step is a bachelors in psychology with an emphasis in neuropsychology, to help me better understand the underlying mechanisms of the human brain. I deeply appreciate any support I can get in this endeavor so that I can be an instrument of change in the world of mental healthcare and education.