As someone who grew up in the New York City Housing Authority (also labeled as “the projects”), I watched as the experienced poverty and hostile realities of living in a low-income community could make life around my loved ones difficult. One example of these difficulties is portrayed through a close family friend, a young child who experienced immense trauma as a child. With the experience of loss and abandonment from their parents, I noticed the impact this psychological turmoil had on them. These psychological behaviors now manifested into behavioral issues that began at home but have now carried into their school life. As someone who is intrigued by the psychology of the human mind and the influences of the world on individuals, I was inspired to help him in any way I could. From a very young age, I have always had an affinity towards children and they seemed to always be naturally drawn to me. Taking into account the past interactions I had with children, I decided to use similar methods of approach when interacting with them. By softly approaching them while also firmly correcting their mistakes, I was able to see their improvement, although slight. When this amazing progress was made, their caregiver wished for me to continue with this effort, noticing this improvement and finally seeing the "light at the end of the tunnel." At the end of the experience, I immediately knew what I wanted to do for a living: take a deep dive into the psychological wiring of children and understand these networks to help them grow and develop mentally. As someone who is captivated by the power and capability of the brain, as well as someone fond of children, I knew that I wanted to go into children’s developmental psychology. With the appropriate degree, I would be able to make real-world differences in the future of our community. As the world continues to evolve and technology continues to advance, the influence of the younger generation continues to grow as our communities simultaneously develop. To appropriately foster our youth and prepare them for the future, it is important to promote healthy mental behaviors and relationships so that they are prepared for the world ahead of them. By tackling obstacles such as grief, family issues, and mental disorders, I would be able to help rewire their brains and positively "light" their lives. By witnessing the change I was able to make through my family friends, I am more eager to experience this daily. More than anything, I love seeing the positive influence I have on others, and with my degree, I would be able to make this aspiration possible.

Amongst the chaos of the school year, college applications, and Advanced Placement testing, it has become increasingly hard over the years to simply sit down with a book and relax. But when I do, the world stops and I lose myself into a new fantasy. At the tail end of my senior year (when the antics of the school year had begun to settle) I was finally able to get into my “bookworm” nature and indulge myself in a good book….or two During this period of intense reading, I recommend one book that I think everyone should read at some point in their lives: “The Memory Police” by Yoko Ogawa. For a brief synopsis, “The Memory Police” follows the female protagonist who lives in a dystopian society in which things as mundane as a flower or as trivial as a person disappears from this world. With these disappearances, the memory of these things fades and the forced removal of these substances begins. This book follows the importance of remembering and exactly what people will do to remember. I recommend this book not only for its beautiful writing and storyline but for its theme: Hold on to every memory and fight for what you believe in. One character, R, is one of the exceptions to this dystopian society: he could remember anything that has been previously marked as “disappeared.” His main job as a supporting character is to help the main character remember what they had forgotten. This intimate, heartwarming, and truly thought-provoking series of events reminds readers how important memories are. Through this read, many people would become more appreciative of the little things. In a technological age where people tend to overshare their lives, this book reminds readers to remain in the present and prioritize the now. I find this to be a valuable lesson that is worth learning. By seeing the importance of the present in a more dramatic interpretation, society would be able to become more self-aware and work to change its flaws now to promote a more connected future.

The beauty of education is that you don’t know its importance and value until you’ve had “THE lesson”. As elementary school students, we have all gone through the absolute hatred of school and its resulting homework, tests, projects, and quizzes. It isn’t until we grow older that we have that ONE class, with that ONE teacher, and that ONE lesson. It wasn’t until this lesson that you realized that being educated is a gift, not a detriment. Personally, this lesson would be the fifth-grade history lesson where I learned about the origin of my home state: New Jersey. In this lesson, I remember settling into class and unwillingly peeling open my textbook--I already knew today would be a drag. Today’s lesson had something to do with the American Indians who had settled in New Jersey tens of thousands of years ago. “Tens of thousands of years ago?!” I yelled in my head, my attention immediately caught. Up until that moment, I swore that New Jersey was called that to signify its new emergence conveniently placed around my time of birth. I would always be excited because I was able to experience the birth of a new state! But now I am being told that New Jersey was not as new as I thought. Immediately, I realized that education was more than just a hassle, but a gateway into a world of possibilities. If something I believed for so long was proven to be the complete opposite, then what else was I missing? What other life-altering discoveries will education lead me to? I began to have a completely different perception of education. As I continued with my academic career, I continued to take school very seriously, soaking up everything I learned like a sponge. While my relationship with learning grew, my relationship with myself subsequently prospered. I was able to feel fulfilled and enlightened with learning and I loved every minute of it. Through this journey, my teachers continued to enforce my passion for learning by exposing me to new possibilities and ways of thinking. I loved the satisfying feeling of solving a math problem unconventionally or learning new ways to improve my writing and sound mature. As I continue through this journey, I began to find myself amid my education. I began to notice how I too wanted to provide this love of learning to others. This is when I decided to consider teaching as a possible career path. With my affinity towards children and the natural way they seemed to be drawn to me, I knew that elementary education was the right decision for me. One source of criticism I receive is “Exactly how do you manage to ‘change the lives' of 4 and 5-year-olds?’” I like to rebuttal the question with the empty feeling I use to feel about school and learning in general. By making it seem like a freedom rather than a chore, I wanted children to love learning by exposing them to the basics of life (i.e.: math and reading) in a new, fun, and “life-altering” way for my students. By enforcing the beauty of learning, I would be able to play a role in changing the relationship children have with the school.

As someone who grew up in the New York City Housing Authority (also labeled as “the projects”), I watched as the experienced poverty and hostile realities of living in a low-income community could make life around my loved ones difficult. One example of these difficulties is portrayed through a close family friend, a young child who experienced immense trauma as a child. With the experience of loss and abandonment from their parents, I noticed the impact this psychological turmoil had on them. These psychological behaviors now manifested into behavioral issues that began at home but have now carried into their school life. As someone who is intrigued by the psychology of the human mind and the influences of the world on individuals, I was inspired to help him in any way I could. From a very young age, I have always had an affinity towards children and they seemed to always be naturally drawn to me. Taking into account the past interactions I had with children, I decided to use similar methods of approach when interacting with them. By softly approaching them while also firmly correcting their mistakes, I was able to see their improvement, although slight. When this amazing progress was made, their caregiver wished for me to continue with this effort, noticing this improvement and finally seeing the "light at the end of the tunnel." At the end of the experience, I immediately knew what I wanted to do for a living: take a deep dive into the psychological wiring of children and understand these networks to help them grow and develop mentally. As someone who is captivated by the power and capability of the brain, as well as someone fond of children, I knew that I wanted to go into children’s developmental psychology. With the appropriate degree, I would be able to make real-world differences in the future of our community. As the world continues to evolve and technology continues to advance, the influence of the younger generation continues to grow as our communities simultaneously develop. To appropriately foster our youth and prepare them for the future, it is important to promote healthy mental behaviors and relationships so that they are prepared for the world ahead of them. By tackling obstacles such as grief, family issues, and mental disorders, I would be able to help rewire their brains and positively "light" their lives. By witnessing the change I was able to make through my family friends, I am more eager to experience this daily. More than anything, I love seeing the positive influence I have on others, and with my degree, I would be able to make this aspiration possible.