Humans are innately selfish; even the most selfless person can be selfish at times. I grew up in West Allis, Wisconsin, a city bordering Milwaukee. I am currently enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, working towards my bachelor's degree in social studies education. Throughout my time working with the Rec. Growing up, I was around so many different groups of people: poor, wealthy, two parents, one parent, no parents. During high school, I became aware of how good I had it compared to others. Growing up, my family and I were considered low-income and, by all means, nowhere near rich. Seeing the kids at my school work with what they were given really made me grateful for what I have. I truly am an empath and one of the most selfless people I know, not because of everything I have but because of the lack of resources everyone else has. I have spent the last two years working with the West Allis-West Milwaukee Recreation Department to help the younger generation and give back to my community. Through the department, I have spent my own money and time to ensure that my students have an amazing time. I often look back at my memories as a kid: what teachers do I remember? Why do I remember them? I often use these times to take whatever steps I can to make sure my students enjoy their time with us. I understand that each student has their own very different lives outside of school. For some students, school is their escape from the craziness, an escape from the things that they aren't in control of at home. A group pizza party might be what feeds a student for the day; coloring with an only child whose mom works third shift might be what gives a student the attention they need, I was gifted with enough resources and knowledge to share with the world. No kid deserves to be left behind or feel alone, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to impact and change as many kids' lives as I can. I hope toto lead by example and model selflessness for many of my students throughout my career. I want my classroom to be a safe, welcoming space where all feel comfortable. By the end of my career, I hope that I will have been able to give my all to every student in whatever way they may have needed because that is what will selfishly bring me joy.

My name is Christian Tollefson and I am a 2nd year college student at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I grew up in West Allis Wisconsin and attended the WAWM School District from first grade through 12th grade. I am very passionate about helping my community and helping educate and support the youth. I have grown a passion that continues to grow and that passion is not to just be a teacher, but to help the youth. For over a year, I have been employed at the WAWM Recreation Department working with many kids throughout the district. I met a kid at one of the camps who, I could tell, was a troubled kid. He was only eight years-old and many people had labeled him as a bad kid, even on the roster that was given to the employees. He had a note on his name highlighting him for behavioral issues. After spending a week with this kid, we had grown pretty close, and he told me I was his favorite leader, which meant a lot. His behavior issues definitely went down and he almost never misbehaved with me. I never realized how much of an impact I was making on this kid until I met his dad. He praised me, thanked me, and even called me a superhero. That moment has stayed with me since. It really opened my eyes to see how much I was changing the life of this student. When I become an educator I will take this experience and use it to help each kids individual unique experience to help them grow as a young adult and give them that young male role model I could’ve used during times like this. This experience and many other experiences helped me become who I am today and without my educators  I wouldn’t be the young man I’ve grown to become. This experience taught me that anything can be overcome no matter how bad it is, and every experience in your life happens to help build you as a person. I hope to be able to take this experience and use it to help change the lives of the youth for many years after college. I believe kids in America need leaders and role models and that is essential for growth and success in the world outside of school. I am excited to finish school and move on to a career I plan on keeping until I retire. I plan to return to the WAWM District and serve in the community that helped make me who I am. I hope to grow in knowledge and help kids who need it and even kids who may not need it and that is why I have the passion I have.

The idea of being a teacher was almost always something I was interested in, but not always with the same intentions as I do now. My passion for education began my freshman year as something I thought was cool. Now, I believe kids in America need leaders and role models and that is essential for growth and success in the world outside of school. It takes 0 data to notice that communities that are more privileged and wealthy have better schools and communities. Some determining factors for these kids could be just one teacher that changes their day to day life. I remember the exact moment I decided that's what I wanted to do. In my 8th hour class with Ms. Hansen, we were learning about genocide. For once, I actually found something interesting in school, I was never an academic weapon, and honestly never cared for anything I was learning in school until this point. Discussing genocides and the histories behind this had me intrigued. I began to have a growing interest in the history of buildings, countries and cities. At this point in time, the reasons I wanted to pursue teaching were definitely not the right reasons. They were mostly because I thought it was an easy job and would be fun. Now after working with kids for nearly a year, I’ve discovered if the job is easy, then you're not doing it right. For almost two years, my goal was to be a teacher with little passion behind it. When people asked me what I wanted to be I’d always answer with being a teacher, and when that was followed up with, “What subject?” I would never have an answer. During my Junior year is when I really began finding my passion. I switched schools for a year, and throughout that year I experienced a lot of different things that changed how I viewed the world and the things around me. One thing that changed me,was realizing how much I missed my teachers at my old school. I never realized how much they changed and improved my life on a day to day basis. Even the teachers I would deem “annoying” I missed. I also became more of an analyzer, I started looking at people differently. My first question when meeting someone was now, “Why are you the way you are?” I never asked this to anyone directly but it was always an internal thought. I saw kids at my school that some people would assume are “thugs” or even a “bad kid” and asked myself the same question, “Why are they the way they are?”. I quickly found the answer to this: every single thing that happens in your life affects you. I quickly stopped seeing these kids as bad kids but rather troubled kids who really just needed guidance. This realization became the driving factor of why I want to teach today. I look at peers I go to school with and ask that same question. I find that they are all missing something that others might have. I find the school I attended so interesting. It was a mix of the most spoiled kids and the most troubled kids all put into one space.This diversity is something West Allis Central really takes pride in. Seeing this diverse group of kids made me notice a common pattern. I realized the kids who were more involved in sports and had more involved parents or even had a role model that pushed them seemed to have less behavior issues and perform better academically. The kids whose parents involved them in sports from a young age and helped run fundraisers were the kids that thrived, but the kids whose parents weren't as involved and didn't live in a two parent household seemed to sink. This realization made me realize that some kids really just need a male role model–especially one that is young and relatable. I especially feel that the mass population of Black American students also are in need of a Black Male role model. I have grown a passion that continues to grow and that passion is not to just be a teacher, but to help the youth. For over a year, I have been employed at the WAWM Recreation Department working with many kids throughout the district. I met a kid at one of the camps who, I could tell, was a troubled kid. He was only eight years-old and many people had labeled him as a bad kid, even on the roster that was given to the employees. He had a note on his name highlighting him for behavioral issues. After spending a week with this kid, we had grown pretty close, and he told me I was his favorite leader, which meant a lot. His behavior issues definitely went down and he almost never misbehaved with me. I never realized how much of an impact I was making on this kid until I met his dad. He praised me, thanked me, and even called me a superhero. That moment has stayed with me since. It really opened my eyes to see how much I was changing the life of this student. I believe kids in the U.S. need leaders and role models and that is essential for growth and success in the world outside of school. I am excited to finish school and move on to a career I plan on keeping until I retire. I hope to grow in knowledge and help kids who need it and even kids who may not need it and that is why I have the passion I have.

Throughout my entire life I attended the West Allis West Milwaukee School District, up until my Junior year. Nearing the end of my sophomore year of high school at West Allis Central, my family was forced to move with short notice and not very many option. Due to our financial situation and the rising prices of rent in the area my mom didn’t have much choice, but to move us pretty far away to the small town of South Milwaukee. This move might of devastated me the most out of my whole family. Over the 10 years I spent in the WAWM school district I built friendships that became family and grew increasingly close to my educators so much that I became inspired to become an educator as well. My junior year was maybe one of the lowest periods in my life so far and my grades reflected so. I previously had over a 3.0 GPA and that one roadblock affected my GPA immensely. I attended South Milwaukee High School for the remainder of my junior year while experiencing many mental breakdowns and rough days. But I never once decided to give up on the idea of becoming an educator after graduation. My drive to become an educator came from my own experiences, during my time at South Milwaukee I hated almost every single thing about going there, but a few amazing teachers made me hate it a little less. I never spoke to any of my peers but I enjoyed getting to lunch and speaking with one teacher who was a former teacher at West Allis Central, my former school. This one teacher made my time at that school not as bad, and also gave me the inspiration to be that kind of educator one day. Finally reaching the end of my junior year of high school and barely making it through, I got the amazing news that I would be moving in with my dad and attending West Allis Central High for my senior year. This news brought back that drive I once had to get good grades and achieve the one thing I’ve wanted to do since I was 14, change lives as an educator. Since my senior year has begun my grades have improved and I believe that all the events I experienced while being in an environment that I was uncomfortable with helped shape who I am today. These experiences added to my drive to become a young black educator. I believe these experiences helped me build maturity and ultimately teach me how to cope with being in environments that I am not as comfortable being in. When I become an educator I will take this experience and use it to help each kids individual unique experience to help them grow as a young adult and give them that young male role model I could’ve used during times like this. This experience and many other experiences helped me become who I am today and without my educators  I wouldn’t be the young man I’ve grown to become. This experience taught me that anything can be overcome no matter how bad it is, and every experience in your life happens to help build you as a person. I hope to be able to take this experience and use it to help change the lives of the youth for many years after college.

During my Junior year is when I really began finding my passion. I switched schools for a year, and throughout that year I experienced a lot of different things that changed how I viewed the world and the things around me. One thing that changed me,was realizing how much I missed my teachers at my old school. I never realized how much they changed and improved my life on a day to day basis. Even the teachers I would deem “annoying” I missed. I also became more of an analyzer, I started looking at people differently. My first question when meeting someone was now, “Why are you the way you are?” I never asked this to anyone directly but it was always an internal thought. I saw kids at my school that some people would assume are “thugs” or even a “bad kid” and asked myself the same question, “Why are they the way they are?”. I quickly found the answer to this: every single thing that happens in your life affects you. I quickly stopped seeing these kids as bad kids but rather troubled kids who really just needed guidance. This realization became the driving factor of why I want to teach today. I look at peers I go to school with and ask that same question. I find that they are all missing something that others might have. I find the school I attended so interesting. It was a mix of the most spoiled kids and the most troubled kids all put into one space.This diversity is something West Allis Central really takes pride in. Seeing this diverse group of kids made me notice a common pattern. I realized the kids who were more involved in sports and had more involved parents or even had a role model that pushed them seemed to have less behavior issues and perform better academically. The kids whose parents involved them in sports from a young age and helped run fundraisers were the kids that thrived, but the kids whose parents weren't as involved and didn't live in a two parent household seemed to sink. This realization made me realize that some kids really just need a male role model–especially one that is young and relatable. I especially feel that the mass population of Black American students also are in need of a Black Male role model. For over a year, I have been employed at the WAWM Recreation Department working with many kids throughout the district. I met a kid at one of the camps who, I could tell, was a troubled kid. He was only eight years-old and many people had labeled him as a bad kid, even on the roster that was given to the employees. He had a note on his name highlighting him for behavioral issues. After spending a week with this kid, we had grown pretty close, and he told me I was his favorite leader, which meant a lot. His behavior issues definitely went down and he almost never misbehaved with me. I never realized how much of an impact I was making on this kid until I met his dad. He praised me, thanked me, and even called me a superhero. That moment has stayed with me since. It really opened my eyes to see how much I was changing the life of this student.

I remember the exact moment I decided that's what I wanted to do. In my 8th hour class with Ms. Hansen, we were learning about genocide. For once, I actually found something interesting in school, I was never an academic weapon, and honestly never cared for anything I was learning in school until this point. Discussing genocides and the histories behind this had me intrigued. I began to have a growing interest in the history of buildings, countries and cities. At this point in time, the reasons I wanted to pursue teaching were definitely not the right reasons. They were mostly because I thought it was an easy job and would be fun. Now after working with kids for over a year, I’ve discovered if the job is easy, then you're not doing it right. For almost two years, my goal was to be a teacher with little passion behind it. When people asked me what I wanted to be I’d always answer with being a teacher, and when that was followed up with, “What subject?” I would never have an answer. During my Junior year is when I really began finding my passion. I switched schools for a year, and throughout that year I experienced a lot of different things that changed how I viewed the world and the things around me. One thing that changed me,was realizing how much I missed my teachers at my old school. I never realized how much they changed and improved my life on a day to day basis. Even the teachers I would deem “annoying” I missed. I also became more of an analyzer, I started looking at people differently. My first question when meeting someone was now, “Why are you the way you are?” I never asked this to anyone directly but it was always an internal thought. I saw kids at my school that some people would assume are “thugs” or even a “bad kid” and asked myself the same question, “Why are they the way they are?”. I quickly found the answer to this: every single thing that happens in your life affects you. I quickly stopped seeing these kids as bad kids but rather troubled kids who really just needed guidance. This realization became the driving factor of why I want to teach today. I look at peers I go to school with and ask that same question. I find that they are all missing something that others might have. I find the school I attended so interesting. It was a mix of the most spoiled kids and the most troubled kids all put into one space.This diversity is something West Allis Central really takes pride in. Seeing this diverse group of kids made me notice a common pattern. I realized the kids who were more involved in sports and had more involved parents or even had a role model that pushed them seemed to have less behavior issues and perform better academically. The kids whose parents involved them in sports from a young age and helped run fundraisers were the kids that thrived, but the kids whose parents weren't as involved and didn't live in a two parent household seemed to sink. This realization made me realize that some kids really just need a male role model–especially one that is young and relatable. I especially feel that the mass population of Black American students also are in need of a Black Male role model. I have grown a passion that continues to grow and that passion is not to just be a teacher, but to help the youth. For over a year, I have been employed at the WAWM Recreation Department working with many kids throughout the district. I met a kid at one of the camps who, I could tell, was a troubled kid. He was only eight years-old and many people had labeled him as a bad kid, even on the roster that was given to the employees. He had a note on his name highlighting him for behavioral issues. After spending a week with this kid, we had grown pretty close, and he told me I was his favorite leader, which meant a lot. His behavior issues definitely went down and he almost never misbehaved with me. I never realized how much of an impact I was making on this kid until I met his dad. He praised me, thanked me, and even called me a superhero. That moment has stayed with me since. It really opened my eyes to see how much I was changing the life of this student. I believe kids in America need leaders and role models and that is essential for growth and success in the world outside of school. I am excited to finish school and move on to a career I plan on keeping until I retire. I hope to grow in knowledge and help kids who need it and even kids who may not need it and that is why I have the passion I have.

During my Junior year is when I really began finding my passion. I switched schools for a year, and throughout that year I experienced a lot of different things that changed how I viewed the world and the things around me. One thing that changed me,was realizing how much I missed my teachers at my old school. I never realized how much they changed and improved my life on a day to day basis. Even the teachers I would deem “annoying” I missed. I also became more of an analyzer, I started looking at people differently. My first question when meeting someone was now, “Why are you the way you are?” I never asked this to anyone directly but it was always an internal thought. I saw kids at my school that some people would assume are “thugs” or even a “bad kid” and asked myself the same question, “Why are they the way they are?”. I quickly found the answer to this: every single thing that happens in your life affects you. I quickly stopped seeing these kids as bad kids but rather troubled kids who really just needed guidance. This realization became the driving factor of why I want to teach today. I look at peers I go to school with and ask that same question. I find that they are all missing something that others might have. I find the school I attended so interesting. It was a mix of the most spoiled kids and the most troubled kids all put into one space.This diversity is something West Allis Central really takes pride in. Seeing this diverse group of kids made me notice a common pattern. I realized the kids who were more involved in sports and had more involved parents or even had a role model that pushed them seemed to have less behavior issues and perform better academically. The kids whose parents involved them in sports from a young age and helped run fundraisers were the kids that thrived, but the kids whose parents weren't as involved and didn't live in a two parent household seemed to sink. This realization made me realize that some kids really just need a male role model–especially one that is young and relatable. I especially feel that the mass population of Black American students also are in need of a Black Male role model. Upon graduation I plan to teach in a community that holds a large amount of underrepresented African American students. In Milwaukee county, Black students are about 4.5x more present in the classroom than their teacher counter parts. Additionally, Black students are present 11x more than Black male teachers on average. This is something that is hindering the Black community within the United States. Not only are these students misunderstood but they are under represented and I have made it my mission to show these students that there is hope and they do have a place in our society.

During my Junior year is when I really began finding my passion. I switched schools for a year, and throughout that year I experienced a lot of different things that changed how I viewed the world and the things around me. One thing that changed me,was realizing how much I missed my teachers at my old school. I never realized how much they changed and improved my life on a day to day basis. Even the teachers I would deem “annoying” I missed. I also became more of an analyzer, I started looking at people differently. My first question when meeting someone was now, “Why are you the way you are?” I never asked this to anyone directly but it was always an internal thought. I saw kids at my school that some people would assume are “thugs” or even a “bad kid” and asked myself the same question, “Why are they the way they are?”. I quickly found the answer to this: every single thing that happens in your life affects you. I quickly stopped seeing these kids as bad kids but rather troubled kids who really just needed guidance. This realization became the driving factor of why I want to teach today. I look at peers I go to school with and ask that same question. I find that they are all missing something that others might have. I find the school I attended so interesting. It was a mix of the most spoiled kids and the most troubled kids all put into one space.This diversity is something West Allis Central really takes pride in. Seeing this diverse group of kids made me notice a common pattern. I realized the kids who were more involved in sports and had more involved parents or even had a role model that pushed them seemed to have less behavior issues and perform better academically. The kids whose parents involved them in sports from a young age and helped run fundraisers were the kids that thrived, but the kids whose parents weren't as involved and didn't live in a two parent household seemed to sink. This realization made me realize that some kids really just need a male role model–especially one that is young and relatable. I especially feel that the mass population of Black American students also are in need of a Black Male role model. For over a year, I have been employed at the WAWM Recreation Department working with many kids throughout the district. I met a kid at one of the camps who, I could tell, was a troubled kid. He was only eight years-old and many people had labeled him as a bad kid, even on the roster that was given to the employees. He had a note on his name highlighting him for behavioral issues. After spending a week with this kid, we had grown pretty close, and he told me I was his favorite leader, which meant a lot. His behavior issues definitely went down and he almost never misbehaved with me. I never realized how much of an impact I was making on this kid until I met his dad. He praised me, thanked me, and even called me a superhero. That moment has stayed with me since. It really opened my eyes to see how much I was changing the life of this student.

The idea of being a teacher was almost always something I was interested in, but not always with the same intentions as I do now. My passion for education began my freshman year as something I thought was cool. Now, I believe kids in America need leaders and role models and that is essential for growth and success in the world outside of school. It takes 0 data to notice that communities that are more privileged and wealthy have better schools and communities. Some determining factors for these kids could be just one teacher that changes their day to day life. I remember the exact moment I decided that's what I wanted to do. In my 8th hour class with Ms. Hansen, we were learning about genocide. For once, I actually found something interesting in school, I was never an academic weapon, and honestly never cared for anything I was learning in school until this point. Discussing genocides and the histories behind this had me intrigued. I began to have a growing interest in the history of buildings, countries and cities. At this point in time, the reasons I wanted to pursue teaching were definitely not the right reasons. They were mostly because I thought it was an easy job and would be fun. Now after working with kids for nearly a year, I’ve discovered if the job is easy, then you're not doing it right. For almost two years, my goal was to be a teacher with little passion behind it. When people asked me what I wanted to be I’d always answer with being a teacher, and when that was followed up with, “What subject?” I would never have an answer. During my Junior year is when I really began finding my passion. I switched schools for a year, and throughout that year I experienced a lot of different things that changed how I viewed the world and the things around me. One thing that changed me,was realizing how much I missed my teachers at my old school. I never realized how much they changed and improved my life on a day to day basis. Even the teachers I would deem “annoying” I missed. I also became more of an analyzer, I started looking at people differently. My first question when meeting someone was now, “Why are you the way you are?” I never asked this to anyone directly but it was always an internal thought. I saw kids at my school that some people would assume are “thugs” or even a “bad kid” and asked myself the same question, “Why are they the way they are?”. I quickly found the answer to this: every single thing that happens in your life affects you. I quickly stopped seeing these kids as bad kids but rather troubled kids who really just needed guidance. This realization became the driving factor of why I want to teach today. I look at peers I go to school with and ask that same question. I find that they are all missing something that others might have. I find the school I attended so interesting. It was a mix of the most spoiled kids and the most troubled kids all put into one space.This diversity is something West Allis Central really takes pride in. Seeing this diverse group of kids made me notice a common pattern. I realized the kids who were more involved in sports and had more involved parents or even had a role model that pushed them seemed to have less behavior issues and perform better academically. The kids whose parents involved them in sports from a young age and helped run fundraisers were the kids that thrived, but the kids whose parents weren't as involved and didn't live in a two parent household seemed to sink. This realization made me realize that some kids really just need a male role model–especially one that is young and relatable. I especially feel that the mass population of Black American students also are in need of a Black Male role model. I have grown a passion that continues to grow and that passion is not to just be a teacher, but to help the youth. For over a year, I have been employed at the WAWM Recreation Department working with many kids throughout the district. I met a kid at one of the camps who, I could tell, was a troubled kid. He was only eight years-old and many people had labeled him as a bad kid, even on the roster that was given to the employees. He had a note on his name highlighting him for behavioral issues. After spending a week with this kid, we had grown pretty close, and he told me I was his favorite leader, which meant a lot. His behavior issues definitely went down and he almost never misbehaved with me. I never realized how much of an impact I was making on this kid until I met his dad. He praised me, thanked me, and even called me a superhero. That moment has stayed with me since. It really opened my eyes to see how much I was changing the life of this student. I believe kids in America need leaders and role models and that is essential for growth and success in the world outside of school. I am excited to finish school and move on to a career I plan on keeping until I retire. I hope to grow in knowledge and help kids who need it and even kids who may not need it and that is why I have the passion I have.

The idea of being a teacher was almost always something I was interested in, but not always with the same intentions as I do now. My passion for education began my freshman year as something I thought was cool. Now, I believe kids in America need leaders and role models and that is essential for growth and success in the world outside of school. It takes 0 data to notice that communities that are more privileged and wealthy have better schools and communities. Some determining factors for these kids could be just one teacher that changes their day to day life. During my Junior year is when I really began finding my passion. I switched schools for a year, and throughout that year I experienced a lot of different things that changed how I viewed the world and the things around me. One thing that changed me,was realizing how much I missed my teachers at my old school. I never realized how much they changed and improved my life on a day to day basis. I realized the kids who were more involved in sports and had more involved parents or even had a role model that pushed them seemed to have less behavior issues and perform better academically. The kids whose parents involved them in sports from a young age and helped run fundraisers were the kids that thrived, but the kids whose parents weren't as involved and didn't live in a two parent household seemed to sink. This realization made me realize that some kids really just need a male role model–especially one that is young and relatable. I especially feel that the mass population of Black American students also are in need of a Black Male role model. I have grown a passion that continues to grow and that passion is not to just be a teacher, but to help the youth. For over a year, I have been employed at the WAWM Recreation Department working with many kids throughout the district. I met a kid at one of the camps who, I could tell, was a troubled kid. He was only eight years-old and many people had labeled him as a bad kid, even on the roster that was given to the employees. He had a note on his name highlighting him for behavioral issues. After spending a week with this kid, we had grown pretty close, and he told me I was his favorite leader, which meant a lot. His behavior issues definitely went down and he almost never misbehaved with me. I never realized how much of an impact I was making on this kid until I met his dad. He praised me, thanked me, and even called me a superhero. That moment has stayed with me since. It really opened my eyes to see how much I was changing the life of this student. I believe kids in America need leaders and role models and that is essential for growth and success in the world outside of school. I am excited to finish school and move on to a career I plan on keeping until I retire. I hope to grow in knowledge and help kids who need it and even kids who may not need it and that is why I have the passion I have.

Throughout my entire life I attended the West Allis West Milwaukee School District, up until my Junior year. Nearing the end of my sophomore year of high school at West Allis Central, my family was forced to move with short notice. Due to our financial situation and the rising prices of rent in the area my mom didn’t have much choice, but to move us pretty far away to the small town of South Milwaukee. This move might of devastated me the most out of my whole family. Over the 10 years I spent in the WAWM school district I built friendships that became family and grew increasingly close to my educators so much that I became inspired to become an educator as well. Due to the move my mom decided it would be better for me to attend a school closer to where we would be living. I begged and pleaded to stay at the school. I expressed how I was willing to even find my own way to attend a school that was 10 miles away. After many attempts to sway my mom’s mind she decided to have me try out a new environment. My junior year was maybe one of the lowest periods in my life so far and my grades reflected so. I previously had over a 3.0 GPA and that one roadblock affected my GPA immensely. I attended South Milwaukee High School for the remainder of my junior year while experiencing many mental breakdowns and rough days. But I never once decided to give up on the idea of becoming an educator after graduation. My drive to become an educator came from my own experiences, during my time at South Milwaukee I hated almost every single thing about going there, but a few amazing teachers made me hate it a little less. I never spoke to any of my peers but I enjoyed getting to lunch and speaking with one teacher who was a former teacher at West Allis Central, my former school. This one teacher made my time at that school not as bad, and also gave me the inspiration to be that kind of educator one day. Finally reaching the end of my junior year of high school and barely making it through, I got the amazing news that I would be moving in with my dad and attending West Allis Central High for my senior year. This news brought back that drive I once had to get good grades and achieve the one thing I’ve wanted to do since I was 14, change lives as an educator. Since my senior year has begun my grades have improved and I believe that all the events I experienced while being in an environment that I was uncomfortable with helped shape who I am today. These experiences added to my drive to become a young black educator. I believe these experiences helped me build maturity and ultimately teach me how to cope with being in environments that I am not as comfortable being in. When I become an educator I will take this experience and use it to help each kids individual unique experience to help them grow as a young adult and give them that young male role model I could’ve used during times like this. This experience and many other experiences helped me become who I am today and without my educators  I wouldn’t be the young man I’ve grown to become. This scholarship would help me pay for my tuition and continue my journey to becoming a future educator.

Throughout my entire life I attended the West Allis West Milwaukee School District, up until my Junior year, my family was forced to move with short notice. Due to our financial situation and the rising prices of rent in the area my mom didn’t have much choice, but to move us pretty far away to the small town of South Milwaukee. This move might of devastated me the most out of my whole family. Over the 10 years I spent in the WAWM school district I built friendships that became family and grew increasingly close to my educators so much that I became inspired to become an educator as well. Due to the move my mom decided it would be better for me to attend a school closer to where we would be living. I begged and pleaded to stay at the school. I expressed how I was willing to even find my own way to attend a school that was 10 miles away. After many attempts to sway my mom’s mind she decided to have me try out a new environment. My junior year was maybe one of the lowest periods in my life so far and my grades reflected so. I previously had over a 3.0 GPA and that one roadblock affected my GPA immensely. I attended South Milwaukee High School for the remainder of my junior year while experiencing many mental breakdowns and rough days. But I never once decided to give up on the idea of becoming an educator after graduation. My drive to become an educator came from my own experiences, during my time at South Milwaukee I hated almost every single thing about going there, but a few amazing teachers made me hate it a little less. I never spoke to any of my peers but I enjoyed getting to lunch and speaking with one teacher who was a former teacher at West Allis Central, my former school. This one teacher made my time at that school not as bad, and also gave me the inspiration to be that kind of educator one day. Finally reaching the end of my junior year of high school and barely making it through, I got the amazing news that I would be moving in with my dad and attending West Allis Central High for my senior year. This news brought back that drive I once had to get good grades and achieve the one thing I’ve wanted to do since I was 14, change lives as an educator. These experiences added to my drive to become a young black educator. I believe these experiences helped me build maturity and ultimately teach me how to cope with being in environments that I am not as comfortable being in. When I become an educator I will take this experience and use it to help each kids individual unique experience to help them grow as a young adult and give them that young male role model I could’ve used during times like this. This experience and many other experiences helped me become who I am today and without my educators  I wouldn’t be the young man I’ve grown to become. This experience taught me that anything can be overcome no matter how bad it is, and every experience in your life happens to help build you as a person. I hope to be able to take this experience and use it to help change the lives of the youth for many years after college.

Throughout my entire life I attended the West Allis West Milwaukee School District, up until my Junior year. Nearing the end of my sophomore year of high school at West Allis Central, my family was forced to move with short notice and not very many option. Due to our financial situation and the rising prices of rent in the area my mom didn’t have much choice, but to move us pretty far away to the small town of South Milwaukee. This move might of devastated me the most out of my whole family. Over the 10 years I spent in the WAWM school district I built friendships that became family and grew increasingly close to my educators so much that I became inspired to become an educator as well. Due to the move my mom decided it would be better for me to attend a school closer to where we would be living. I begged and pleaded to stay at the school. I expressed how I was willing to even find my own way to attend a school that was 10 miles away. After many attempts to sway my mom’s mind she decided to have me try out a new environment. My junior year was maybe one of the lowest periods in my life so far and my grades reflected so. I previously had over a 3.0 GPA and that one roadblock affected my GPA immensely. I attended South Milwaukee High School for the remainder of my junior year while experiencing many mental breakdowns and rough days. But I never once decided to give up on the idea of becoming an educator after graduation. My drive to become an educator came from my own experiences, during my time at South Milwaukee I hated almost every single thing about going there, but a few amazing teachers made me hate it a little less. I never spoke to any of my peers but I enjoyed getting to lunch and speaking with one teacher who was a former teacher at West Allis Central, my former school. This one teacher made my time at that school not as bad, and also gave me the inspiration to be that kind of educator one day. Finally reaching the end of my junior year of high school and barely making it through, I got the amazing news that I would be moving in with my dad and attending West Allis Central High for my senior year. This news brought back that drive I once had to get good grades and achieve the one thing I’ve wanted to do since I was 14, change lives as an educator. Since my senior year has begun my grades have improved and I believe that all the events I experienced while being in an environment that I was uncomfortable with helped shape who I am today. These experiences added to my drive to become a young black educator. I believe these experiences helped me build maturity and ultimately teach me how to cope with being in environments that I am not as comfortable being in. When I become an educator I will take this experience and use it to help each kids individual unique experience to help them grow as a young adult and give them that young male role model I could’ve used during times like this. This experience and many other experiences helped me become who I am today and without my educators I wouldn’t be the young man I’ve grown to become.

Throughout my entire life I attended the West Allis West Milwaukee School District, up until my Junior year. Nearing the end of my sophomore year of high school at West Allis Central, my family was forced to move with short notice and not very many option. Due to our financial situation and the rising prices of rent in the area my mom didn’t have much choice, but to move us pretty far away to the small town of South Milwaukee. This move might of devastated me the most out of my whole family. Over the 10 years I spent in the WAWM school district I built friendships that became family and grew increasingly close to my educators so much that I became inspired to become an educator as well. Due to the move my mom decided it would be better for me to attend a school closer to where we would be living. I begged and pleaded to stay at the school. I expressed how I was willing to even find my own way to attend a school that was 10 miles away. After many attempts to sway my mom’s mind she decided to have me try out a new environment. My junior year was maybe one of the lowest periods in my life so far and my grades reflected so. I previously had over a 3.0 GPA and that one roadblock affected my GPA immensely. I attended South Milwaukee High School for the remainder of my junior year while experiencing many mental breakdowns and rough days. But I never once decided to give up on the idea of becoming an educator after graduation. My drive to become an educator came from my own experiences, during my time at South Milwaukee I hated almost every single thing about going there, but a few amazing teachers made me hate it a little less. I never spoke to any of my peers but I enjoyed getting to lunch and speaking with one teacher who was a former teacher at West Allis Central, my former school. This one teacher made my time at that school not as bad, and also gave me the inspiration to be that kind of educator one day. Finally reaching the end of my junior year of high school and barely making it through, I got the amazing news that I would be moving in with my dad and attending West Allis Central High for my senior year. This news brought back that drive I once had to get good grades and achieve the one thing I’ve wanted to do since I was 14, change lives as an educator. I believe these experiences helped me build maturity and ultimately teach me how to cope with being in environments that I am not as comfortable being in. When I become an educator I will take this experience and use it to help each kids individual unique experience to help them grow as a young adult and give them that young male role model I could’ve used during times like this. This experience and many other experiences helped me become who I am today and without my eduactors  I wouldn’t be the young man I’ve grown to become.

Throughout my entire life I attended the West Allis West Milwaukee School District, up until my Junior year. Nearing the end of my sophomore year of high school at West Allis Central, my family was forced to move with short notice and not very many option. Due to our financial situation and the rising prices of rent in the area my mom didn’t have much choice, but to move us pretty far away to the small town of South Milwaukee. This move might of devastated me the most out of my whole family. Over the 10 years I spent in the WAWM school district I built friendships that became family and grew increasingly close to my educators so much that I became inspired to become an educator as well. Due to the move my mom decided it would be better for me to attend a school closer to where we would be living. I begged and pleaded to stay at the school. I expressed how I was willing to even find my own way to attend a school that was 10 miles away. After many attempts to sway my mom’s mind she decided to have me try out a new environment. My junior year was maybe one of the lowest periods in my life so far and my grades reflected so. I previously had over a 3.0 GPA and that one roadblock affected my GPA immensely. I attended South Milwaukee High School for the remainder of my junior year while experiencing many mental breakdowns and rough days. But I never once decided to give up on the idea of becoming an educator after graduation. My drive to become an educator came from my own experiences, during my time at South Milwaukee I hated almost every single thing about going there, but a few amazing teachers made me hate it a little less. I never spoke to any of my peers but I enjoyed getting to lunch and speaking with one teacher who was a former teacher at West Allis Central, my former school. This one teacher made my time at that school not as bad, and also gave me the inspiration to be that kind of educator one day. Finally reaching the end of my junior year of high school and barely making it through, I got the amazing news that I would be moving in with my dad and attending West Allis Central High for my senior year. This news brought back that drive I once had to get good grades and achieve the one thing I’ve wanted to do since I was 14, change lives as an educator. I believe these experiences helped me build maturity and ultimately teach me how to cope with being in environments that I am not as comfortable being in. When I become an educator I will take this experience and use it to help each kids individual unique experience to help them grow as a young adult and give them that young male role model I could’ve used during times like this. This experience and many other experiences helped me become who I am today and without my eduactors  I wouldn’t be the young man I’ve grown to become.

Throughout my entire life I attended the West Allis West Milwaukee School District, up until my Junior year. Nearing the end of my sophomore year of high school at West Allis Central, my family was forced to move with short notice and not very many option. Due to our financial situation and the rising prices of rent in the area my mom didn’t have much choice, but to move us pretty far away to the small town of South Milwaukee. This move might of devastated me the most out of my whole family. Over the 10 years I spent in the WAWM school district I built friendships that became family and grew increasingly close to my educators so much that I became inspired to become an educator as well. After many attempts to sway my mom’s mind she decided to have me try out a new environment. My junior year was maybe one of the lowest periods in my life so far and my grades reflected so. I previously had over a 3.0 GPA and that one roadblock affected my GPA immensely. I attended South Milwaukee High School for the remainder of my junior year while experiencing many mental breakdowns and rough days. But I never once decided to give up on the idea of becoming an educator after graduation. My drive to become an educator came from my own experiences, during my time at South Milwaukee I hated almost every single thing about going there, but a few amazing teachers made me hate it a little less. I never spoke to any of my peers but I enjoyed getting to lunch and speaking with one teacher who was a former teacher at West Allis Central, my former school. This one teacher made my time at that school not as bad, and also gave me the inspiration to be that kind of educator one day. Finally reaching the end of my junior year of high school and barely making it through, I got the amazing news that I would be moving in with my dad and attending West Allis Central High for my senior year. This news brought back that drive I once had to get good grades and achieve the one thing I’ve wanted to do since I was 14, change lives as an educator. These experiences added to my drive to become a young black educator. I believe these experiences helped me build maturity and ultimately teach me how to cope with being in environments that I am not as comfortable being in. When I become an educator I will take this experience and use it to help each kids individual unique experience to help them grow as a young adult and give them that young male role model I could’ve used during times like this. This experience and many other experiences helped me become who I am today and without my educators  I wouldn’t be the young man I’ve grown to become.

During my Junior year is when I really began finding my passion. I switched schools for a year, and throughout that year I experienced a lot of different things that changed how I viewed the world and the things around me. One thing that changed me,was realizing how much I missed my teachers at my old school. I never realized how much they changed and improved my life on a day to day basis. Even the teachers I would deem “annoying” I missed. I also became more of an analyzer, I started looking at people differently. My first question when meeting someone was now, “Why are you the way you are?” I never asked this to anyone directly but it was always an internal thought. I saw kids at my school that some people would assume are “thugs” or even a “bad kid” and asked myself the same question, “Why are they the way they are?”. I quickly found the answer to this: every single thing that happens in your life affects you. I quickly stopped seeing these kids as bad kids but rather troubled kids who really just needed guidance. This realization became the driving factor of why I want to teach today. I look at peers I go to school with and ask that same question. I find that they are all missing something that others might have. I find the school I attended so interesting. It was a mix of the most spoiled kids and the most troubled kids all put into one space.This diversity is something West Allis Central really takes pride in. Seeing this diverse group of kids made me notice a common pattern. I realized the kids who were more involved in sports and had more involved parents or even had a role model that pushed them seemed to have less behavior issues and perform better academically. The kids whose parents involved them in sports from a young age and helped run fundraisers were the kids that thrived, but the kids whose parents weren't as involved and didn't live in a two parent household seemed to sink. This realization made me realize that some kids really just need a male role model–especially one that is young and relatable. I especially feel that the mass population of Black American students also are in need of a Black Male role model. I have grown a passion that continues to grow and that passion is not to just be a teacher, but to help the youth. For over a year, I have been employed at the WAWM Recreation Department working with many kids throughout the district. I met a kid at one of the camps who, I could tell, was a troubled kid. He was only eight years-old and many people had labeled him as a bad kid, even on the roster that was given to the employees. He had a note on his name highlighting him for behavioral issues. After spending a week with this kid, we had grown pretty close, and he told me I was his favorite leader, which meant a lot. His behavior issues definitely went down and he almost never misbehaved with me. I never realized how much of an impact I was making on this kid until I met his dad. He praised me, thanked me, and even called me a superhero. That moment has stayed with me since. It really opened my eyes to see how much I was changing the life of this student.

During my Junior year is when I really began finding my passion. I switched schools for a year, and throughout that year I experienced a lot of different things that changed how I viewed the world and the things around me. One thing that changed me,was realizing how much I missed my teachers at my old school. I never realized how much they changed and improved my life on a day to day basis. Even the teachers I would deem “annoying” I missed. I also became more of an analyzer, I started looking at people differently. My first question when meeting someone was now, “Why are you the way you are?” I never asked this to anyone directly but it was always an internal thought. I saw kids at my school that some people would assume are “thugs” or even a “bad kid” and asked myself the same question, “Why are they the way they are?”. I quickly found the answer to this: every single thing that happens in your life affects you. I quickly stopped seeing these kids as bad kids but rather troubled kids who really just needed guidance. This realization became the driving factor of why I want to teach today. I look at peers I go to school with and ask that same question. I find that they are all missing something that others might have. I find the school I attended so interesting. It was a mix of the most spoiled kids and the most troubled kids all put into one space.This diversity is something West Allis Central really takes pride in. Seeing this diverse group of kids made me notice a common pattern. I realized the kids who were more involved in sports and had more involved parents or even had a role model that pushed them seemed to have less behavior issues and perform better academically. The kids whose parents involved them in sports from a young age and helped run fundraisers were the kids that thrived, but the kids whose parents weren't as involved and didn't live in a two parent household seemed to sink. This realization made me realize that some kids really just need a male role model–especially one that is young and relatable. I especially feel that the mass population of Black American students also are in need of a Black Male role model. For over a year, I have been employed at the WAWM Recreation Department working with many kids throughout the district. I met a kid at one of the camps who, I could tell, was a troubled kid. He was only eight years-old and many people had labeled him as a bad kid, even on the roster that was given to the employees. He had a note on his name highlighting him for behavioral issues. After spending a week with this kid, we had grown pretty close, and he told me I was his favorite leader, which meant a lot. His behavior issues definitely went down and he almost never misbehaved with me. I never realized how much of an impact I was making on this kid until I met his dad. He praised me, thanked me, and even called me a superhero. That moment has stayed with me since. It really opened my eyes to see how much I was changing the life of this student.