Who is the most important person in a child's life besides their parents? A teacher! A teacher is the one who gives a student the feeling of self worth or the feeling of being nothing. I learned this very young. My parents and grandparents were very active in my life growing up. I stayed with my grandparents often. My grandmother was my caregiver while both of my parents (both teachers) were working. My grandmother kept telling my mom that I had some learning disability, We tried to work through it, but it was such a struggle. When I started school, I was good in class, but when I came home after school, I was awful. Looking back I feel bad about how I treated my family. I couldn't help it. I was so tired from trying to be good all day that I was done when I came home. In third grade, my mom asked the school to test me for special education. I was reading, but it was below grade level, and math was such a struggle for me. I hated school and did not ever want to go. I was tested, but we was told nothing was wrong with me. I had some major sensory issues and everything was a battle all the time. By 6th grade it was the same issues, only I had moved to the public school with my mom, so she could help me and know what was going on. She requested testing again and was told I was just ADHD. I begged them not to put me on medicines because I had seen so many people become like zombies on it. They agreed if I kept my grades at passing and tried, I would not have to be on medicines. My mom still knew something wasn't right and even talked to the dyslexia teacher at my school, who told her I showed no signs of it. During this time, I had some great teachers who really helped me and worked with me, and I had several who told me I was stupid and would never be anybody. This year I had to move to the school my mom teaches, as we couldn't afford to keep paying for the private school my grandparents had helped send me to for high school. The first thing my mom did was ask them to test me for dyslexia. In December of 2023, I was finally tested for dyslexia and the results were definitely positive. They couldn't believe no one had ever listened to my family and had me tested. The dyslexia specialist told me she had never met anyone who had taught themselves to work with it this well. She was so complimentary of me. It was the first time in my life that I finally believed that I could and would be able to go to college and succeed. Teachers make all the difference in the world for a student. A teacher can be the blessing in a student's life or the one detriment in their life. A great teacher makes his students feel like they can achieve anything they choose. I want to be that teacher/coach who convinces students to work harder and smarter to achieve their dreams. I graduate in May, and on the list for my party, I have invited 2 of my most influential teachers who made me feel like I could take on the world, Mrs. Claudia Murtaugh and Mrs. Lynn Cook.

Football! It is the only reason I have ever wanted to go to college. All my life, I thought I was too stupid for college. I'll be honest; if it weren't for football, I'm not sure if I would have finished high school. I love football! I have studied the game my whole life. Unfortunately, I am only 5'11", so not many colleges would look at me. I am an all-district and all-state quarterback in Texas. I did receive several college offers, but the one I chose for my future is a great college in Pella, Iowa, that has a winning tradition. They have not had a losing season since the 1960's. It is Central College. I just know we will be competing for a National Championship this year! The only thing is that it is a Division 3 college so they cannot offer any athletic scholarships. My grades have not been the best. This year, I found out that I have been struggling with school due to undiagnosed dyslexia. My parents tried for years to get the school to test me but no one would listen to them. So this means that getting scholarships is going to be very hard for me. Both of my parents are teachers and have sacrificed so much for my brother, Cash, and I to pursue our dreams. My parents have always told us that as long as we put our all into our dreams, they will support us 100%. I do not want to put too much of a financial burden on them. They have told me they don't want me to get into too much debt to go to college so they would take the loans if necessary. I am trying to get as many scholarships as possible to help with the cost. My brother has been working towards his dream his whole life. He is a professional athlete in rodeo. He is a team-roping header and is out on the road full time. He has worked so hard to get where he is today. He is my hero! I watch him sacrifice everything people take for granted, such as a home. He lives in a horse trailer 365 days a year. He only gets to come home about 3 times a year and struggles to keep him and his horses healthy all year. He is so happy because he is pursuing his dream. He is currently in the top 20 in the world and we are hoping this will be the year he makes it to the "Superbowl of Rodeo," the National Finals Rodeo. Only 15 cowboys in the world make it to each event. My family is one reason I have always believed in hard work and determination. When my brother was home, they taught me that hard work never stops. Even during rain, sleet, or extreme cold, we were out there perfecting our craft. My brother is roping and me my football. That is the only reason I have achieved what I have. My long-term goal is to be a coach. After my football playing career is complete, I would love to teach and coach. I want to spread the love of football to students who need a path. Football has taught me so many life lessons. It has taught me that you have to work hard every day to be successful in anything. I want to teach others how football can make you successful in life, not just on the field. Without football, I would not have had a purpose in school. Many times, teachers would tell me, "You can't play football forever," and they were right. But they didn't realize that football can be a purpose for a struggling student. It can be the one thing that a student can be good at that helps him understand how to work hard and sacrifice to be successful in life. Nothing in life comes easy and that is what football has taught me!

Who is the most important person in a child's life besides their parents? A teacher! A teacher is the one who gives a student the feeling of self worth or the feeling of being nothing. I learned this very young. My parents and grandparents were very active in my life growing up. I stayed with my grandparents often. My grandmother was my caregiver while both of my parents (both teachers) were working. My grandmother kept telling my mom that I had some learning disability, We tried to work through it, but it was such a struggle. When I started school, I was good in class, but when I came home after school, I was awful. Looking back I feel bad about how I treated my family. I couldn't help it. I was so tired from trying to be good all day that I was done when I came home. In third grade, my mom asked the school to test me for special education. I was reading, but it was below grade level, and math was such a struggle for me. I hated school and did not ever want to go. I was tested, but we was told nothing was wrong with me. I had some major sensory issues and everything was a battle all the time. By 6th grade it was the same issues, only I had moved to the public school with my mom, so she could help me and know what was going on. She requested testing again and was told I was just ADHD. I begged them not to put me on medicines because I had seen so many people become like zombies on it. They agreed if I kept my grades at passing and tried, I would not have to be on medicines. My mom still knew something wasn't right and even talked to the dyslexia teacher at my school, who told her I showed no signs of it. During this time, I had some great teachers who really helped me and worked with me, and I had several who told me I was stupid and would never be anybody. This year I had to move to the school my mom teaches, as we couldn't afford to keep paying for the private school my grandparents had helped send me to for high school. The first thing my mom did was ask them to test me for dyslexia. In December of 2023, I was finally tested for dyslexia and the results were definitely positive. They couldn't believe no one had ever listened to my family and had me tested. The dyslexia specialist told me she had never met anyone who had taught themselves to work with it this well. She was so complimentary of me. It was the first time in my life that I finally believed that I could and would be able to go to college and succeed. Teachers make all the difference in the world for a student. A teacher can be the blessing in a student's life or the one detriment in their life. A great teacher makes his students feel like they can achieve anything they choose. I want to be that teacher/coach who convinces students to work harder and smarter to achieve their dreams. I graduate in May, and on the list for my party, I have invited 2 of my most influential teachers who made me feel like I could take on the world, Mrs. Claudia Murtaugh and Mrs. Lynn Cook.

Who is the most important person in a child's life besides their parents? A teacher! A teacher is the one who gives a student the feeling of self worth or the feeling of being nothing. I learned this very young. My parents and grandparents were very active in my life growing up. I stayed with my grandparents often. My grandmother was my caregiver while both of my parents (both teachers) were working. My grandmother kept telling my mom that I had some learning disability, We tried to work through it, but it was such a struggle. When I started school, I was good in class, but when I came home after school, I was awful. Looking back I feel bad about how I treated my family. I couldn't help it. I was so tired from trying to be good all day that I was done when I came home. In third grade, my mom asked the school to test me for special education. I was reading, but it was below grade level, and math was such a struggle for me. I hated school and did not ever want to go. I was tested, but we was told nothing was wrong with me. I had some major sensory issues and everything was a battle all the time. By 6th grade it was the same issues, only I had moved to the public school with my mom, so she could help me and know what was going on. She requested testing again and was told I was just ADHD. I begged them not to put me on medicines because I had seen so many people become like zombies on it. They agreed if I kept my grades at passing and tried, I would not have to be on medicines. My mom still knew something wasn't right and even talked to the dyslexia teacher at my school, who told her I showed no signs of it. During this time, I had some great teachers who really helped me and worked with me, and I had several who told me I was stupid and would never be anybody. This year I had to move to the school my mom teaches, as we couldn't afford to keep paying for the private school my grandparents had helped send me to for high school. The first thing my mom did was ask them to test me for dyslexia. In December of 2023, I was finally tested for dyslexia and the results were definitely positive. They couldn't believe no one had ever listened to my family and had me tested. The dyslexia specialist told me she had never met anyone who had taught themselves to work with it this well. She was so complimentary of me. It was the first time in my life that I finally believed that I could and would be able to go to college and succeed. Teachers make all the difference in the world for a student. A teacher can be the blessing in a student's life or the one detriment in their life. A great teacher makes his students feel like they can achieve anything they choose. I want to be that teacher/coach who convinces students to work harder and smarter to achieve their dreams. I graduate in May, and on the list for my party, I have invited 2 of my most influential teachers who made me feel like I could take on the world, Mrs. Claudia Murtaugh and Mrs. Lynn Cook.

Who is the most important person in a child's life besides their parents? A teacher! A teacher is the one who gives a student the feeling of self worth or the feeling of being nothing. I learned this very young. My parents and grandparents were very active in my life growing up. I stayed with my grandparents often. My grandmother was my caregiver while both of my parents (both teachers) were working. My grandmother kept telling my mom that I had some learning disability, We tried to work through it, but it was such a struggle. When I started school, I was good in class, but when I came home after school, I was awful. Looking back, I feel bad about how I treated my family. I couldn't help it. I was so tired from trying to be good all day that I was done when I came home. In third grade, my mom asked the school to test me for special education. I was reading, but it was below grade level, and math was such a struggle for me. I hated school and did not ever want to go. I was tested, but we were told nothing was wrong with me. I had some major sensory issues and everything was a battle all the time. By 6th grade, it was the same issue; only I had moved to the public school with my mom, so she could help me and know what was going on. She requested testing again and was told I was just ADHD. I begged them not to put me on medicines because I had seen so many people become like zombies on it. They agreed that if I kept my grades at passing and tried, I would not have to be on medicine. My mom still knew something wasn't right and even talked to the dyslexia teacher at my school, who told her I showed no signs of it. During this time, I had some great teachers who really helped me and worked with me, and I had several who told me I was stupid and would never be anybody. This year I had to move to the school my mom teaches, as we couldn't afford to keep paying for the private school my grandparents had helped send me to for high school. The first thing my mom did was ask them to test me for dyslexia. In December of 2023, I was finally tested for dyslexia and the results were definitely positive. They couldn't believe no one had ever listened to my family and had me tested. The dyslexia specialist told me she had never met anyone who had taught themselves to work with it this well. She was so complimentary of me. It was the first time in my life that I finally believed that I could and would be able to go to college and succeed. Teachers make all the difference in the world for a student. A teacher can be the blessing in a student's life or the one detriment in their life. A great teacher makes his students feel like they can achieve anything they choose. I want to be that teacher/coach who convinces students to work harder and smarter to achieve their dreams. I graduate in May, and on the list for my party, I have invited 2 of my most influential teachers who made me feel like I could take on the world, Mrs. Claudia Murtaugh and Mrs. Lynn Cook.

The movie "Rudy" had a huge impact on me. I have always been small, which is hard for me when I have a brother who is 6'7" tall. I have always dreamed of playing college and professional football but none of my coaches would take me seriously. This year I moved to the school my mom works at and I felt just like Rudy. Finally, I have coaches who believe in me and gave me an opportunity to take them to the playoffs for the first time in 8 years. The movie taught me that, with perseverance and determination, you can always overcome obstacles. I'm still not a giant in height, but I have received several offers to play college football. One goal achieved!! I will be going to Central College to play quarterback and hopefully win a national championship! I have learned that there are coaches out there who believe in hard work and heart. Unlike Rudy, I did not get the chance to play at my dream college, but just getting to play college football is a dream come true. I will be pursuing a bachelor's degree in kinesiology and education. Once my football player career is completed, I would love to go coach others who have the drive and love of football. The game has taught me so much about life and I want to share that knowledge with others. My brother is a professional athlete as well. He is a professional team roper. I watch him every day sacrifice things to be able to stay out on the road and live his dream. He lives out in a horse trailer 365 days a year. He is only able to come home to see us about 4 times a year. He is very successful, but he still has to struggle to stay out there and keep his horses and himself healthy. We are hoping he makes it the "Superbowl" of rodeo this year, the National Finals Rodeo. Then he will have met his ultimate goal! I have learned so much from watching him. I grew up coming home from school to help him rope almost every day. It was raining, sleeting, or just really cold outside, but it didn't matter; we still had to perfect our craft. He taught me that there are no excuses when it comes to being the best you can be. Both of my parents are teachers, and they have sacrificed so much for me and my brother to be able to pursue our dreams. I believe that it really does "take a village" to help children grow into strong, independent adults. Without my family, I could not be where I am today.