The most profound educator I had was without a doubt Dr. Johnson. Dr. Johnson was my fourth grade teacher who taught with her heart. My love and respect for what she has done for me has no limits. I remember the day I walked into her class like it was yesterday. The warmth I could feel from that classroom radiates inside me. The decorations on the wall were comforting as well as educational. Everything in her classroom was designed to be welcoming and to create a place where you felt safe. this day she remains the most influential teacher I have ever had. At this time I was struggling internally, both physically and mentally. My mother had just had an affair with my teacher from the year before and it changed the entire dynamic of my life. I was living with my mother but this was just a way for her to collect a paycheck from my father. My mother’s attitude had changed and everything from rules to the way she spoke was different. As time went on the physical abuse became the worst. I was no longer safe at home. Because of the physical and mental abuse I was receiving at home, school became the only available safe place for me . Dr. Johnson was a fortress of safety. While she may not have known everything that was going on in my home, she knew something was wrong and made sure to take care of me. She adapted lesson plans to make sure it had things that I was interested in. I still remember many of her amazing lessons that she created for us. We didn’t just read stories, we acted them out in plays. I remember being inside a giant dragon suit doing a performance for the school. Learning about the sun and its rays was making a pizza oven powered by solar energy. Learning about the starts and outer space was done in a blow up dome that projected lights onto the ceiling. She didn’t just help me academically though, she also made sure I was taken care of emotionally. She made sure I saw a school counselor that would listen to the things going on at home. She also gave me food when I was hungry and made sure I felt included and valued. Certain lessons that taught us how to handle our emotions. I remember one lesson where it was an audio recording of imagining going to the beach. She explained at the end that if we every feel overwhelmed we can imagine being somewhere that brings us comfort and security. This was helpful to me at this time because I had moments where I felt overwhelmed and scared of being harmed by my mother and her new love interest. But the skills she taught me allowed me to manage my emotions in an effective manner. I still have contact with Dr. Johnson now and I have told her how much she means to me. No matter what happens, I owe her everything. I would never even consider being a teacher if it wasn’t for her.I am now getting my credentials and my masters because of her.

I teacher should inspire and always set an example for his and her students. Teachers are the often the best or only good examples of what many children see. Every one of us can remember a good teacher from our childhood. I’m sure that the name crosses your mind as you read that. A teacher can either build or destroy. A good teacher is a builder. Someone who plants a seed in the heart and mind of a child and waters it on a daily basis. He or she builds a place for a plant to grow that is safe, secure, and healthy. Two teachers in my life have inspired me to become a teacher. Each of them for a very different reason. I remember clearly my first day in Mrs. Garza’s third grade class. I specifically requested to be in her class because the class I was previously in was not challenging enough for me and I was bored. Mrs. Garza presented to be nice in front of parents but let go of that shroud once she was alone with students. Her cold attitude and insults hurt my heart on a daily basis. Mrs Garza never adapted a lesson plan for what was needed and often was cruel to me if I was not able to keep up with the work or got an answer incorrect. She thrived on striking fear in her students and used it to keep us obedient. I remember going home each day and complaining to my mother about her and her cruelty. I noticed my mother behaving odd around me and others after she began to have meetings with Mrs. Garza. She was gone more often, paid less attention to me, and she suddenly was obsessed with Mrs. Garza. At this time I had no idea that my mother was having an affair with Mrs. Garza. She planted me in the ground with no water or nutrients to grow. She did nothing but take away the things that made me feel safe and secure. Because of Mrs. Garza’s inability to teach and slowly destroying my family I hated going to school. My mother was volunteering in the class. This was just so she could spend time with her. My mother filed for divorce against my father and we suddenly moved in with Mrs Garza (now asking to be called Lindsey) for what was supposed to be temporary until my mother could find an apartment. My attitude of school and important people like teachers shifted because of her. Thankfully, my negative idea of teachers changed to the most positive I could ever imagined after that Summer. I remember walking into Dr. Johnson’s fourth graded class better than any memory I had during third grade. A feeling of warmth, love, and kindness overtook me whenever I entered her classroom. Everything from the decorations to the way she spoke was different from the school year before. We as her students had an automatic respect for her because we could see the work she put into her lesson plans. Learning about the adventures of Lewis and Clark wasn’t done out of a worksheet, it was a play that we acted out. When the season of Chinese New Year came around, we were inside of a traditional dragon costume performing for the whole school. Learning about the constellation and different planets was done inside of a dark dome that had a projector lighting up what would look like the sky on the top. We saw the effort she put in to our education and had an immediate response of Dr. Johnson lived to teach and it showed. Dr. Johnson knew my situation and took a special interest in me because of that. She would talk to me and made sure I received counseling and other things that she was able to provide. She made sure I was fed in her classroom and allowed me to sleep in the classroom after telling her I could not sleep because my mother and Lindsay were fighting all night. Everything she did was for the student’s, not for her. Dr. Johnson taught with so much care that it showed me how teachers build or destroy. She showed me that a good teacher can build has the ability to build by doing small things that make a big difference. To this day I look at her as my inspiration to become a teacher for special education. I plan on doing the same things she did for an all students. But especially those that have been through a hard time.

Teaching is a career rooted in passion and hard work. As someone who was a special education student, I know the value a teacher has in a students life. Professor Bloom’s statement of self presence in a students made me think for a moment. What exactly is “self presence” and how do we as educators help a student get a state of self presence? If I were to define self presence and what it means for students as well as teachers, I would say it is an ability to be present and engaged with little to no distractions. I write this with a chuckle. I am sure anyone who has spent a few minutes in a classroom has noticed that it isn’t easy to help students be less distracted in our increasingly digital world. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. The first thing I would do to accomplish this goal is insure my classroom is as inviting as possible. Non allergenic plants by the window, student made art on the wall, and of course a theme that is fun for the students. Having an inviting classroom sets up an environment where students are more likely to develop a sense of his or her own presence. Grey walls and cold feelings will never be able to help us in a learning environment. I would also ensure decorations aligned with students interest, culture, as well as religious beliefs. A place that is welcoming and warm is far more likely to help a student’s presence. I would guide my students into experiencing their own self presence by ensuring I knew their likes, dislikes, and incorporating that into the lesson plan. We all have been in a situation where we are in a classroom incredibly bored with what the teacher has presented to us. In these instances, the work becomes almost robotic. Student’s need to feel like student’s, not robots. The best way to remedy this is to make sure a lesson plan is fun, entertaining, and has things the students are interested in incorporated into them. A paper should be sent home during the beginning of the school year for the parents where they can rate a students likes and dislikes. Having conversations and watching students while they play is also a very useful tool. The thought of making a student complete a worksheet while sitting at a desk alone makes me sad. If you are learning about a story, why not act it out? If you are learning mathematics, why not play a math related card game. Students often teach us more than we teach them. But I truly believe creating an environment with engaging lessons plans is helpful to a student learning about his or her presence.

I am perusing a career in education because I have seen that a teacher can build or destroy. I had two different teachers that changed my life in very different ways. One for the worse, and one for the best. Mrs. Garza was my third grade teacher. Every day in her class was stressful, cold, and frightening. My fourth grade teacher was Dr. Johnson. To this day she is one of the greatest people in my life. Walking in her class was loving, welcoming, and warm. These two teachers changed my life forever and one of them has inspired me to pursue a career in education. When I think of evil, I think of Mrs. Garza. She was a woman who enjoyed control over everything in her class no matter what the cost. She designed it so you purposefully did not know the expectations yet had severe consequences after. She was unorganized, hurtful, and had no passion what so ever for the job. She even admitted to me that she became a teacher to impress her mother rather than to inspire students. While I wish this was the worst of what she did, It is unfortunately not the case. As the year progressed I would complain about her to my mother. Naturally my mother would go to the school to have a conversation with her. At first I noticed my mother having nothing good to say about Mrs. Garza, but that quickly changed. I remember my mother suddenly becoming “best friends” with Mrs. Garza. I use to get a break from her on the weekends, during vacations, and after school. But now that was not the case. I remember her randomly showing up on out summer vacation to the beach, being at my house on the weekends, and being at my house and inappropriate times. Most of the time though my mother was nowhere to be found because she was spending time with Mrs. Garza late into the night. It was almost like my mother was a different person. Everything about her changed. Her personality, attitude, and her rules were completely different. At this time I was not aware that my mother and Mrs. Garza were having a homosexual affair against my dad and Mrs. Garza’s husband. Mrs. Garza was by far the worst teacher I had in every single way. Inside the classroom and outside. The next year I had a life changing teacher. Dr. Johnson. Dr. Johnson was a teacher that took so much pride in what she did. She worked hard each day to provide fun and interactive lesson plans. I remember her lesson on Chinese New Years was being inside a giant Chinese dragon and doing a performance for the rest of the school. Learning about the constellation was done in a light proof blow up dome with a projector lighting up stars on the roof. Lessons on photosynthesis were done in our classroom garden with roses, fruits, and vegetables. No matter what we did, we were learning and having fun. But we all know that a teacher does much more than teach academics. Dr. Johnson was there for me in every way you can imagine. Whenever I needed to talk to her she would be present for me. If i was hungry she would feed me. No matter what I needed she would provide it for me. To this day I owe Dr. Johnson a debt I can never repay. I learned from both of these teachers the most valuable lesson of all. I learned what a teacher is capable of doing.

Being transgender has affected me personally on a daily basis. I grew up in a conservative household with no support what so ever. I remember the day I told my mother and father about wishing to go under a different name and a more masculine identity. It turned into such an argument that my father threatened my life and my mother cried the entire time. I went for a walk and came back to my parents having left for dinner and a suit case in front of the door. That night I packed and left the only home I ever knew. It was a hard few months living on the streets. I slept under a bridge by the Santa Ana River. This was the safest place to sleep but it was also incredibly cold and frightening at times. The one thing that remained consistent in my life was school. Even though I was homeless as result of being transgender I still had school to go to on a daily basis. School gave me a consistent schedule, two meals a day, and most of all an amazing teacher who helped me find my way. My teacher Mx. Enriquez really helped me find a path to being self sufficient and higher education. Ze helped me apply for schools and told me the only equalizer is education. Each day watching zem teach with passion gave me a drive to want to do the same. It also made me learn that I have a desire to teach as well. Ze showed me the if ze can help one transgender student, maybe I could do the same. With this I decided to become a special education teacher. I noticed in my personal life a higher concentration of special education students that are transgender. This is also important to me because I am a special education student. I have been accepted into National University. I am honored to be in a position to teach the future about gender ideology and how their identity matters to me. I want to provide a positive environment that children of all gender's, race, and backgrounds can feel safe in. Teaching is the last art of caring. The thing about caring in the field of education is that it cost money. I have already been accepted into several programs that can give me the chance to teach gender nonconforming youth. But in order to do that I plan on raising a large set of finances to pay for my education. This will also help me get off the streets and afford basic living needs. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to tell you my story.

Success, in my eyes, is a deeply personal and highly subjective concept that alters significantly from one individual to another. For me, it is not merely a status or a state of wealth that one aspires to achieve. Instead, it is a profound state of mind, a sentiment that permeates every aspect of life, coloring one's perceptions and actions. Success, to me, is about waking up each morning with a clear-cut sense of purpose, knowing that the day ahead is filled with opportunities and possibilities that can lead one step closer to achieving one's goals. It is about going to bed each night with a cherished sense of accomplishment, a feeling that the day was not wasted but instead utilized to its highest potential. This sense of accomplishment stems from setting an array of goals, irrespective of their size or perceived importance, and then striving diligently, tirelessly and relentlessly to achieve them. But success is not just about setting and achieving goals. It's a broader, more encompassing concept. An integral part of my vision of success includes the ability to maintain a holistic balance in life. This balance nurtures the physical, emotional, and intellectual aspects of my identity, thereby contributing to a healthier, more fulfilled and enriched life. It means being able to equally prioritize work, leisure, and personal growth, thereby ensuring a well-rounded experience. The opportunity at hand presents itself as a vital stepping-stone towards realizing my vision of success. It acts as a catalyst, pushing me out of my comfortable cocoon and encouraging me to take on challenges head-on. This not only fosters resilience and adaptability, qualities that are quintessential for personal growth and success, but also instills a sense of courage and determination. This is integral to my vision of success as it not only helps me grow professionally but also strengthens my personal resolve. Furthermore, this opportunity provides an enriching and stimulating environment where I can learn from a variety of diverse perspectives. This exposure broadens my horizons, deepens my understanding of the world, and contributes towards my intellectual growth, thereby augmenting another crucial dimension of my definition of success. It also helps me develop a more nuanced understanding of different cultures and ways of life, contributing to a more inclusive world view. However, the journey to success, as I perceive it, is not a solitary voyage. It is a collaborative effort that requires the support and insights of others. This opportunity creates a platform where I can build meaningful relationships, learn from others' experiences, and gain invaluable insights. These relationships not only provide a robust support system to navigate through the tumultuous waves of challenging times, but they also inspire and motivate me to push my boundaries and strive for excellence. The opportunity to collaborate and learn from others, thus, is a vital component of my vision of success. In conclusion, this opportunity serves as a crucial catalyst in my journey towards success. It facilitates personal growth, fosters intellectual development, and encourages the creation of meaningful connections. By offering an environment that nurtures growth and promotes resilience, this opportunity is a significant step in my ongoing journey towards achieving my personal definition of success. It is a tool that aids me in the pursuit of my goals and the realization of my vision.

I remember exactly where I was sitting after the doctor told me my wife died while giving birth to our first child. I was left with an incredible feeling of greif and a gaping hole in my heart that remains absent to this day. But looking down at my newborn daughter, I knew I had to be strong for her. Single parenthood, with its unique challenges and experiences, has been a significant influence in my pursuit of higher education. The responsibilities and obstacles associated with single parenthood have not just shaped my perspectives, but have also underlined the importance of education in life. Being a single parent often means working long hours to provide for one's child. This experience, while challenging, has taught me to be resilient, focused, and determined. These qualities have been crucial in my academic journey. The responsibilities of being a caregiver, disciplinarian, and breadwinner have underscored the need for me to be well-rounded and adaptable. These are traits that are highly valued in the academic world and have served me well in my studies. Furthermore, the necessity of providing a better life for my child has been a significant motivator in my pursuit of higher education. I aspire to set a positive example of hard work, dedication, and the transformative power of education. This has led to a deep-seated ambition to better myself through learning, not only for my sake but also for my child's future. In the process of striving to become a better parent and role model, my goals expanded to include making a positive impact in my community. Higher education presents an opportunity for me to acquire knowledge and skills that can be utilized not just for my personal growth, but also for the betterment of my community. I envision using my education to inspire other single parents in my community. I want to show them that their circumstances do not limit their potential. I believe that by sharing my experiences and the lessons I have learned, I can encourage them to overcome their challenges and to pursue their own educational and career goals. This intention extends beyond single parents to include any individuals who might feel their situation hinders their access to education. In conclusion, my experience as a single parent has not only shaped my pursuit of higher education but has also stirred a desire in me to make a positive impact in my community. The trials I have faced have not deterred me; instead, they have propelled me toward achieving higher education and using it as a tool for communal development. In the future, I plan to use my education to create opportunities for those in similar situations and to inspire positive change in my community. It's my conviction that sharing my journey can inspire others to defy their circumstances and chase their dreams, contributing to a more educated and empowered community.

Smart phones not only affect my general activities, but also my health. When I was 12 I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. It is an autoimmune disease that nobody can help getting. At the time the technology was not where it is now but today my phone helps me stay alive. I wear a patch on my body called a continues glucose monitor (CGM). This patch connects via bluetooth directly to my phone and it enables me to see what my blood sugar is at all times. This is especially useful when I am doing specific activities. for example, It is very common for someones blood sugar to go low during exercise. However because of the new technology that pairs with my mobile phone I get a warning telling me I am about to go low and to eat something to raise my blood sugar. This also comes in handy during the times that I am sleeping. It is common for blood sugar to raise while we are sleeping. For a normal person this is no problem because their pancreas will produce insulin and they can continue to sleep. For me however it is more of a problem. I don't have a working pancreas to solve this problem. What I do have is a continues glucose monitor that is paired to my smartphone. My phone begins to beep and it allows me to give myself a shot of insulin to prevent or treat myself from a high blood sugar. This also helps me to stay safe while driving. I know of many people that got their drivers license taken away because they had a low blood sugar that made them incapable of driving at that time. This is obviously scary and dangerous for the driver and the people people around the driver as well. thankfully with the modern technology that works with my phone I am able to see my blood sugar and get a notification if I need to do something right away. This keeps myself, my privilege to drive, and other people around me safe. There are things that I do not enjoy about having a phone. I have noticed that I do not sleep as well because I spend so much time on my phone. I also use to be able to find things without GPS but I became so use to it I don't know what to do without it. Overall the fact that my phone has changed the way I am able to take care of myself makes many things worth it. Especially considering the fact that most of the things that impact me in a negative way are things that are in my control.

My greatest inspiration in life would be my opa who fought in the Dutch resistance during World War Two. He started defending Holland in the army against Nazi Germany until Holland was taken over. Once every border of Holland was attacked Holland had surrendered but my opa Koos did not. All of the soldiers were told to turn themselves in to be taken to a prisoner of war camp but my opa decided to walk home instead. Once home he joined the resistance in an effort to fight against the Nazi's. Most efforts of the from the resistance in Holland were peaceful and meant to help jewish families in hiding. One of the main things that my opa Koos did was steal "stamps" that each family got based on the number of people in the household. If a family was hiding Jewish people they would need someone to smuggle them more stamps so they could feed their extra house guests. If he was caught he would have either lost his life or be sent to somewhere evil. It was not all peaceful with the resistance of course. Because of my Opa's experience in the military he was told by his commanding officers to do several jobs that involved to end of someones life. He talked about how he did not enjoy this but he knew he had to do it. I am thankful for my time with my opa and I miss him every day.

The history if failure is my everything. A piece of art that Is my everything is a photograph of an abandoned space shuttle in the Soviet Union. To me it represents the concept of success and failure and to always try to succeed. As well as participating just for the the ability to learn. If we don't fail we will also never succeed. When the United States challenges the Soviet Union to the space race the was a possibility of failing. However, That did not stop the United States from going forward. You will never succeed if you do not try with an attitude that will help you learn.

My goal after obtaining my degree in Biology and finishing medical school is to become an endocrinologist with a focus on diabetes. Diabetes (especially type 1) is very interesting not only because of the major medical advancements that have happened with closed loop insulin pumps. But also becuase I myself have type 1 diabetes. The disease is incredibly hard to manage and I believe that I can play a big role in newly diagnosed patiants (especially children) life after their diagnosis. I would like to work on research as to better understand the patient and the disease that we both are afflicted with. One of the biggest things that I am interested in researching after I graduate is the artificial pancreas. Currently we have closes loop insulin pumps that give you more insulin when your Continues Glucose Monitor (CGM) detects your blood sugar is going high. As well as less insulin when your blood sugar is going low. The insulin pump is worn on the outside of the body with an IV that puts a small amount of inulin in the body throughout the day and larger amounts during meals. An artificial pancreas would be implanted surgically in the body meaning that there is no need for an external insulin pump. I would like to do research into an artificial pancreas that is capable of dosing insulin for meals without the patient programing how much carbohydrates he or she is eating into an external medical devise. This will be a challenge and may require having a in built timer into the artificial pancreas as well as a more advanced Continues Glucose Monitor that can tell a minor change in blood sugar that is related to eating. In order to do this I will need to take internships and major medical companies that serve the diabetes community such as Tandem as well as Dexcom. I would learn as much as possible form people there that know much more than me and keep going. After that I would try to join a research team that may be the same in certain ways but more related to insulin pumps rather that surgically implanted artificial pancreas. I would also need to learn more about surgery and do a possible internship with a surgeon. After all if that I would like to either be apart of a research project related to an artificial pancreas or start my own.