Almost since starting school, I have known that I want to be a teacher. The way that adults give of themselves so freely to shape the next generation is inspiring to me. Throughout my life, I have been influenced by many great teachers who have further encouraged me to pursue education as a career. Educators are responsible for their students, and within each student they are responsible for imparting lasting virtues. They must show love, stimulate growth, nurture the future, and instill passion. Teachers throughout my life have done this for me, and I would like to do the same for the generations that will come after me. As I have progressed in my educational journey, different teachers have come alongside me and exemplified the virtues I hope to possess when I someday fill their shoes. When I was insecure or unsure of my purpose, they offered reassurance and illustrated for me why endurance is so important. I have pushed through many challenges and am now in school for music education, striving to be the kind of person they showed me. When I am a teacher myself I want to give the same encouragement to students who may struggle in the same ways that I did. I am currently in the process of obtaining my bachelor's degree in music education, but this has not been without difficulty. After having a bad experience at a religious institution, I transferred to a Pennsylvania state school where I felt I would be safe to continue my education. This displeased my parents, who are devout Christians. They made the decision to no longer support my educational endeavors, since I was not doing so at a school they approved of. I have persisted, and am working hard to complete my degree in spite of this challenge. This scholarship would be a great aid in paying my tuition. Not a day goes by where I do not worry about money, and this amount would be a huge help towards my degree. I am doing everything in my power to support myself and my education, making sacrifices and difficult choices along the way. I know this will build my character, and allow me to have more compassion and understanding for my future students. In the meantime, I am working hard and looking for all the help I can get in order to reach my goals of helping others like my teachers helped me.

I first realized I was queer when I was 13 years old. I had grown up in an extremely conservative religious environment, and this realization scared me. Despite my best efforts to hide this realization, my parents found out about my identity. In an effort to "convert" me, they cut off all access to the Internet, the one place I could be myself. I spent most of my high school career trying to repair their image of me while maintaining my identity in secret. This was extremely challenging, and lead to me attending a religious college in order to gain their approval. The decision proved disastrous for my mental health, and after two years I had had enough. I transferred to a state school, where I knew I could find an accepting community. Unfortunately, my parents did not approve of this decision, and they are no longer supporting me financially, but I refuse to let that deter me from achieving my dreams. I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher, and have found the strongest sense of community and belonging in music. I am majoring in music education, with hopes to get a master's and perhaps PhD in education someday. Immediately after completing my bachelors I want to take some time to teach music at the middle and high school levels in order to gain experience and build community for students who are struggling with their identities the way I did. Music has always been my safe space. In high school, the one place where I could be openly myself was the music classroom, and I deeply cherished that. My music teachers profoundly impacted my life, and I want to do the same for my own students someday. Whether that is at the middle school, high school, or even college level, I want to be the teacher whose door is always open, who students can safely come out to, and who advocates for inclusion and representation. I want my first classroom to have a pride flag, so that students know I support them whether or not anything is actually said. I want to introduce them to queer musicians and composers, and show them that some of the greatest music in history has been written by LGBTQ+ people. I want to learn about inclusive practices in choral settings so that trans students are able to sing in a way that is encouraging and affirming. I want to make a difference in students' lives the way my music teachers made a difference in my life.

When asked what the happiest day of my life was, I always give the same answer: the day I got my dog. I spent years begging my parents for a dog, any dog, and after they finally agreed it took over half a year to successfully go through with an adoption. While the waiting was hard, I am so grateful that circumstances aligned for me to have the dog that I do. Chewie was three months old when we got him, and he has been my faithful companion and best friend for the last five years now. The best thing that has come from having a dog is the companionship it brings. I am autistic and have struggled with mental health and making friends my entire life. From the second we first saw each other, Chewie and I were best friends and I have always known that he will be there for me whenever I am sad or lonely. Many times I have been sitting on the couch or the floor crying, and he has come up and placed a paw on my arm and tried to lick my face, as if he understands that I need comfort. When I am home he is never far away; he follows me from room to room, and even comes up and puts his head in my lap when he feels I am not giving him enough attention. In the hardest moments of my life, whether it was a breakup, a job rejection, or a difficult academic situation, I know that he is there for me to love me unconditionally like no one else can. With that companionship has come responsibility. Before getting Chewie, my family had a few rabbits, but they required nothing like the constant care and attention that a dog needs. At 16 years old, I potty trained Chewie, taught him how to sit, shake, and wait, and generally how to behave as a puppy. I still regularly bathe and brush him, feed him and wash his bowls, take him for walks, play with him, and monitor his health. Caring for another living being that is so completely dependent on you is a very big job, but it is one that I love doing and I feel that it has prepared me for greater responsibilities in my adult life. Although he cannot reciprocate care the same way a human could, my dog loves and cares for me very deeply in a way that has changed my life.

Growing up LGBTQ in a Christian home has been one of the greatest challenges I have ever faced, and I would not be who I am without that adversity. I have known that I am bisexual since middle school, and have been exploring my gender identity since high school. When I was fourteen, my parents found out against my will that I am queer, and sat down and had a deeply hurtful "conversation" with me. They said they loved me no matter what, and I would always be their "daughter", but they could not support this "choice" and would have to punish me for it. This meant restricting all of my access to the Internet so that I could not get in contact with my supportive friends. Eventually this ban was lifted, but since that incident I have hidden this part of myself from them and have done my best to convince them that I have changed. I only publicly dated people of the opposite sex, grew my hair out, and acted as an enthusiastic young member of their church. In fact, I ended up attending their alma mater, a small Christian university. This ended up being extremely damaging to my mental health. All students are required to minor in Bible and take a certain number of Theology courses. Additionally, all must sign a community life "covenant" that includes, among other things, a statement on human sexuality that limits it to a straight marriage between a "natural born" man and a "natural born" woman. Most students were also homophobic, and I was only able to come out to a very small handful of people, and this after taking great pains to make sure they were a safe person. Eventually it was too much. After two years at that school, I left for a state university. This did not please my parents, and although my queerness was not brought into the equation for them, they questioned my motives and decided that they would no longer be helping me pay for my education. This has been a great struggle, but it has been worth it to be at a school where I can be out, not only to my peers, but also my professors. I have been able to safely explore my gender, which has been incredibly freeing. I am very excited for a future where I no longer have any ties at all to my parents so I can fully be who I am. I am majoring in music education. My whole life I have known that I was born to be a teacher, whatever the subject happened to be. Having supportive teachers has been monumental in life experience, and I would not be where I am without the adults I knew in my younger years who were safe people. I want to be that person for others someday. Nothing fills me with more excitement than the prospect of having my own class, decorated with pride flags, where students can come whenever they need. Being LGBTQ can be hard, but with the right people in one's life, it can also be beautiful.

Throughout my educational experience, I have been in classes of sizes ranging from just myself to over fifty students. While the number of students in a class does not impact the concern of a teacher for their pupils, it does affect their availability and how much they are able to offer individual guidance. The best learning experiences I have had have been in smaller class sizes, where I was able to get to know my teacher personally and receive frequent input from them. I believe that smaller class sizes are the best way for future generations to learn. In smaller classes, teachers are better able to get to know their students on an individual level and adapt their instruction to be more effective. There are opportunities for questions and one-on-one interactions that are not possible in larger classes. Students may feel more comfortable coming to their teacher outside of class, and could even share non-academic interests or concerns with an adult they feel safe with. This sense of relationship can be critical to student success. For some, feeling cared for is the extra push needed to put forth higher effort and strive for success. Students and teachers alike benefit from opportunities to get to know each other on a personal level. This helps teachers design more effective lessons that meet the needs of their pupils. It also enables students to feel comfortable with and cared for by positive adult figures in their lives, inciting greater efforts and achievements. As time progresses and new generations come into the education system, there needs to be an incentive for more people to become educators, and for these educators to be hired. Making class sizes smaller is important to student success. I believe this is the best way to improve education for future generations.