I am an active, excited, and diligent girl who is doing my best to follow God’s leading in my life. I am not afraid to work hard, but I also love to have fun. I love my family and friends, sports, traveling, and working with kids. I have chosen to pursue the career of education or childhood development. With this career, I hope that I can have a positive impact in the lives of many young students. I want to be able to challenge their minds and provide a place where they are genuinely loved and cared for. Because education plays such a vital role in the development of young minds, I want to present an education that adequately prepares students for their next steps in life. The biggest adversity I have faced as of yet was choosing where to go to college. I have never really known exactly what I want to do with my life, and I had a very hard time trying to figure out where God wanted me to attend college. I had a general idea of what I wanted and did not want in college, but I had no clear direction. I knew that all my options were good, but I did not feel peace when I considered attending any of the colleges. I went on trips to colleges, applied and talked with counselors, consulted my parents, and prayed that God would give me peace about the decision I made. Finally, the opportunity came up to visit Faith Baptist Bible College, a small Bible college in Iowa. I loved the atmosphere of the school, the community in the student body, and the investment of professors in the students’s lives. I was even offered a spot on the women’s soccer team. Everything seemed to fall into place, and for the first time I could envision myself attending college. I actually had a desire to attend Faith, and I knew that God wanted me there. In summary, I overcame the adversity of decision by looking and trying. I did not just sit back and wait for a magical revealing of my life path, but did my research, took advantage of opportunities, continued in my current responsibilities, and took time to consider my options. In the end, I simply made a decision that I believed was best for my life. My prayer is that I will be able to use these decisions to be a positive impact in the lives of young students. I still have a lot to learn, but I am ready and willing to tackle any obstacles to get where I am supposed to be.

I have a passion for helping young children. Ever since I was in elementary school, I have had a love for taking care of and being with babies and kids. Over the years, this has grown into a desire to significantly influence and help young students. The biggest way that I see this opportunity is in the classroom. Children develop so much in their early elementary years. Therefore, I think it is vitally important that they have a solid education, and that they can learn in a place where they feel safe and loved. This school year, I have been working in two classrooms where I have seen this exemplified. I am currently a Teacher’s Aide in the second and third grade classes, where I grade papers, help students with their work, and provide any kind of assistance the teachers and students need. The third grade teacher is actually my mom, Mrs. Adams. She has been a teacher for a number of years, and she has shown me over and over how to love the students, how to do your own work well, and how to balance the life of a teacher and of a mother. She is passionate about her work, and she loves her students as if they were her own children. She wants her students to love God as much as she does, and that is her highest goal. I want to be able to love my job and students as much as my mom does. Mrs. Hose, the second grade teacher, has also had an impact on me. She is a wonderfully patient and gracious teacher, which is incredibly necessary in order to teach seven and eight-year-olds. She has been a great example to me of how to deal with frustrating questions and with students who struggle academically. I want to be able to patiently love my students the way Mrs. Hose loves hers. Someone who has impacted me in the realm of sports is my basketball coach, Dr. Ahrens. He is passionate, driven, and excited about basketball, but even more so for Jesus. His love for God and desire to run after Him is incredible, and I hope that I can mirror him in that way. My soccer coach, Mr. Felber, has also influenced the way I think about sports. He has taught me how to work hard in every detail of the game, and how it glorifies God to do my absolute best on and off the field. I’ve been playing sports almost my whole life, and I have learned many valuable lessons through sports. One of the most important things I have learned about myself is my tendency to let mistakes affect my attitude. This used to be a much bigger problem, not just in sports. However, through playing sports, I have learned how to fix my mindset when I make mistakes so that I can keep working and still do my best. I have also learned that I can be very resilient if I put my mind to it. Athleticism is hard work, and perseverance is even harder. However, I have come to realize that I am capable of much when I decide to work even when I don’t want to. I have surprised myself with what I’ve been able to accomplish simply by refusing to stop. These lessons- perseverance and endurance- are lessons that I am still learning. Even when I no longer participate in sports, I will be able to take these lessons into every area of life, including the classroom.

I am a high school senior who is figuring out what path is the best for me. I want to please my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with my life, so my goals flow out of that desire. I want to be able to influence young kids and make an impact in their education. Since education is one of the most important parts of their lives, I would be so honored to be able to guide their education in the right direction. Working with kids in something I love doing. Right now, I am a teacher's aide in my school. I work with both the second and third grade teachers for three days a week. I do tasks such as helping kids with math worksheets, assisting with classroom management, grading and filing papers, and anything else that the teacher needs help with. This has been a great opportunity for me to get an inside look on what it is like being an elementary teacher. It has also helped direct my desire to teach younger grades, specifically first, second, and third grade. My most immediate goal is to graduate high school, which I am so excited to do! After high school, I plan to attend Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary in Ankeny, Iowa in the fall of 2026. While I am there, I believe I want to study elementary education. Something I would love to participate in at college is sports. I recently received and filled out a recruitment form for the women's intercollegiate soccer team, and I am considering trying out for a spot on the team! If I do not make the team, I still hope to play on an intramural soccer team. After receiving my bachelor's degree, I would hopefully get a teaching job at a Christian school teaching elementary kids. I do not have a specific area or state in mind, but I love to travel and see new places, so I am open to almost any location! I would definitely want to teach in a Christian school because that is where a lot of discipleship takes place, from teacher to teacher and teacher to student. Christian schools are generally a better environment to work in, and I want to make sure I stay grounded in my faith. Thank you so much for considering supporting me in my journey!