My favorite concert memory is of the first concert I ever attended. In 2016, I went to see Nate Feuerstein, widely known by his stage name NF. After releasing his debut studio album, *Mansion*, in 2015, NF was relatively underground. It was the first time NF came to Denver, Colorado, on tour. The concert was an intimate gathering of his day-one fans. Today, NF sells out stadiums with thousands of fans worldwide, has generated over 40 billion streams, and sold over half a million concert tickets. He has earned 39 RIAA certifications, 16 Platinum plaques, and 23 Gold honors. Additionally, NF has received two consecutive No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. However, back then, the crowd he reached was a couple hundred at best. His first album struck a chord with my siblings and me. We were teenagers battling depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Each of us has our own stories of trauma inflicted on us as children. NF was speaking to our hurts and being vulnerable with the world about his story. Songs such as “Mansion” and “Can You Hold Me” captured the pain and confusion we felt while reminding us we were not alone. Although NF doesn't operate under the title of a Christian rapper, he is a Christian. He spoke briefly about how God led him through the darkest moments in his life. At the time, I was wrestling with my faith, and he made me feel understood. The atmosphere of the concert venue was moving and powerful. It felt as though all members of the audience resonated with the lyrics and were united in its message. The small room where the concert was held echoed the words to each song. He didn’t pretend to be perfect or have all the answers to his suffering, but he knew how to articulate his thoughts, which was a skill I didn’t have at the time. We stood in the front row of his concert without having to push through the masses to be there or pay premium prices. Teenagers like us couldn't afford much, but we could afford to be there. It was a life-changing moment that occurred during a chaotic season in my youth. No other concert I have attended since has had nearly as much impact on my life. It would be impossible to recreate the sense of interconnectedness of strangers at any other concert. Reflecting on that night, I realize how pivotal it was for my personal growth. NF’s authenticity on stage inspired me to confront my struggles with mental health and seek help. His music and the memory of this concert continue to be a source of encouragement.

There are several avenues I believe would greatly contribute to providing affordable and accessible mental health care. To address the barriers such as limited insurance coverage, a shortage of providers, inadequate public funding, and stigmatization of the issue I propose taking a multifaceted approach. To mitigate these limitations that disparage the utilization of resources it is crucial that telehealth services provide remote counseling and therapy which often lowers the cost for both patients and providers reducing geographical barriers. Moreover, mental health services should integrate with primary healthcare so that patients receive mental health support amidst their regular medical visits. As an advocate for policies that ensure insurance providers undergo reform, mental health services would be covered at parity with physical health services. By collaborating with nonprofits and NGOs I could leverage additional resources and expertise to extend care to more people. The development and promotion of mental health apps would improve accessibility to care at a low cost. Investing and allocating financial resources to strengthen and progress community-based mental health programs and clinics that offer sliding-scale services provides attainable support to underserved populations. Furthermore, Workplace and School-based mental health programs increase access for both working adults and children contributing to a decrease in mental health issues overall. By implementing a myriad of strategies from a holistic approach toward mental health as a society across sectors, creative thinking, and a commitment to the prioritization of mental health we can transform mental health and make it more accessible and affordable for everyone.

Teaching is both a science and an art. All learning should be connected to practical applications to make the activities and exercises relevant meaningful, memorable, applicable, and extendable. Teaching as an art imparts the substance of the subject and connects the subject to the world at large. This "withitness" aspect of education is integral to helping students learn how to think, apply create, or extend understandings. In planning my career I strive for a developmentally appropriate, child-centered atmosphere where children have the opportunity to master new challenges through activities and topics that are meaningful to them, thus building their self-esteem as they develop and learn. I fundamentally reject that children are like empty vessels waiting to be filled with knowledge. Rather, each child is an individual, and as an educator, I will be responsible for guiding, valuing, and developing each child's strengths, knowledge, skills, and interests to extend their learning. It is critical to recognize that each child has varied abilities, interests, needs, and learning styles an educator is versatile with their approaches as well as sensitive to the value of cultural differences should they exist. To creatively teach and engage students encouraging their enthusiasm for learning I hope to incorporate storytelling, role-playing, peer teaching, and gamification. In this manner, students reinforce their learning while building communication skills, enhancing empathy, and increasing their motivation. Being that my undergraduate degree is in the French language I intend to assign cultural projects of countries where French is spoken, including food, festivals, and history. Students will be provided context and understanding of the language from an interactive and multifaceted method. Creative Teaching incorporates historical contexts, social relevance, project-based learning, and self-directed research inquiry. For instance, lesson plans may include students acting out real-life scenarios such as asking for directions, job interviews, or dining out. Other innovative strategies for language instruction include students creating and sharing stories in their target language either orally or in writing. Songs and music also teach grammar, pronunciation, and increase memory retention. Games such as Scrabble or Pictionary likewise stimulate memory retention and improve writing proficiency. Interactive reading exercises whether through books, articles, or comics improve reading comprehension and introduce new vocabulary. Furthermore, connecting students with pen pals who speak the target language inspires written communication, cultural exchange, and relationships. Through media and technology, children can analyze films, discuss themes, explain complex concepts as well as develop critical thinking. Each of these approaches to creative teaching is adaptable to various age groups and proficiency levels resulting in a dynamic and fascinating learning experience.

As a long-term substitute teacher, I have collaborated with teachers to develop interdisciplinary units of study that incorporate multiple subjects and help students make connections between different disciplines such as math and science or English language and the arts. While interacting with families of students I worked to establish an open line of communication to ensure that they received steady support and counsel at school and home. Being a minority with exposure working in a minority community I am accustomed to a wide variety of needs and have often offered an alternate perspective. Teaching in the Weld Re-1 school district which has a minority enrollment of 60% Hispanic, 39% White, and 1% Other of which I am a part by being of African American descent has exponentially grown my interpersonal skillsets. Furthermore, this school is a Title 1 school and the majority of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch as well as other social services provided by the district and other agencies. Often students learning English as a second language are economically disadvantaged. I had a unique opportunity to bring specific needs to the attention of appropriate professionals such as the district social worker. Additionally, as a team member, I have led to more productive meetings and partnerships by asking questions and seeking help when needed. While working as a long-term substitute gym teacher, I have had the confidence to make decisions and take ownership of the problem-solving process by organizing track meets, inviting guest presenters, and coordinating field days. I've taken a systematic approach to problem-solving, breaking down complex issues into smaller, more manageable parts. I am self-motivated and take the initiative to seek out new challenges and opportunities for growth. This includes professional development which makes me an asset to a district dedicated to quality education. For instance, in the summer of 2021, of my own volition, I pursued a summer immersion program at Middlebury University in Vermont to improve my grasp of the French language. Furthermore, as of late, I started the education master's program at the University of Colorado Denver. As a perpetual student, I am acquainted with the challenges of a student. My experiences navigating different cultures and languages have profoundly influenced my decision to become an educator. Often families are negatively affected by a lack of the appropriate number of translators available for parent-teacher conferences. Barriers of distrust separate the families from educators and the institution of education. The disconnect between the two further impedes the support students need to learn. Educators who desire to be difference-makers are challenged to provide quality bilingual education with restricted resources. As a culturally responsive teacher, I want to facilitate meaningful connections between what students learn in the classroom and their cultures, languages, and life experiences. Through graduate school, I hope to shift my practices, reallocate resources, and enable all students to receive rigorous instruction based on their level of competency as they are entitled to receive it.

My experience with mental health has transformed my beliefs, relationships, and career aspirations. In elementary school, I experienced racial bullying as the only African American girl in class. My family unit functioned in openness and my siblings and I were supported. Raised in a Christian home, my parents were very intentional in teaching me the Bible. However, my journey through middle school and high school was marked by extreme challenges and pain. When I was thirteen, Mom had a gastric bypass surgery, and it caused a chemical imbalance in her brain, leading to unpredictable emotions. As a teenager, I experienced puberty and hormonal changes as is natural for that age but this change was traumatic for me, as her emotional swings ranged from excited enthusiasm to frenzied rage or suicidal attempts. For these reasons, I lost my relationship with her at the time. In the midst of this season of chaos, we moved across the country to a small town where I had no friends, intensifying my loneliness. Three months after our move, my beloved grandmother died suddenly due to medical negligence, leaving our family stunned with grief. My mother was inconsolable and my grandfather who supported us through the loss of his wife, passed away the following year. With both parents working full-time and strife at home, I kept my struggles to myself. Shortly after my younger sister was raped by a stranger, she tried to confide in me, but as teenagers, neither of us could cope. It wasn’t until later that she received the support she needed through therapy. By my senior year of high school, I was depressed, anxious, angry, feeling alone and hopeless. I had no vision for life neither dreams nor joy. I had come to the conclusion that I had no reason to live. It is my belief that God’s keeping power protected me in my darkest moment. In my freshman year of college, at my lowest point I began to meditate on 2 Corinthians 7:10 “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance results in death.” Never before had I told God everything I suffered or done wrong earnestly believing him. On New Year’s Eve, I asked God to forgive me and that I wouldn’t survive another year by my willpower. God satisfied all my needs when I prayed for a reason to live, a purpose, friends, and real change. I do not believe that my family and I would have survived all these tragedies if God did not love us and restore irredeemable circumstances. These events have transformed my perspective on suffering and mental health. Mental health is multifaceted with physical, emotional, and spiritual implications. My mother combated her mental illness medically and spiritually by refusing to give in to her suicidal thoughts and taking her medication through answered prayer. Where I once had bitterness toward my mother for her mental health battles now I see her as a resilient fighter. Likewise, my sister has overcome great evils through faith and therapy. Some people believe faith, therapy, and medication to be mutually exclusive but healing is holistic. As one who has endured depression and suicidal ideations, I know better than to judge a book by its cover. I’ve learned to listen and discern a response before giving advice. My experiences with mental health have fostered compassion towards both adults and children. Furthermore, these experiences have provided insight into human behavior. As I further my education in pursuit of a career in teaching it is my aim to holistically approach education. Being a linguist, I desire to connect with students in a culturally comprehensive way. It is my goal to encourage them from a position of emotional maturity as a compassionate leader and role model. I hope to develop a classroom environment that nurtures learning by promoting mindfulness and creating a comfortable environment for open communication. By cultivating a student's sense of value, motivating students to actively engage in the learning process, and building up a healthy resilience in learning students will traverse educational spaces with determination, confidence, and optimism. Optimism for learning translates to optimism toward life, enabling children to see beyond their circumstances and perceive the opportunities ahead of them.

The notion that there is your truth and mine is rooted in a relativist belief system that denies the existence of absolute truth. From a biblical worldview, God’s truth is the only truth. As a Christian if I refer to my truth it is only as I understand the world around me through the lens of the Bible however, I can be wrong whereas God is perfect in all His ways. When someone says, “There is no such thing as absolute truth,” that person is making a statement that he or she believes to be true which is contradictory. No one who says truth is relative believes that all truth is relative because it’s self-refuting. For instance, “There is a blue Honda Civic parked outside in the driveway, and it belongs to me” is not relative. It is either true or false, based on objective reality. The Bible teaches that truth is not relative, regardless of the subject matter. There is an objective spiritual reality, just as there is an objective physical reality. When the scripture states in Malachi 3:6 that God is unchanging or that Jesus is the only way to salvation in John 14:6 this is absolutely true for every person at all times. We are asked by Jesus to take a stance for the truth, not a truth. When asked for the truth the elders and chief priests of Matthew 21:23-27 did not use their minds to formulate a true answer to Jesus’ question. They were reasoning carefully for the sake of their comfort and social standing. They didn’t want to be shamed, and they didn't want to be harmed. The truth was irrelevant here in guiding what they said. The claim that no one standard for truth and falsehood is valid for everyone is rooted most deeply in the desire of the fallen human mind to be free from all authority and to enjoy the exaltation of self. Relativism is not a coherent philosophical system. It is picked up for circumstances and put down for others according to convenience. People say they believe in it but do not think or act consistently with what they say. Relativism or the idea that there are many truths as opposed to one truth breeds hypocrisy and duplicity. The argument is to separate spirituality, law, and morality into compartments rather than viewing them as all connected. People don’t embrace relativism because it is philosophically satisfying. They embrace it because it is physically and emotionally gratifying. It avoids confrontation. It provides the cover necessary to do what they want without answering for the truth. Relativism poses as humble by saying: “We are not smart enough to know what the truth is—or if there is any universal truth.” It sounds humble but is false. It’s like a servant saying: I am not smart enough to know which person here is my master—or if I even have a master. The result is that I don’t have a master and I can be my own master. That is what happens to relativists: In claiming to be too lowly to know the truth, they exalt themselves as the supreme arbiter of what they can think and do. They became wise in their own eyes. Rather John 1:3 and 1:14 assert that Jesus is the word of God as Jesus was also known as the truth therefore, the Bible is the written word as Jesus is the living word and everything in it is absolute truth according to who He is.

My experience with mental health has profoundly impacted my beliefs, relationships, and career aspirations. Raised in a Christian home, my parents were very intentional to teach me the Bible. However, my journey through middle school and high school was marked by extreme challenges and pain. When I was thirteen, Mom had a gastric bypass surgery, and it caused a chemical imbalance in her brain, leading to unpredictable emotions. This change was traumatic for me, as her emotional swings ranged from excited enthusiasm into a frenzied rage or suicidal attempts, causing me to lose relationship with her. In the midst of this season of chaos, we moved across the country to a small town where I had no friends, intensifying my lonliness. Three months after our move, my beloved grandmother died suddenly due to medical negligance, leaving our family stunned with grief. My mother was inconsolable and my grandfather who supported us through the loss of his wife, passed away the following year. With both parents working full-time and strife at home, I kept my struggles to myself. Shortly after my younger sister was raped by a stranger, she tried to confide in me, but as teenagers, neither of us could cope. It wasn’t until later that she received support she needed through therapy. By my senior year of high school I was depressed, anxious, angry, feeling alone and hopeless. I had no vision for life neither dreams nor joy. I had come to the conclusion that I had no reason to live. It is my belief that God’s keeping power protected me in my darkest moment. In my freshman year of college, at my lowest point I began to meditate on 2 Corinthians 7:10 “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance results in death.” Never before had I told God everything I suffered or done wrong earnestly believing him. On New Year’s Eve, I asked God to forgive me and that I wouldn’t survive another year by my will power. God satisfied all my needs when I prayed for a reason to live, a purpose, friends, and for real change. I do not believe that my family and I would have survived all these tragedies if God did not love us and restore irredeemable circumstances. These events have transformed my perspective on suffering and mental health. Mental health is multifaceted with physical, emotional, and spiritual implications. My mother combated her mental illness medically and spiritually by refusing to give into her sucidial thoughts by answered prayer. Where I once had bitterness toward my mother for her mental health battles now I see her as a resilient fighter. Likewise, my sister has overcome great evils through faith and therapy. Some people believe faith, therapy, and medication to be mutually exclusive but healing is holistic. As one who has endured depression and suicidal ideations I know better than to judge a book by its cover. I’ve learned to listen and discern a response before giving advice. My experiences with mental health have fostered compassion towards both adults and children. Furthermore, these experiences have provided insight into human behavior. As I further my education in pursuit of a career in teaching it is my aim to holistically approach education. I hope to develop a classroom environment that nurtures learning by promoting mindfulness and creating a comfortable environment for open communication. By cultivating a student's sense of value, motivating students to actively engage in the learning process, and building up a healthy resilience in learning students will traverse educational spaces with determination, confidence, and optimism. Optimism for learning translates to optimism toward life, enabling students to see beyond their circumstances and perceive the opportunities ahead of them.

My great aunt Judge Brenda H. Cole was born on January 25, 1943, in Joaquin, Texas to my great grandparents Eulalia (Momo) and Garfield Hill. She attended Weldon High School, in Gladewater, Texas where Garfield was the principal, and Momo a teacher. Aunt Brenda was valedictorian of her graduating class in 1959. She attended Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, received her B.A degree in English in 1963, her M.A degree in library science at Atlanta University (today Clark Atlanta University) in 1967 and her J.D degree from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977. Aunt Brenda has received many honors during her legal career for her service to the community and the legal profession. She is a member of HistoryMakers and was recognized by the Center for Civil and Human Rights and the State Bar of Georgia in celebration of Civil Rights Milestones and was selected as a member of the Emory 100 for the Emory Centennial. For her work, she received a multitude of awards. Aunt Brenda was married to Uncle Thomas Winston Cole, Jr., President Emeritus, Clark Atlanta University. Having served as Deputy Attorney General before her appointment as a State Court Judge in 1998 she later retired in 2012 and was appointed as a Senior Judge by Governor Nathan Deal. In her school days at Spelman she integrated the staff of her drugstore and marched to protest the segregation at Grady Hospital. Aunt Brenda was a student council representative who promoted the organization of this student movement despite her parents concern for her safety. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was there standing, watching, and encouraging her and her fellow peers. She is a living testimony and inspiration to black excellence and black leadership. Aunt Brenda is an active member of her community and continues to influence the next generation with wisdom. Judge Brenda Cole is a lesser-known civil rights leader. She transformed how justice is administered in this country through resilience and a commitment to education. Her dedication to education, equality, equity, and law has impelled me to honor those who made it possible for me to receive the education I have today. By following in her footsteps, I aim to further my education and research. Judge Brenda Cole's legacy instills in me the importance of lifelong learning and the transformative power of education. Her work and character are foundational to my role as a teacher, enabling me to address systemic inequalities and ensure all students have access to quality education. Her inspiration empowers me to nurture the next generation of leaders.

Recently, by forging relationships and reaching out to local non-profit organizations, I had the opportunity to work alongside Alice Nava, the executive director of Gifts from the Heart. Together, we went out into our community Greeley, Colorado, and fundraised to build a new homeless shelter and feed impoverished families. We spent an entire day assembling burritos at Valley High School and distributed them throughout the district to low-income households. The demographic of this school is primarily Hispanic, Latin-American families who are often monolingual or immigrants. A significant number of children in this district depend on the school as their main food source. I was placed in a leadership position overseeing volunteers to ensure each family received exactly what kind of burritos they ordered. We had one main delivery driver who went to each of the six schools in the district and to individuals unable to retrieve their packages. Moreover, I helped organize a charity auction where donated prom gowns were auctioned off to the community. As an educator, I have a unique opportunity to collaborate with those who are already making a difference through our school districts. Furthermore, I volunteer weekly with my local church to do French translation and service projects. It is my aim to holistically approach education to keep children of different demographics from falling through the cracks. Education provides the foundation that in great part shapes a child’s worldview. There is a direct correlation between how a child is taught and the child's perception of reality. It is imperative that young learners are taught responsibly because they are formulating their personal foundations of what is true. As a teacher, I intend to have a positive impact on the mental health of students by promoting mindfulness and creating a comfortable environment for open communication. I hope to cultivate a classroom that connects learning to practical applications to make the activities and exercises relevant and meaningful, memorable, applicable, and extendable. Teaching as an art imparts the substance of the subject and connects the subject to the world at large. Therefore, I plan to benefit my community by cultivating a student's sense of value, motivating students to actively engage in the learning process, and building up a healthy resilience in learning. This resilience allows individuals to traverse educational spaces with determination, confidence, and optimism. Optimism for learning translates to optimism toward life, enabling children to see beyond their circumstances and perceive the opportunities ahead of them.

From 2004 to 2010, I attended Walter B. Howard Elementary School in New Lebanon, New York. My siblings and I were the only African-American students. Until I was a teenager, I had no friends who identified as persons of color. A deep-rooted sense of racial apathy pervaded this town, creating a delusional bubble of white racial prejudice. Race-baiting was a common occurrence, in which I received verbal attacks from peers and their parents. As a product of an interracial family, my life has been shaped by a deep appreciation for diversity and acceptance. Despite growing up in a monoracial neighborhood where racial prejudice and hostility were pervasive, my commitment to embracing different nationalities and ethnicities has been unwavering. This commitment stems from my personal experience of racial challenges and inequitable treatment in the education system. It was these trials that motivated me to be an educator who upholds social justice. Now that I am grown, I’ve been exposed to working in a minority-dominant community and I am accustomed to a wide variety of needs and can offer an alternate perspective. I am not afraid to pose the questions that need to be stated and contribute to the amelioration of the learning environment for all people. An essential purpose of education is to prepare students for their future so that they are resilient, confident, and successful problem solvers. Children combat adversity every day lacking the tools necessary to manage the task before them and it is the role of a teacher to equip them to navigate through challenges. I can benefit my community by cultivating a student's sense of value, motivating students to actively engage in the learning process, and building up a healthy resilience in learning. This resilience allows individuals to traverse educational spaces with determination, confidence, and optimism. Optimism for learning translates to optimism toward life, enabling children to see beyond their circumstances to perceive the opportunities ahead of them. Moreover, there are actionable steps that I can take to invest in the well-being of my community by starting right now. For instance, by forging relationships and reaching out to local non-profit organizations, I had the opportunity to work alongside Alice Nava, the executive director of Gifts from the Heart. Together, we went out into our community and fundraised to build a new homeless shelter and fed impoverished families. We spent an entire day assembling burritos at Valley High School and distributed them throughout the district to low-income households. As an educator, I have a unique opportunity to collaborate with those who are already making a difference through our school districts. It is my aim to holistically approach education to keep children of different demographics from falling through the cracks.