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Emily Farran

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Winner

Bio

Hello! Thank you for visiting my profile! My name is Emily Farran and I am a sophomore student for Cedarville’s dual major of Special Education and Elementary Education. I am a missionary kind and have lived overseas almost my whole life, spending 11 years in Africa and 4 in Europe. Choosing an Education degree sprung out of my love of learning, as well as my joy of seeing people grow. My little sister has profound dyslexia, and when she was little, it broke my heart to hear her sobbing over the fact that she couldn’t learn the names of letters. When she switched to a program that was designed to teach dyslexics, she thrived and it was incredible to see her attitude switch to a love of learning. This pushed me to want to help those struggling with learning disabilities. Currently, I am working as a curriculum organizer and dyslexia tutor for a summer Dyslexia camp tailored to severely and profoundly dyslexic children. After graduating with my Education degree, my goal is to build a business that pairs special education children with teachers for one-on-one tutoring outside of school. I hope that this business could grow to multiply locations to reach as many children and families as possible. One thing that could prevent me from achieving my goal is finances. Living overseas has not provided as many opportunities to save for college so I am hoping to secure scholarships to allow me to complete my degree.

Education

Cedarville University

Bachelor's degree program
2022 - 2025
  • Majors:
    • Education, General
    • Special Education and Teaching
  • Minors:
    • Bible/Biblical Studies

Grand Canyon High School

High School
2019 - 2022

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Education

    • Dream career goals:

      Tutor and educator

    • Curriculum organizer and dyslexic tutor

      Potter's Ranch
      2024 – Present12 months
    • Tutor

      Barton Reading & Spelling System
      2021 – Present3 years
    • Crew

      McDonald’s
      2020 – 2020

    Sports

    Basketball

    Intramural
    2016 – 20182 years

    Soccer

    Intramural
    2016 – 20182 years

    Arts

    • Photographer for Missionary Families

      Photography
      2019 – Present
    • School Choir

      Music
      Christmas and Spring Concerts
      2018 – Present
    • Independent

      Theatre
      Pride and Prejudice, The Lion, the witch, and the wardrobe , Hamlet
      2015 – 2018

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      4 PAWS for Ability — I was the primary trainer for a young puppy. He stayed with me 24/7, went to my classes with me, and lived life in Cedarville’s campus as we trained for him to become a service dog.
      2023 – Present
    • Volunteering

      The Lisbon Project — Working with refugees
      2021 – Present
    • Volunteering

      School — Taking a 1st grade student through the Susan Barton Program
      2021 – Present
    • Volunteering

      School Worship — Leader, Pianist, Guitarist, Bassist, Drummer
      2021 – Present
    • Volunteering

      Church Worship — Pianist, Guitarist
      2021 – Present
    • Volunteering

      Church Sunday School — Teacher
      2021 – Present
    • Volunteering

      School — Teacher and organizer
      2015 – Present

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Volunteering

    Entrepreneurship

    Albrianna Jane Memorial Scholarship
    Winner
    I have known for some time that I wanted a degree in education, specifically in the area of Special Education. My younger sister has severe dyslexia, which is what initially guided me to the Special Education degree. I watched her struggle for years to learn just the names of the letters until she would eventually break down in tears, while my mother who was trying to teach her was also in tears. My sister was only five and already hated school because the mainstream way of learning didn’t work for her, which were the programs my mother homeschooled my older sister and me with. When my mother switched to a program specifically designed for dyslexic kids, however, my little sister thrived. It was amazing to see her attitude change when learning in a way that made sense to her but was heartbreaking to know just how many other kids struggling to learn just like her. Growing up with my sister showed me that I love interacting with those who have learning disabilities and special needs. From a young age, I was always playing with one of my friends who had Aspergers and also a little girl at our church who had Down Syndrome. I watched people around me not know how to interact with an Asperger's child or be afraid to talk with a kid who has Down Syndrome. It pushed me to want to educate and help those children so they feel and know that they have a place in this world instead of being dismissed to the sidelines. Advocating for people with disabilities and those in special education is something that every teacher should strive to make a habit. It hurts my heart when I am in classrooms observing for my degree and seeing the way teachers talk about special education students. The teachers haven’t been properly educated about the student’s strengths and abilities and therefore often limit their potential. Something I would love to accomplish in the future is to change the way teachers are educated. I would love for every teacher to have more intensive classes while pursuing their degree to help them understand the special education students they will undoubtedly have in their classrooms. The teachers need to be able to understand the students’ behaviors, strengths and weaknesses, and abilities, but unfortunately, I believe that is something severely lacking. I am currently pursuing a dual degree in Elementary Education and also Special Education, and I believe the classes that the P-5 grade only students have to take are not informative enough to properly prepare them for the classroom. I believe that every child should feel seen and changing how future teachers are educated is a way to help ensure that every student will know they are loved and have a place in this world.