Hello! My name is Emily Holcomb and I am pursuing a degree in special education. My heart has known that I've wanted to be a teacher since I was in elementary school. I remember wanting to help people, kids in particular from a young age. I was diagnosed with Autism at a young age. School was very challenging for me growing up because my communication and social skills were not on par with other kids my age. As I got older I knew that I wanted to go into special education so that I could be a voice for the kids that don't have one. Reading about Rebecca has brought joy to my heart. I would have gotten along very well with her. Swimming, roller coasters, and dancing are also some of my favorite activities. The first thing I would do when working with a child with Rebecca is listen. A lot of people assume that just because a student can't talk that it means they have nothing to say. This couldn't be further from the truth. Those without a voice usually have the most to say out of anyone. You just have to listen to them and they will communicate with you in their own special way. For instance, I worked with a student in a field experience who had Cerebral Palsy. She was completely non-verbal, however, she was extremely intelligent. She just couldn't form spoken language. She would communicate with me by pointing to things around the room, using her AAC device, or pointing to PECS picture cards. After listening to my student, I will find the way that the student best communicates. I will then talk about their interests with them and use those to form a connection and bond with them. All of the activities that I put into my lesson plans will be based on the interests and likes/dislikes of my student. I want to make learning fun and be a safe place for them where they can communicate with me, have fun, and be themselves. Students who can't communicate through spoken language can learn and find their love for learning just like general education students. I believe that family is huge when it comes to the educational progress of a child with exceptional needs. The family knows the child best and can provide a teacher like me with insight into the child's likes, dislikes, hobbies, communication style, and methods to help the child in areas of struggle. I believe that the teacher and family should be a team working to provide the best and most inclusive education for the child. One part can't be at its best without the other. As a teacher in the future, I am going to ensure that I make connections with and work with the families of my students to create the best possible educational outcomes for my students. I am planning to work in primary special education somewhere in grades K-5. This is the area where my heart feels most happy and at home. I have worked with various children with exceptional needs in my field experiences along with being on the Autism Spectrum myself. My mom and I are looking for any scholarships that I can get to help fund my dream of becoming a teacher. We lost my dad back in February and are on a single income and are severely struggling with the cost of my schooling. Additionally, I currently can't work my job as a nanny because of having major shoulder surgery in September. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship!

Hello! My name is Emily Holcomb. My heart has known that I've wanted to be a teacher since I was in elementary school. I remember wanting to help people, kids in particular from a young age. My mom is a nurse, so I grew up seeing her impact on her patients and I wanted to do the same thing with my future students. I remember asking my teachers for extra worksheets so that I could come home and play teacher. Teaching and interacting with kids has always been in my heart and just came naturally to me. I had a fire and love for being around kids from a young age. I started babysitting and nannying in middle and high school and it just further grew my love for teaching little ones. I started volunteering at my local elementary school as a sophomore in high school. I was the president of our Future Teachers of America group and a perk of being in the group was the ability to volunteer in our district's schools. I went back to my first grade teachers room and got to work one on one with 23 different students. I loved it. Every single thing about it. I would look forward to going everyday and it would be the highlight of my week. This is when I truly knew that I had found my calling. I am now a junior in college pursuing a degree in primary and special education and I couldn't be happier with where I am at. My mom and I lost my dad this past year and are struggling with paying for my college on a single income, so we are looking for any scholarships that I can get to continue pursuing my dream of being a teacher. My current field experience and student teaching fills me with more joy than I can even describe. I hope to be more than a teacher to my future students. I want to be a safe place for them and a place where they can be themselves. I want to help each and every one of my students to find their love for learning. Every child brings a unique piece to a classroom. All of the pieces come together to create a class family. Every child is amazing and capable of doing amazing things in their own way. I hope to foster and grow their curiosity and make learning fun for them. I want my classroom to be one where students can come back to 10 years later and know that they are always welcomed, loved, and supported. Along with pursuing my degree in education, I am also involved in two student organizations where I get to volunteer with children. The first one is HUCTM (Heidelberg University Council of Teachers of Mathematics). I am the president and our group volunteers and goes around to local elementary schools and hosts math camps. In these camps we take the stigma out of math or "not being a math person" by playing fun math games and making math fun for kids. Additionally, I am also a member of GAP (Genius After-School Program) Tutoring here at Heidelberg where I get to volunteer with local elementary students after school two evenings a week. I get to help students with their areas of struggle in school by planning fun lessons and activities for them based on their interests. All in all, I love the field I am pursuing and I can't wait to change the lives of the students in my class. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship!