I have always been certain of my goal to be in the classroom, and I have been fortunate to have had many mentors that have led me to the path I am on today. The first person to spark my interest in teaching was my grandfather, a retired teacher from Atlantic County, NJ. From an early age, I can remember him telling me stories about his teaching career and the importance of education. When I was young, he even gave me a “pretend to be a teacher” playset that I used constantly to transform my living room into a classroom. It was then a question of what I would want to teach, and it was my honors biology teacher that ignited my desire to become a high school biology teacher. My teacher appeared to effortlessly manage her classroom and maintain her student’s engagement. She became my role model and showed me how to be the kind of teacher I aspire to become. In every class, we learned something new and exciting that pushed me to want to continue learning. While she placed a heavy emphasis on the academic content of her class, she also cared about the mental and emotional wellbeing of her students. My teacher and the class content completely elevated my interest in biology and fueled my motivation to instill the same love of learning through teaching. Now as a college student, I want to teach Biology so that my students can go out into the world with a well-rounded knowledge of their environment and how it functions. I want them to understand what is going on within their own body, how diseases are transmitted, the advancements in modern medicine, and the discoveries of evolution, and I want them to understand how climate change will lead to environmental changes. I want to become a teacher so I can get that spark of joy a teacher feels when you see that look of understanding form in front of you on a student’s face. As a former Boy Scout, the spirit of service to others was instilled at a very young age when I was a cub scout. As I got older and worked my way up through the ranks, my scouting years were filled with service projects as well as mentoring our younger scout members and teaching them life skills. My time at TCNJ - The College of New Jersey, has been filled with opportunities to give back to the local community. As a secondary biology education major, I have participated in observational student teaching, tutoring of middle school students in Ewing, and will be starting my clinicals very soon. Additionally, I was recently appointed to be Philanthropy chair of my fraternity. In this new role, I have been instrumental in helping to plan and coordinate events for the B+ Foundation, and Garret Cares. Also, I plan to continue volunteering with TASK - Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. Overall, it was my grandfather who ignited the spark in me to become a teacher and it was my Honors Biology teacher who showed me how to be the best teacher for my future students. And, it is through my involvement in scouting, my fraternity, and my teaching aspirations that allow me to pay it forward through education and service.

People always ask why I want to become a biology teacher and it isn't always an easy question to answer because it wasn't a definitive choice I made. Teaching was inherently a part of me, it was just the perfect match. The decision to become a teacher came so naturally to me that by the time questions of college majors and career plans came up, I was certain of my goal to be in the classroom. As early as elementary school, I could be found pretending to teach my younger sister on the weekends. My grandfather, a retired middle school math and science teacher, bought me a “pretend to play school” teacher kit filled with hall passes, a finger pointer, test templates, and so much more. I immediately started creating worksheets, executing lessons, and facilitating morning meetings, like I saw my teachers do. Luckily, my sister enjoyed playing the student, but over time I admittedly ignored her complaints about doing schoolwork on a Saturday. What she saw as a drag, I found exciting, and the passion never faded. Eventually, the question became what I want to teach, requiring deeper exploration. In middle school, I found an appreciation for history since I loved learning about current events and the untold stories that brought us to modern-day society. I also discovered my love for theater and performance, which taught me presentational skills that I hope to use in the classroom to spark interest and make learning exciting. I also considered working as an elementary school teacher, where I could work with the same students all day and teach them multiple subjects. However, it was in my Sophomore year of High School that I found my answer. It was my honors biology class that sparked my desire to become a high school biology teacher. My teacher appeared to effortlessly manage her classroom and maintain her student’s engagement. In every class, we learned something new and exciting. While I always had an interest in science, it never crossed my mind to teach science. My teacher and the class content completely elevated my interest in biology and fueled my motivation to instill the same love of learning through teaching. I want to teach Biology so my students can go out into the world with a well-rounded knowledge of their environment and how it functions. I want them to understand what is going on within their own body, how diseases are transmitted, the advancements in modern medicine, and the discoveries of evolution, and I want them to understand how climate change will lead to environmental changes. I want to become a Biology teacher so I can get that spark of joy a teacher feels when you watch the face of understanding form in front of you on a student’s face. With my future high school students, I can host higher intellectual discussions and form deeper connections making them excited to learn about the world around them at the micro/macroscopic level. By teaching Biology, I hope to make an impact on my students to be smarter and better people. I am currently a freshman at my top choice school, The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), and I could not be more excited! I am planning to earn a Master's Degree in Secondary Urban Biology Education. TCNJ’s Biology - Secondary Education program offers the in-depth approach to both biology and education that I crave and will undoubtedly prepare me for my exciting future in science education.