Outspoken, educated, and kind-hearted are all qualities of my speech and debate coach, Ms. Barboza. Barboza is beyond just a teacher I admire, but a role model. She pursued her education by all means by going to every college that offered her a financial opportunity, making no excuse to not be educated and successful. Every day I walk into her classroom and there is a newspaper on her desk. I am always amazed at how educated she is on worldly issues. When I ask her about an issue, she speaks so passionately. Simply hearing Barboza speak makes me want to be passionate just as much. I never realized how important perspective was until she highlighted every perspective of an issue and its importance. With her, no voice goes unheard. She is continuously there for her students. At times when I felt I had nowhere to go when my personal life consumed me, I found myself in her office, where I did not have to ask for her support because she always made it clear that she was ready to support me at any given moment. I felt listened to and understood when all adults looked like figures of authority. I believe that to do something in one's life, one must seek the qualities Barboza has. To contribute to the greatness of humanity one must be outspoken on what must no longer be overlooked, one must seek education to thrive for the sake of themselves and others, and most importantly, one must live with a kind heart as that is the most human aspect one should crave. Ms. Barboza has inspired me to pursue further education as I want to follow her example. I want to be the the best possible version of myself. A version of myself where I take every opportunity to improve myself. I want to contribute to our world by using my voice to share the importance of our issues across the planet. Further education will help me achieve this as it will develop my ability to understand issues such as environmental impact, and then develop solutions which I could then share with the public. At times when I wanted to give up on school as one obstacle led to another, Barboza always knew what to say to make sure I never gave up, whether it was enlightening me on ways I can avoid financial burden or some encouraging words to assure I can do what I dream of. Ever since I entered her classroom, I have been inspired. My motivation to participate in speech and debate started in my sophomore year English course. It required that we write and present a speech on a societal issue. I wanted to report on the importance of reproductive rights in the United States. Unfortunately, this did not go without a fight. My teacher told me, "That is not an issue and will not be an issue", therefore, I could not write about it. This enraged me. As this event occurred before the overturning of Roe v. Wade, my teacher lacked the desire to understand my perspective. My voice was shut down. I wanted to prove him wrong, but just couldn't. That is when I was greeted with the opportunity of speech and debate. I wanted to learn how to be heard as someone so apprehensive. My motivation to participate in speech and debate was my first step in self-improvement. My first step towards never letting my voice be shut down ever again.