I joined our school’s DECA chapter in my ninth-grade year of high school because my sister recommended the program. In January, we were given the opportunity to spend one day teaching about finances in our local elementary school classrooms for Junior Achievement (JA) Day. My friends and I signed up to teach in a second-grade classroom, simply thinking it would be a fun experience. We were given the lesson plan a week in advance to prepare. On the day of, we were all still a little nervous and did not know what to expect. What happened in that classroom took me by surprise; I unexpectedly fell in love with the teaching profession. After a clumsy introduction, we jumped into the lesson plan. Within a few minutes, the kids were smiling and answering questions. Soon, they were laughing, talking, and having fun. Helping students understand new ideas was incredibly rewarding. There were challenges faced; when the students had questions, we had to think quickly of a new way to explain a concept. Oftentimes my friends were looking to me to be a leader here, and I felt confident in quickly coming up with a new way outside of the lesson plan to explain a concept. The light in the student's eyes or the excitement on their faces when they understood harder ideas was gratifying. At the end of the day, my friends and I received hugs and warm goodbyes from our temporary students. A week later, we received thank-you letters and pictures from the class. The words of the students were heartwarming and many of them emphasized how much fun they had that day. What was more impactful, however, was the note I received from the teacher. She said that she was really impressed with the way I interacted with the students and that I never once seemed caught off guard. She recognized the way I took charge, and noticed very early on my friends were looking to me to take charge in teaching, and how the students began to direct questions towards or approach me first. She told me she never would have guessed that was my first teaching experience-- I appeared as though I was in my element. Never before had I considered being a teacher, but she implored me to think about it. That teacher was the first person to introduce the idea of pursuing a career in education to me. I have always been good at interacting with children and enjoyed being around them, but I believed that was only because I come from a big family. I have eight siblings, and more than 90 first-cousins alone; being around kids comes naturally to me. My plan for my future was always to be a stay-at-home mom and focus on raising my own kids. However, the JA Day experience showed me that I could turn that into a career I am passionate about. A teacher fills many of the same roles as a mother, including role-model, caretaker, nurse, nurturer, supporter, and more. In this one career, there are numerous roles filled every day, and no two days are alike. Each day is met with new challenges as well as new opportunities, and each student who walks into my classroom is a life I can alter for the better. It is my hope that every student who leaves my classroom for the last time is better prepared for their own future. As a mother, I can be a role model to my few children. As a teacher, I would have the opportunity to impact perpetually more. I am excited to pursue a career in early childhood education not to make the world a better place, but instead to better each individual child’s place in the world.

What does it mean to have a “meaningful” life? How is this measured? How does one know that they are doing something significant and worthwhile? These are questions many high school seniors, including myself, tried to find the answers to in deciding what path to follow for their future. This is the same question that myriad adults are still asking themselves every day; is my life meaningful? As an elementary education major and a future elementary school teacher, I have the opportunity to touch innumerable lives. Young children are incredibly impressionable and are constantly looking for role models. Each child that walks into my classroom is a life I can touch for the better. To be able to give young children a better start toward their next steps in life is my ultimate goal. As a teacher, I will have the opportunity to help each child build a solid foundation for a successful life. No one definition can measure “meaningful”. For some, this may be the success of their employees, the health of their patients, the well-being of their friends, or the happiness of their loved ones. For a teacher, it is all of these things and more. A teacher is able to play numerous different roles in one day, such as caretaker, nurse, mentor, supporter, boss, encourager, counselor, second mom, friend, and of course, educator. For me, a meaningful life would be measured by the number of lives I have touched for the better. I will be walking out of college with the knowledge to help prepare hundreds of students to grow as individuals. I am excited to pursue a career in early childhood education not to make the world a better place, but instead to better each individual child’s place in the world. I can help instill a passion for learning so one day it may be the children who once walked out of my classroom answering this same question; how can they now make their lives count?

Cokato, Minnesota. Ever heard of it? No? Most people haven't. To me, that name is my whole world. I was born there, I grew up there, I went to high school there, I had my heart stolen and broken, I worked, I made many friends, I became the person I am today there. All in a town of a mere 2,500 people. In a town like that, everyone is already connected. When someone has a baby, friends and relatives will bring meals to the family for weeks without being asked. When it snows, neighbors shovel the driveways of the elderly. When someone falls ill, they have the support of the whole community behind them. The fourth grade does a fundraiser for the food shelf every year, the middle school student council cleans ditches and local parks, and the high school National Honors Society (NHS) chapter rounds up toys for charity every Christmas. In a tight-knit community like mine, being involved and helping when you can is second nature. I have been inspired by the best example, my dad. He is the epitome of looking out for others. When the high school was short on bus drivers to get teams to games, my dad went and got his CDL. When the Ambulance Crew lost some employees, my dad got his certification to be a driver. He holds many positions in our community, including head janitor at my church, bus driver, coach of the 9th-grade basketball team, coach of youth football, referee for 7th and 8th-grade football games, ambulance driver, and most recently, member of the Cokato Lions Club. All of these were because there was a need in the community and my dad realized he could help. He works a normal 8-5 job and has balanced all of these on the side because that is the kind of man he is. I hope to someday be as giving and driven to help others as he is. In that spirit, I applied for and was accepted into my school's NHS chapter. With that, I was given the opportunity to organize school fundraisers such as Pennies for Patients, create care baskets for local nursing homes, and spend a day volunteering at Feed My Starving Children. I have volunteer coached at many youth sports camps every summer of my high school career and plan to continue doing so. I volunteered in the elementary school through my school's DECA organization, and now work as a paraprofessional there. My ultimate goal is to become a teacher, which I believe is the best way to influence change. To have the opportunity to better the lives of countless children and help them get a solid start for their own future is a remarkable thing. If I can positively influence students to learn and grow as individuals, they can one day be the ones answering this same question; how can they now use what they have to be involved?

I awoke to the sound of the ocean out the window and breakfast cooking in the kitchen; I thought that must be one of the best feelings in the world. As I walked toward the aroma of pancakes and the sound of my family starting their day, I noticed I felt lightheaded. When I turned the corner down the hallway, I was blinded by the sunlight coming in the windows --I could not see at all, and I was feeling increasingly faint by the second. I thought, "if I can just....make it...to the couch...". I fainted before I did. It was spring break in 2015, I was in 5th grade. My family was vacationing in a coastal town in Alabama with my grandparents. I had spent the entire previous day on the beach and neglected to drink enough water. By morning, I was incredibly dehydrated. I drank a big glass of water and insisted I felt better; I was excited to get back to the ocean! My parents, however, had other plans. They were adamant that I spend the day indoors, 'to be safe'. I was devastated. My grandma, being the caring optimist she is, noticed and chose to spend the day with me. She ensured me we would make the best of it. My grandma is an incredibly talented painter and she had brought her supplies with her. She offered to teach me how to paint. We started simple, and she walked me through step-by-step how to paint an orange-tree branch. She showed me where to center the subject, how to layer the leaves, how much pressure to apply, how to create lighting and shadows, and shared tips that only veteran painters know. When I was finished I was so proud of how it turned out --it looked truly professional! I still have that painting in my bedroom as a reminder of the day I fell in love with watercolors. Every time my grandma visited since then, I had a new skill or finished painting to show her. Her encouragement and interest helped me build my talent. Now, in my freshman year of college, my watercolor paints traveled with me as they did with my grandma that day. My name is Hailey, I come from a family of 11. I aspire to be an elementary school teacher. I have taken an internship in an elementary school classroom, volunteered to work with children in various opportunities, and currently work as a substitute paraprofessional in my hometown elementary school over college breaks. I am absolutely positive this is what I want to do with my life. Coming from such a large family, though, my parents do not help with any college expenses; I am on my own. I do see the positives in this, I have learned money responsibility and sensible financial planning. However, the immense cost of today's college expenses is still daunting, so I appreciate any help. Thank you for considering my application!

About a year back, I read "The Graduate's Survival Guide: 5 Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make in College" by Anthony O'Neal and Rachel Cruze. The book included many of Dave Ramsey's financial theories and ideas. One that I found significant was when they discussed 'don't fall for student loans'. Many students are duped by the idea of "free money", they accept the loans without thinking about having to pay them back, and end up in tens of thousands of dollars of debt. They begin their adult lives in a big financial hole, which can put a lot of stress on a new graduate's shoulders. Working throughout your college years to minimize the amount of "free money" you have to accept will be a big help in the future. My goal is to continue to work steady hours throughout my college years to support my education. I read this book in a boring moment during my junior year of high school, but I ended up learning a lot. I intend to take it with me to college so I can continue to be in charge of my own finances to give myself an easier start to life post-graduation.