It is very important that a child has a good and solid role model in their lives. Because I am a child of divorce, I've noticed that when I was younger, I would always look at the male teachers in my life as a dad. I would have better relationships with them, because I looked at them as a father figure. When I was in 8th grade, my science teacher, Mr. Roy, was my favorite teacher. He was always there for me when I was going through a hard time and he was very understanding. I look up to him because he genuinely cares for his students. He wants to see them excel and strive through their schooling, he would make sure you understand and are capable for you to do so. When I am a teacher I hope to leave such an impact on my students. I had the same choir teacher for only three years because of his retirement. But, Mr. Degner, he helped me come out of my shell when I moved to Flushing for 8th grade. Moving houses and schools was one of the hardest things I've had to do. At the time of moving and getting adjusted, I had somebody who was supposed to be a father figure in my life, (now an ex stepdad) but he was the opposite. He was an alcoholic, verbally abusive and he would leave for weeks at a time. Fortunately, Mr. Degner could always tell when I was off and when something was wrong so he would always be there for me to talk to him. The advice and the courage that he gave me was extremely reassuring. And not even in the hard times but random days he would always have philosophy days, those days were my favorite. He put a slideshow together of things we need to know and don't get talked about enough. He has made it clear that whenever anyone needs it we can come for advice and to talk. Mr. Degner has definitely changed my life for the better. I'm so blessed that I had the opportunity to have him as a teacher for the few years I did. Fortunately, I still see him frequently at the school so I get to talk to him about life all the time. Just recently, I had to present my senior exit presentation in class and was freaking out. I was able to do it in front of him and he helped me through it. He is and always has been there for me and I know I can text him whenever I need it. You never know what kids go through or have been through and that makes me strive to be the best teacher I can be. It is extremely important to be able to tell when something is off, to have sympathy and be encouraging. If it weren't for those teachers I would not be who I am today. If I could be half of a teacher they were, I'd be lucky.

It is very important that a child has a good and solid role model in their lives. Because I am a child of divorce, I've noticed that when I was younger, I would always look at the male teachers in my life as a dad. I would have better relationships with them, because I looked at them as a father figure. When I was in 8th grade, my science teacher, Mr. Roy, was my favorite teacher. He was always there for me when I was going through a hard time and he was very understanding. I look up to him because he genuinely cares for his students. He wants to see them excel and strive through their schooling, he would make sure you understand and are capable for you to do so. When I am a teacher I hope to leave such an impact on my students. I had the same choir teacher for only three years because of his retirement. But, Mr. Degner, he helped me come out of my shell when I moved to Flushing for 8th grade. Moving houses and schools was one of the hardest things I've had to do. At the time of moving and getting adjusted, I had somebody who was supposed to be a father figure in my life, (now an ex stepdad) but he was the opposite. He was an alcoholic, verbally abusive and he would leave for weeks at a time. Fortunately, Mr. Degner could always tell when I was off and when something was wrong so he would always be there for me to talk to him. The advice and the courage that he gave me was extremely reassuring. And not even in the hard times but random days he would always have philosophy days, those days were my favorite. He put a slideshow together of things we need to know and don't get talked about enough. He has made it clear that whenever anyone needs it we can come for advice and to talk. Mr. Degner has definitely changed my life for the better. I'm so blessed that I had the opportunity to have him as a teacher for the few years I did. You never know what kids go through or have been through and that makes me strive to be the best teacher I can be. It is extremely important to be able to tell when something is off, to have sympathy and be encouraging. If it weren't for those teachers I would not be who I am today. If I could be half of a teacher they were, I'd be lucky,

I've always known that I've wanted to pursue a career that has me working with children. Coming from a huge family, it has become normal to help one another with their homework. Most nights we would end up at the dining table working through different math problems. Through all of the homework I've completed at the kitchen table, I could argue on how because of homework, it has made my siblings and family closer. When I was little I would always play school with my younger siblings, yes it was a game but they also were learning real things. I taught them how to follow schedules, and I made them math and English assignments. Seeing how my younger siblings were learning something from me, and completing hard things on their own felt like a pat on the back for me. I want to be a teacher because it's my passion to work with children. I want to be a light in their lives, we don't know what they could be going through at home and I want to be someone they feel as trustworthy. But on another note, I want to be a teacher so I can encourage kids to have perseverance in whatever they desire to do. I know many kids try to find the easy way out when they're struggling and it's because they are missing perseverance. I need to encourage these young kids to not give up and to do the hard things, simply because we can, because we have so many opportunities they lay at our feet. I'm beyond blessed to have so many role models in my life, them being teachers and coaches, that have made me strive to be an elementary school teacher even more. They all share characteristics of kindness, integrity and a level of understanding. These are all character traits that I intend to carry on through my life, and career. I've participated in quite a few sports, but my main sports that have always been there are sideline and competitive cheer. These sports have made me who I am today. I have learned so much about accountability, integrity, discipline, mostly perseverance. Something I have learned just recently about myself is that I am full of perseverance and I always have been. Cheer has molded perseverance into my life, that not everything is always going to be perfect, especially the first time you try it. Every time I've fallen I would always get back up again and practice. Particularly, because I am a flyer in cheer, perseverance has been engraved in my since I was little. I've messed up a stunt, I've fallen, and I've also been dropped on the mat. I have landed in the most craziest ways. Yes, it sucks to mess up but that's not a reason to just give up. I've been taught to shake it off and go again. Failure is how we learn, how we grow and how we succeed in life. That is why I want to be a teacher, to teach them that Failure is okay.

Coming from a large family and with parents who did not complete college, it is highly important to me that I do. It shows my determination and hard work and given the opportunities for scholarships will make it a lot easier to pursue my dream career. Just because I don't come from the most high class area does not mean my determination is not as strong as people who do come from that area. I have learned in the past years that nothing comes for free. The things that you work for and that you pour your dedication into, you appreciate more. That is what I intend to do with this essay. Just like every other high school student, getting ready to graduate, I have come to the point where I'm stressing over how I'm going to get to certain places and achieve some of my goals that I have. I know with this scholarship it would be extremely helpful for me to proceed in my dream career pathway. I dream of being an elementary school teacher, coming from a family with many kids I have many experiences helping them with their homework. I've always been passionate about teaching, I love working with kids and I want to leave an important impact on children's lives. I know that not every child is blessed with a loving household and I want to be a role model in their lives, I want to be someone that they can come to when they need anything. My goal is to encourage kids to have perseverance and to have faith. I know that I have worked very hard to be where I am today, considering my schooling and extracurricular activities. I maintain good grades, I am in two sports, I'm part of my schools A Capella class, plus two after school singing groups. I'm a very hard worker and I feel like I would be a great candidate for this scholarship, I have good intentions and a healthy and strong mindset to achieve my goals.