Our educational system needs teachers who truly care about their students to “bring smiles and gratitude” from more students. I believe this because I know when I go to school, I love to have a teacher who makes the class fun and to have teachers who are engaged with the students. This makes me feel valued and wanted. This is the kind of special education teacher I was to be. Due to my past, I would like to work with students with mental and physical disabilities. I anticipate working with all students, from those with hearing and vision impairments to students with autism. These are the students I currently volunteer with at my high school. At a very young age, I learned that I was different from most of my peers who were the same age. I was born with a birth defect, craniosynostosis, that didn’t allow my skull to grow. This condition caused me to have hearing loss, vision impairments, and short-term memory loss. I would have to have surgeries, thirteen to date, to allow space for my brain to grow and develop. I soon found that even though I had to work harder and learn differently, I wasn’t any less of a student than my peers. I graduated today, number one in my class of 128 students. My past medical conditions might have hindered me, but they have never defined me. Instead, my past has made me want to help others who have experienced the same situations in the classroom. From a very young age, I have always wanted to be a teacher. I have always loved school and helping others. Being a special education teacher would allow me to do both. I have also started babysitting neurodivergent children over the past couple of years. On school days, I would help them with their homework. These small tasks gave me the passion I needed to follow my dream and become a Special Education teacher. While getting them to do their homework, we made it a fun little game. This way, they were still learning and getting their homework done, but also having a little fun with it, so they didn’t feel overwhelmed. Many of my teachers have told me that teaching, especially special education, would be the perfect job for me because I am very patient, organized, and understanding. I also don't get mad easily. Beyond having a degree in Special Education, I would also like to help run a place where people can donate food, clothes, shoes, bedding, blankets, and anything they do not want or need anymore for those in need who can come in and take whatever they need without question. The non-profit organization will be known as Hunter’s Hopechest. From personal experience, I know nothing is more heartbreaking than feeling as if your world is crashing down, only for someone to say you make just above the limit to receive help. I don’t want any potential visitors to feel that way. Miss Hunter: The Small Town Hero In the small town of Fairfield, known as the home of the friendly people, lived a special education teacher named Miss Hunter. Unlike other teachers, Miss Hunter saw magic in every student's potential, especially those who others may overlook. Her classroom was unlike any other. It was a sanctuary of understanding, where learning wasn’t about perfection, but about progress. Each student was a unique hero in their own story and destiny, but Miss Hunter was their guide. Some students in Miss Hunter‘s class struggled with reading, others struggled with math, and some even struggled with social interactions, with few believing in themselves. But Miss Hunter had a special power; she had the ability to see the extraordinary brilliance hidden within each student's challenges. She would often tell her students, “Your differences are not your weaknesses. They are your superpowers, waiting to be discovered!” This year was a particularly challenging year for Miss Hunter. She worked with a group of students who had been told they couldn’t succeed. Through her patience, creativity, and unwavering belief. She helped them not just learn, but to thrive. She created personalized learning strategies. They celebrated even the smallest of victories. She taught them that learning is a journey, and not just a destination. By the end of the school year, her students had not just improved academically, but had also discovered the confidence, resilience, and their own unique strengths and superpowers. Miss Hunter knew that her true magic wasn’t in teaching subjects, but in teaching hope, self-acceptance, and the belief that every student can succeed in his or her own way. Years later, her former students would remember not just what they learned, but how Miss Hunter made them feel. She made them feel valued, she made them feel capable, and she made them feel extra extraordinary in their own way. In the world of education, true heroism isn’t about grand gestures, but like Miss Hunter, it’s about seeing the potential where others see limitations.

Softball has been a part of my vocabulary for as long as I can remember. My mom played in college and was a coach for the local school when I was born. I remember begging her to play coach pitch when I was three. I didn’t want to play tee-ball, and they would only let me if she agreed to coach my team. She agreed, and it was the best year. We even won the Pixie tournament against the other town teams. When I was 8 years old I told my mom I wanted to be a pitcher. She was a catcher through college and told me she would support me 100%. She also informed me that pitchers have to put in more work than anyone and no one could do that work for me. I worked extremely hard on spins, speed, and control. I was seeing success and it was around age 10 that I decided I wanted to play softball in college. Softball has taught me so much. Through this game, I have learned to be a leader. I have learned how to win and lose with grace. I am a great team player and now a co-worker because of the skills I learned on the softball field. I have also found my love for working with those with disabilities. I would have never found this love without working the softball Special Olympics every year since I was 6. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to share my skills with those who aspire to be like everyone else and enjoy the game. Another word that has been vital in my vocabulary is resilient. I have a birth defect known as Craiostynosis Trigonocephaly. This is a condition that keeps my skull from growing, causing vision, hearing, and other medical issues. Softball has always been what got me through. After every one of my 13 surgeries, I knew that if I worked hard, I would return to the field. Then this past summer I received word that my father had passed away while I was out of state at a softball tournament. I was crushed, but my softball family was there for me every step of the way. I am not sure how I would have been able to keep pushing through without this game. Having softball to keep my mind off my troubles kept me going during the tough days when I felt like giving up. I also know every time I take the field my Dad and Stepdad are right beside me, watching from the best seat in the house. As for my current and future goals in softball, I have been a varsity starter every year in school. I have also been blessed with the opportunity to play at the next level. My goal is to continue to learn from the game and grow as a teammate, and after graduation, I would like to teach Special Education and continue to work with neurodivergent athletes. I would also like to continue umpiring softball and baseball games. Lastly, I would like to become a coach so that I can share the love of softball with the next generation.

There are many challenges when playing sports in high school. You sometimes have to learn new positions. Athletes learn to work with new teammates and coaches, even ones you sometimes don't get along with. You need great time management as your grades become more important. I have even faced mental and physical challenges. These include birth defects, 2 ACL repairs, and the death of 2 parents. I was born with a condition known as Craniosynostosis. I have the rarest form, metopic synostosis. I also suffer from hearing and short-term memory loss. Throughout my life, I have had fourteen reconstructive surgeries. As you can imagine, these obstacles made performing in school and playing sports difficult. Not only did I have to work harder than most children in school to keep good grades, but I also had to put in the extra work with sports by studying the plays at home or staying after practices to practice even more. It's not easy hearing plays on the basketball court so my coach, and I decided to switch to towel colors to help me out. It was much easier for me to look at a color than try to read his lips as I ran by. This also kept the other team on their toes because they often didn't pick up on the subtle cues. I was a 6 sport school athlete and had never lost a mile race. I was headed into the conference meet and found out my stepdad's motorcycle was hit by a car that crossed the center line. I was crushed. He was one of my biggest fans and I didn't want to let him down. I was seeded 3rd but in the end, I knew he was watching out for me because I won the conference with a PR of under 6 minutes. I continued to work hard through my grief and finished with a state medal that year. I tore my first ACL, but didn't want that to hinder my sports. I did therapy, and rehab religiously. I completed all seasons and was set for surgery during summer break. I continued to work hard and was able to be back on the cross-country course by the end of the season. I continued to work hard, but in my sophomore year, I once again tore an ACL during basketball. Unfortunately, I was out the rest of the season, but with perseverance, I was back in time for softball. I couldn't pitch that year for medical reasons. I adapted and was able to be the starting 3rd baseman instead. Then just 5 months ago while I was out of state at a college combine I got word that my father had taken his life just minutes after I wished him happy birthday. His last words to me were to always take the field with pride and I will be right by your side. It took all I had to keep pushing, but that is exactly what athletes do. They continue to push through the pain, both physically and mentally. Although I have faced a lot of adversity in my life, sports is what kept me together. Sports create challenges such as playing a new position or having to work together with new people due to unforeseen circumstances. Sports can also teach you many valuable life lessons such as teamwork, overcoming obstacles, and being able to win and lose with grace. After graduation, I plan on teaching special education while coaching and umpiring at-risk youth. Without challenges, lessons, and triumphs in sports, I would have never chosen this career path.