When I originally started to pursue a career in education I never thought about how much of an impact I would have on the students as they did on me. I've been working at a private school for the past 2 years and am now moving away to pursue higher education. While I'm excited to start my new journey and learn to become my own person, I'm dreading leaving the students behind. As the school year comes to an end I've noticed more and more students creating pieces of art for me with sentences saying, "We love you Ms. Bella" and "We are going to miss you so much". This past week I had 2 students from the 7th grade class surprise me with goodbye gifts, letters, and even matching bracelets to wear with them. When reading their letters, they expressed how much I've helped them over the past couple of years, even saying, "You're like the big sister we never had, SMMS won't be the same without you". When I first read this I thought it was crazy because how can I have such an impact on them, when they are the ones who have changed my life? Since working at this school I have realized that one of my biggest blessings in life is the students I've worked with. They have taught me the real meaning of compassion, patience, and resilience. The question for this essay is "Is there a particular person who inspires you?", and the answer to that is yes, the students. I watch them come to school every day not knowing what challenges they will have to face but still overcoming them with a smile. It gives me so much joy knowing that I get to end my day with the same group of students and just be able to talk to them. Just taking the time to listen to what they have to say whether it's good or bad. Having them feel comfortable enough to tell me things that they'd like to keep private or share something really exciting like doing good on an exam. So many people ask me why I want to become a teacher. The reason why I want to become a teacher is because no matter what grade you teach or where you teach, you make an impact on the students. Not just an impact, a direct impact. Almost everyone can name a teacher who has impacted them in their life. Can you name a banker that has impacted your life? A retail worker? A data analysis? I've had people tell me that I won't make a lot of money and my reply to that is, "It's not about how much I make but how I can make someone smile, laugh, feel comfortable enough to tell me about a problem their having, or even just feel safe in my presence". Having a connection with students is worth more than any amount of time or money. I hope that in the future I can watch my students go on to accomplish their dreams and see their success. I hope that pursuing a higher education will help me become the best teacher I can be for students and will allow me to learn more about how my classroom can fit everyone's needs. 3 years ago I came across a quote that said, "Every child deserves a champion- an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be." - Rita Pierson.