What I think I want to study in college is special education because I've always wanted to help kids that needed a bit more help than others. I had many other related options, it wasn't until after I did my research that I decided that S.E. teaching was the best option for me to study in college. Firstly, I wanted to be a regular teacher, however, it didn't feel right for me. I wanted to do more and make an impact on people's lives. I knew I wanted to do something that involved helping people with mental problems, like abusive backgrounds. So another choice of mine was to be a therapist but it still wasn't the right one because I wanted a large number of kids instead of one-on-one. The next step that I took was researching jobs deal with mental issues. This is where I learned about special education. This not only deals with treating mental issues but also physical and emotional. During times of hearing about this career beforehand, I didn't pay it much attention due to believing it dealt only with students who have disabilities. Lastly, I talked to two special education teachers about more specifically what they do and need to learn based on the student grade levels. In the end, that is how I decided that I will be studying special education in college because it meets all the things I want to help children and teens with, plus much more.

Courage takes conviction. As a young adult living in a tumultuous time during the Covid-19 pandemic, I have had to learn what it means to live my life with courage. While college may seem daunting, I find that I have been shaped by past experiences that, while tough, have enabled me to grow into a confident young woman ready to accept the challenges in life. As a high school student attending World Scholars Academy in Edinburg, Texas, I have had to adjust to the challenges of working as a student trying to finish high school while having to learn all about new technological terms like social distancing, LMS (Learning Management System), virtual classroom and distance learning. My name is Jacquelyn Lee-el Gallegos, and I would like to provide a personal example of the adversity I had to overcome in 2020, the year that changed the way we learn. It all started in March, when we were leaving for our winter break, however, that was when the first cases of the coronavirus were being heard. My friends and I, just like many others, believed that it was nothing and that it would go away. What we could never predict was that we would not be going back to school again. We all got notifications and calls from the school weeks later saying that school will be continued online. I was horrified because I knew that I would be struggling with many subjects since I worked best with face to face lectures. That was when I learned that something bad is actually happening and it scared me. For the remainder of my junior year, I tried my hardest in all my classes and just focused on school. I made sure to keep getting As in all my classes, for seeing a B was like a bad joke to me. For my senior year, I was already used to working online, I had learned to adapt to this new way of learning, and it became the new norm. However, it was my senior that truly shaped me because instead of getting all the help we would have gotten during the year with college admissions, essays, our choices, GPA, etc., we had to figure it out on our own. I am not saying the counselors and teachers did not help at all, it was just harder and a mess. It was like a wake-up call that we are on our own sooner than we thought. It’s been tough with all the extra work and college deadlines, it mentally matured me. I learned to organize my work and how to learn most effectively online since I was so used to doing everything in person. I learned how to be more independent and figured how what I truly want to do in the future. I did miss my good friends though and the teachers, who were some of the best I have ever been taught by, those were really the only drawbacks to this in the end. So, as of today, I have grown independent and hardworking, my high school experience has been one that I never expected to have. I know that I have grown tremendously and because of this pandemic, my life will never be the same again. For it has not only changed my mindset about school life but also my personal life because of the people that have been hurt and have passed away. It has seriously made me learn about treasuring the moments that you have with the people that you care about, for you never know when they could leave. I believe that this pandemic has not only change me in both a negative and positive way, but also many other students around the world. I have learned to have the conviction to believe in myself and have the courage to work through life’s challenges to continue to strive to be the best student I can be in this age of distance learning.

I am a strict money saver and I'm always looking for new tips on how to save and earn money. A huge personal finance influencer for me is John Daymond, who I have watched in the show Shark Tank and motivational videos. One tool that I use for me to learn more about personal literacy is Instagram, where I follow accounts that give daily tips on how to save, earn, and use money. Lastly, another tool that I have is taking a virtual personal finance class in high school. This class has given me great advice on what financial paths I can take and make sure I know how to use my money wisely. These are just some out of the many ways I learn to help me economically today and in the future.