As a summer camp counselor in 2022, I noticed that all of the young campers wanted to be in my small group. Various ages of campers would always ask me when I was scheduled to work or what afternoon activity I would be leading. Kids would rush to the front of the line to be next to me or want to sit by me during the lunch break. I started to wonder why me. Could it be my excellent basketball skills, my great style or maybe my amazing sense of humor? As much as I wish I could claim it was one of those qualities, I realized it was my ability to make personal connections with each individual kid. Those are the types of connections that make an exceptional teacher. I have always enjoyed helping kids and creating positive interactions with them. From the various basketball clinics I helped with at Kayhi to assisting the dancers at my mom’s studio, developing these relationships provides a sense of purpose for the work I wish to pursue in education. I am approachable, trustworthy, helpful, and patient; skill sets that create a well-rounded individual. I am also an African-American Filipino man. Through my elementary education experience in Ketchikan, I witnessed the lack of diverse men in this profession. I did not experience learning from a non-caucasian man until I was in high school, and unfortunately, that year was cut short due to COVID. It was difficult to create strong connections with teachers because I did feel different. I could not shake the feeling that it was because I was not as academically successful as my older sister or maybe because I could not relate to others due to my racial background. As a future teacher, I want to create meaningful connections that make youth feel included, accepted, and loved. Children are like puzzle pieces and each has its unique shape to connect with one another. I feel I have the ability to understand kids to find how they connect with each other and with me. I especially want to connect with kids who can relate to me as an African American Filipino man. By instilling the value of one’s heritage and sharing my personal experiences, I feel I can empower students with the skills they need to succeed. I will be pursuing my teaching degree this fall at Hawaii Pacific University (HPU). HPU prides itself in diversity and that is one major reason I’m choosing to attend this college. HPU has students representing countries throughout the world and having the chance to learn with diverse students exposes me to different ways of thinking, learning, and honoring heritage. In addition, due to HPU’s enrollment size and smaller classes, I will build stronger connections with professors while developing relationships with my fellow classmates. These are the top reasons I have chosen to attend Hawaii Pacific University and hopefully, they are good enough reasons for the committee to select me for the Ketchikan Education Association Scholarship.

As a summer camp counselor in 2022, I noticed that all of the young campers wanted to be in my small group. Various ages of campers would always ask me when I was scheduled to work or what afternoon activity I would be leading. Kids would rush to the front of the line to be next to me or want to sit by me during the lunch break. I started to wonder why me. Could it be my excellent basketball skills, my great style or maybe my amazing sense of humor? As much as I wish I could claim it was one of those qualities, I realized it was my ability to make personal connections with each individual kid. Those are the types of connections that make an exceptional teacher. I have always enjoyed helping kids and creating positive interactions with them. From the various basketball clinics I helped with at Kayhi to assisting the dancers at my mom’s studio, developing these relationships provides a sense of purpose for the work I wish to pursue in education. I am approachable, trustworthy, helpful, and patient; skill sets that create a well-rounded individual. I am also an African-American Filipino man. Through my elementary education experience in Ketchikan, I witnessed the lack of diverse men in this profession. I did not experience learning from a non-caucasian man until I was in high school, and unfortunately, that year was cut short due to COVID. It was difficult to create strong connections with teachers because I did feel different. I could not shake the feeling that it was because I was not as academically successful as my older sister or maybe because I could not relate to others due to my racial background. As a future teacher, I want to create meaningful connections that make youth feel included, accepted, and loved. Children are like puzzle pieces and each has its unique shape to connect with one another and I feel I have the ability to understand kids to find how they connect with each other and with me. I especially want to connect with kids who can relate to me as an African American Filipino man. By instilling the value of one’s heritage and sharing my personal experiences, I feel I can empower students with the skills they need to succeed. I will be pursuing my teaching degree this fall at Hawaii Pacific University (HPU). HPU prides itself in diversity and that is one major reason I’m choosing to attend this college. HPU has students representing countries throughout the world and having the chance to learn with diverse students exposes me to different ways of thinking, learning, and honoring heritage. In addition, due to HPU’s enrollment size and smaller classes, I will build stronger connections with professors while developing relationships with my fellow classmates. These are the top reasons I have chosen to attend Hawaii Pacific University and hopefully, they are good enough reasons to select me as the winner of this scholarship.

As a summer camp counselor in 2022, I noticed that all of the young campers wanted to be in my small group. Various ages of campers would always ask me when I was scheduled to work or what afternoon activity I would be leading. Kids would rush to the front of the line to be next to me or want to sit by me during the lunch break. I started to wonder why me. Could it be my excellent basketball skills, my great style or maybe my amazing sense of humor? As much as I wish I could claim it was one of those qualities, I realized it was my ability to make personal connections with each individual kid. Those are the types of connections that make an exceptional teacher. I have always enjoyed helping kids and creating positive interactions with them. From the various basketball clinics I helped with at Kayhi to assisting the dancers at my mom’s studio, developing these relationships provides a sense of purpose for the work I wish to pursue in education. I am approachable, trustworthy, helpful, and patient; skill sets that create a well-rounded individual. I am also an African-American Filipino man. Through my elementary education experience in Ketchikan, I witnessed the lack of diverse men in this profession. I did not experience learning from non-caucasian men until I was in high school, and unfortunately, that year was cut short due to COVID. It was difficult to create strong connections with teachers because I did feel different. I could not shake the feeling that it was because I was not as academically successful as my older sister or maybe because I could not relate to others due to my racial background. As a future teacher, I want to create meaningful connections that make youth feel included, accepted, and loved. Children are like puzzle pieces and each has its unique shape to connect with one another and I feel I have the ability to understand kids to find how they connect with each other and with me. I especially want to connect with kids who can relate to me as an African American Filipino man. By instilling the value of one’s heritage and sharing my personal experiences, I feel I can empower students with the skills they need to succeed. I will be pursuing my teaching degree this fall at Hawaii Pacific University (HPU). HPU prides itself in diversity and that is one major reason I’m choosing to attend this college. HPU has students representing countries throughout the world and having the chance to learn with diverse students exposes me to different ways of thinking, learning, and honoring heritage. In addition, due to HPU’s enrollment size and smaller classes, I will build stronger connections with professors while developing relationships with my fellow classmates. These are the top reasons I have chosen to attend Hawaii Pacific University and hopefully, they are good enough reasons to select me as the winner of this scholarship.