Although I do not work in the medical field, I have spent much of my life educating others about living with Type 1 diabetes. Having lived with Type 1 diabetes for more than 30 years, I understand that managing a chronic autoimmune condition extends far beyond monitoring blood sugar levels or taking insulin. It requires resilience, education, emotional support, and a community that understands the daily challenges that come with the disease. These experiences have shaped how I support others and have influenced the work I plan to continue in the field of education. When I first entered the education profession, I served as a mentor at my campus. The lead counselor knew about my experience with Type 1 diabetes and suggested that I start a small support group for students who also had the condition. We began with two students whose experiences with diabetes were very different. One student had lived with Type 1 diabetes for several years and had developed effective routines for managing the condition. The other student had been recently diagnosed and was struggling to adjust to the many lifestyle changes that came with it. Much of our time together was spent sharing our personal experiences. We talked openly about the frustrations of counting carbohydrates, checking blood sugar levels throughout the day, administering insulin, and feeling different from our peers. The newly diagnosed student expressed how overwhelming it was to suddenly have to think about every meal, every activity, and every blood sugar reading. I understood those feelings because I had experienced many of the same emotions when I was younger. Our conversations focused not only on acknowledging those frustrations but also on identifying practical strategies to make living with diabetes more manageable. We discussed planning for school activities, advocating for ourselves with teachers and friends, recognizing the signs of high and low blood sugar, and finding ways to maintain a positive outlook despite the daily demands of the disease. Most importantly, the students realized they were not alone. Having someone who truly understood their experiences created a safe space where they felt comfortable asking questions, sharing concerns, and celebrating successes. As an educator and educational leader, I plan to continue supporting individuals with chronic autoimmune conditions by fostering school environments that are informed, compassionate, and inclusive. While I may not provide medical treatment, I can educate school staff about the unique challenges students with chronic illnesses face and advocate for policies that ensure they receive appropriate accommodations and support. I also hope to continue mentoring students with chronic conditions, helping them build confidence, self-advocacy skills, and resilience as they navigate both their health and their education. Living with Type 1 diabetes for over three decades has taught me that education is one of the most powerful tools for improving quality of life. By sharing my experiences and creating opportunities for connection, I hope to help others feel empowered rather than limited by their diagnosis. My goal is to ensure that students with chronic autoimmune conditions know they are supported, understood, and capable of achieving success both in and outside the classroom.

As a young Black woman, I have always had aspirations of being and wanting more for myself and my family. At a young age, I had an understanding that I wanted to help in any capacity that I could imagine. That imagination leads me into wanting to become a pediatrician. There was something about being able to help and assist children that led me in that direction. However, once getting into undergrad I soon learned that my working with children would not be in a medical sense, but in education. In undergrad, I gained more insight into education through my sociology classes. Specifically, it was with one class, in particular, Sociology of Education, that I learned about inequities that I did not know existed simply being a student in the classroom. As a student, you do not truly understand what is going on behind the scenes that create the educational experiences that you have whether good or bad. I took what I learned in this particular course as well as many other courses and began teaching. In the classroom, I was able to learn more about what it meant to cater to each student's needs. We have heard this before but is something that cannot be said enough, education is not one size fits all. Each student comes in with different needs, different outside factors, and much more that deserves to be known and worked with individually and accordingly. Much of my time in the classroom was spent doing just that, working to meet the needs of my students. Being in the classroom can have its financial strain wanting to spend money on the things you feel will better serve your students. Any time I saw something that looked beneficial I made sure to get it because it would mean that much more to my students. After a few years in the classroom and realizing I wanted to do more for my students I pursued my Masters in Educational Leadership. With this degree, I would then be able to move into leadership and make a bigger impact on deserving students. Taking on another degree would then mean having to take on more student loan debt; however, wanting and being more for myself and my family also turned into wanting and being more for my students. I am happy to take on the debt knowing that I becoming a better person for those I care about. Now with my Master's and a step closer to leadership as an instructional coach, I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Education Policy. Thinking back to what brought me to the classroom in the first place was learning of inequity. Throughout my career, I have seen and faced inequity working in urban school districts. Many of these inequities exist due to poor policy and practice. It is my goal to continue working to improve myself so that I can improve inequitable systems for students that are the most underserved. Having this scholarship will assist relieve some of the financial burdens I have taken on in the mission of improvement. However, stating again, I am happy to take on the debt knowing that I am becoming a better person for those I care about. I have a passion for students and a passion for the education system. I will do what needs to be done to improve it.

I have always had aspirations of being and wanting more for myself and my family. At a young age, I had an understanding that I wanted to help in any capacity that I could imagine. That imagination leads me into wanting to become a pediatrician. There was something about being able to help and assist children that led me in that direction. However, once getting into undergrad I soon learned that my working with children would not be in a medical sense, but in education. In undergrad, I gained more insight into education through my sociology classes. Specifically, it was with one class, in particular, Sociology of Education, that I learned about inequities that I did not know existed simply being a student in the classroom. As a student, you do not truly understand what is going on behind the scenes that create the educational experiences that you have whether good or bad. I took what I learned in this particular course as well as many other courses and began teaching. In the classroom, I was able to learn more about what it meant to cater to each student's needs. We have heard this before but is something that cannot be said enough, education is not one size fits all. Each student comes in with different needs, different outside factors, and much more that deserves to be known and worked with individually and accordingly. Much of my time in the classroom was spent doing just that, working to meet the needs of my students. Being in the classroom can have its financial strain wanting to spend money on the things you feel will better serve your students. Any time I saw something that looked beneficial I made sure to get it because it would mean that much more to my students. After a few years in the classroom and realizing I wanted to do more for my students I pursued my Masters in Educational Leadership. With this degree, I would then be able to move into leadership and make a bigger impact on deserving students. Taking on another degree would then mean having to take on more student loan debt; however, wanting and being more for myself and my family also turned into wanting and being more for my students. I am happy to take on the debt knowing that I becoming a better person for those I care about. Now with my Master's and a step closer to leadership as an instructional coach, I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Education Policy. Thinking back to what brought me to the classroom in the first place was learning of inequity. Throughout my career, I have seen and faced inequity working in urban school districts. Many of these inequities exist due to poor policy and practice. It is my goal to continue working to improve myself so that I can improve inequitable systems for students that are the most underserved. The impact I hope to make through education is to develop a policy that benefits all students, a policy that will focus on school improvement. Much of my interest is centered around school closures and their impact on Black and Brown students. With a policy that focuses on school improvement, we can work toward improving school systems as opposed to closing schools and displacing students.

As a young Black woman, I have always had aspirations of being and wanting more for myself and my family. At a young age, I had an understanding that I wanted to help in any capacity that I could imagine. That imagination leads me into wanting to become a pediatrician. There was something about being able to help and assist children that led me in that direction. However, once getting into undergrad I soon learned that my working with children would not be in a medical sense, but in education. In undergrad, I gained more insight into education through my sociology classes. Specifically, it was with one class, in particular, Sociology of Education, that I learned about inequities that I did not know existed simply being a student in the classroom. As a student, you do not truly understand what is going on behind the scenes that create the educational experiences that you have whether good or bad. I took what I learned in this particular course as well as many other courses and began teaching. In the classroom, I was able to learn more about what it meant to cater to each student's needs. We have heard this before but is something that cannot be said enough, education is not one size fits all. Each student comes in with different needs, different outside factors, and much more that deserves to be known and worked with individually and accordingly. Much of my time in the classroom was spent doing just that, working to meet the needs of my students. Being in the classroom can have its financial strain wanting to spend money on the things you feel will better serve your students. Any time I saw something that looked beneficial I made sure to get it because it would mean that much more to my students. After a few years in the classroom and realizing I wanted to do more for my students I pursued my Masters in Educational Leadership. With this degree, I would then be able to move into leadership and make a bigger impact on deserving students. Taking on another degree would then mean having to take on more student loan debt; however, wanting and being more for myself and my family also turned into wanting and being more for my students. I am happy to take on the debt knowing that I becoming a better person for those I care about. Now with my Master's and a step closer to leadership as an instructional coach, I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Education Policy. Thinking back to what brought me to the classroom in the first place was learning of inequity. Throughout my career, I have seen and faced inequity working in urban school districts. Many of these inequities exist due to poor policy and practice. It is my goal to continue working to improve myself so that I can improve inequitable systems for students that are the most underserved. Having this scholarship will assist relieve some of the financial burdens I have taken on in the mission of improvement. However, stating again, I am happy to take on the debt knowing that I am becoming a better person for those I care about. I have a passion for students and a passion for the education system. I will do what needs to be done to improve it.