If I were to create a mandatory class, it would be a class focused on teamwork. From my experience in school, work, home, and extracurriculars, I unfortunately have come to the conclusion that working together and compromising are not as common as it should be. Understandably, everyone has ideas and opinions, but it can lead to unnecessary yelling or be blown way out of proportion. I also find it interesting how parents tell their children to compromise and not be selfish when we see adults in our lives or on the news not doing as they have been telling us. I have had many situations where all parties involved start arguing and claiming their way is the only way. With that in mind, wouldn't it make sense to teach the youth how to work with each other so they make better choices for a better future as peacefully as possible? This class could come in many forms and vary among the grade levels. When I was brainstorming, I hoped there would be a specific activity or topic that would cover teamwork for all grade levels with minimal problems. Team sports could be an option, but not everyone is athletic or likes sports. Art can be collaborative, but is usually more of an individual activity. Baking or cooking would be fun, but somewhat dangerous for the younger children. Instead, the class would be under the topic of being a "teamwork class," but the activities would vary. Essentially, there's too many variables for it to be just one specific topic across all grade levels. To that, I say we make it ever-changing with minimal guidelines! Let's take it in chunks. For elementary schoolers, their activities and projects would be more simple and mainly cover basic ideas of teamwork. Those ideas would include - but are not limited to- basic communication skills, selflessness, and taking turns. Activities could include solving puzzles together, creating group dances, and weekly mad lib exercises. Middle schoolers would dive deeper into teamwork with ideas such as trust, collaboration, and open-mindedness. As weird and potentially cliche as it might sound, I think trust exercises and some theater games would be helpful. One that I remember doing in middle school theater was "Yes, and...," which would introduce open-mindedness to the students. They could also collaborate on designs for bridges, houses, posters, or made-up businesses if they wanted to. High schoolers would truly test their teamwork skills through tougher challenges and simulations. At my high school, they had 9th graders prepare for a MUN (Model United Nations) simulation with a relevant topic in today's world. I think simulations similar or just like this could be useful to help with finding solutions to problems, keeping cool under pressure, and how compromise may work in the real world. The activities could range from cooking in teams like Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen to socratic seminars on a topic that's popular with the class at the time. None of it has to be formal or informal, as it should be flexible to the grade level and students. I feel it is important to mention this because I have learned that not every kid or every group is the same. I have worked for my local Summer Fun programs since 2019 - as volunteer and staff - and realized everyone can't be taught the same way. As much as I like routine, flexibility will most likely increase their chances of understanding, applying, and not seeing the class as a negative experience. Will it work for everyone? No way! Will it help most though? I believe so.

My passion to work with kids came while my brother was still in the womb. I felt a spark in my soul telling me that something about helping young ones was going to be a big part of my life. Most siblings tend to fight or not show as much affection to each other, but my brother and I were different. It may have been my job as an older sister, but I never had a negative outlook on it. My older sister instincts kicked in naturally, and helped at parties and events. I found I was good at keeping the kids happy and safe while giving the parents a break. In 2019, my perspective expanded. My parents wanted me to go out and try something new for the summer, and ended up signing up for a Summer Fun program. To my surprise, I ended up having the time of my life! This volunteer position opened my eyes to all sorts of kids with different mindsets and abilities. From that summer alone, I learned how to use my voice, problem solve, and adapt. Although Covid delayed my return, I went back again and again. I did have to move to another location, but continued to grow more in my volunteer years and my recent years as part of the staff. My staff years gave me the most experience. My first year on staff, I honestly felt a bit lost. It became my responsibility to make lesson plans, organize everything, remember to have the volunteers help instead of doing tasks by myself, and much more. It challenged my patience, my communication skills, teamwork skills, and made me question how to lead. Although it was hard, and it felt like I couldn't catch a break, I made it through and took time to reflect. My boss always does evaluations at the end of the summer, and we used most of that time to go over the good, the bad, and everything in between. I didn't know what my true strengths and weaknesses were, but my boss walked with me through it all. It gave me a sense of clarity and pride because I wasn't perfect, but I tried and have learned a great deal from it all. It showed me what leaders like teachers do. This year, I went back expecting to be part-time due to a pre-planned family vacation. Everything seemed perfect, but the first week of the program threw us a curveball. A co-worker of mines had an emergency, so we had to adjust. I was subbing for another co-worker, so I instead had to take his group and he would have to take over our absent co-worker's group. Additionally, we had to hire another staff member to cover for me while I was on my trip. Thankfully, we had a solid, experienced team this year and managed to have smooth transitions throughout. It was not perfect, but tested all of us as individuals and a team. Evaluations came around again and I realized that things won't always be the same. Weaknesses and strengths can vary on situations and oneself. For example, I had to balance out my co-worker who covered for me because she was on the more strict, drill sergeant side of the scale. To find balance, I had to be unbalanced. My pursuit to be a Special Education teacher has made me realize that no matter the low pay, heavy workload, or underappreciation, I want to be a teacher. Nothing would make me more happy than to teach and learn with kids, disability or no disability.

I am pursuing a career in Special Education because of the passion I found early in life from my brother. Before my brother was born, I was excited to teach him and help him with homework. I always loved to help people, but it grew rapidly. As an older sister and someone who loves working with children, I became babysitter for almost any child. I really kicked my passion in gear when I applied for a volunteer job at a local Summer Fun (aka a day summer camp). I was able to work on my communication, leadership, organization, and creative skills. Most importantly, I discovered the feeling of fulfillment. I began to see my teachers differently from then on. I did already think of teachers as wonderful people who have a lot of work on their plates, but I also realized that teachers have more than physical work. It's teachers having the knowledge to teach, the voice to keep the students' attention, the hours put in and out of the classroom, and the hardships they have with an imbalance of the pay to work and effort ratio. It encouraged me to talk to my teachers more, ask them how their day was, and be more understanding. I do hope they understood what I understood because I feel that they some of them really needed a moment of ease. I have many teachers who impacted my life, too many to pick one. I'd like start with my 5th grade teacher, Mr. H. He's one of the first teachers that I considered to be exceptionally supportive, kind, and all around fun! He made classroom time not as stressful. I remember there were times where he'd let us lay our heads down in the dark with windows open and fans on. There was a time in class where I was hanging out at his table. I was him while a couple of students would come and go. During that time, we were learning how to multiply fractions, I believe. He noticed that I had gotten really fast when solving those types of equations, and he asked me if I wanted to learn something slightly harder: Dividing fractions. I gladly took him up on his offer, and before I knew it, I was able to divide fractions with ease. Next, I have two math teachers that have similar ideals. Mr. Mac and Ms. T were some of the kindest souls I've met (in terms of teachers). They are truly teachers with passion and a strong will. What made them similar was the opportunities they gave. They were both generous enough to give make-up tests and extra time during office hours. They allowed plenty of time at the end of classes for students to ask questions. Many loved them, whether it was their kindness that many students didn't deserve, work they displayed, or how they fought for their students. They were both teachers I went to when I had troubles as well, which made me feel safe at school. Finally, I had a professor last semester, Ms. O. She taught a Global History on Disabilities class. She was the type of teacher to encourage deep talks in class and she would comment on my Google Docs as if we were having a deep conversation about my research. She made all of us feel like our work and thoughts were important, and could lead to a lot more. Personally, I became more confident in my work. It's teachers like these that create passionate, hard-working students. For me, it helped me find my way to teaching.

My pursuit to become a Special Education teacher stemmed from early in my childhood, specifically from my brother. Even before my brother was born, I knew that I wanted to teach him all the basics and help him with homework as he got older. At first, I may have been seen as someone that always likes to help, but it grew into working with children and teaching over time. I practice my teaching and leadership skills at my summer job, which I used to have a volunteer position at due to still being a minor at the time. My brother is also the reason I learned so much about the Special Education system and disabilities. He was diagnosed with a severe case of autism at the age of two. From there, I got to see him and many other Special Education students flourish into better versions of themselves, thanks to teachers and parents supporting them all the way. By the time senior year of high school came around, I realized that I wanted a teaching career of some sort, even if it didn't pay as much as a doctor per se. Yet, I didn't care about the paycheck. Although money is important for living, I needed a career that was fulfilling for me. Working with children is the tip of the iceberg. Helping children with disabilities learn and evolve called to me in a way that I had only felt at my summer job: Through extreme passion and hope. Hope, as in: I hope that I can make an impact in their lives, even if it's the smallest thing. Like Ms. Fouke, I am passionate about what I do and what I want to do. I want to help mold the minds of the future generation(s) to create a better world and better people. It would also make me so happy to help those who are like my brother, as I know how hard it is in this life to have a disability. I've seen my brother struggle throughout his life. He learned how to socialize like his peers. He was taught to understand that classwork assigned as homework doesn't mean failure to accomplish the task. My dad taught him to play basketball and run some track events. He has come such a long way, and it brings me to tears as not just his older sister, but also as a person in general. To be honest, I'm also pondering the thought of doing a dual certification for general and special education because my original passion was to simply be an elementary school general-education teacher. Either way, I will still pursue Special Education and learning skills that will advance my knowledge in that department. Currently, I'm learning simple ASL from a recommended app from a friend and hoping to successfully register for ASL I this upcoming school year. Maybe even someday, I'd like to learn braille as well. Additionally, I'm in a class called "Foundations in Inclusive Schooling." Our final project for this class allows us to choose a public place and make it inclusive for one disability. I claimed the topic for a classroom being inclusive to students with visual impairments, as I have always wanted to explore what the best design for a classroom would be for many disabilities. To put it simply, teaching and children have always been a part of my life, and I have worked hard to keep pursuing this passion through multiple aspects of my life. Thank you for your time, and I hope you will consider me for this scholarship.

My name is Jessica Lee, I'm a Freshman at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, and I was born and raised on O'ahu. I was on the President's List at my high school almost every semester, I ran cross country all throughout high school and track since 10th grade, I was in a few clubs such as Japanese club, and I gave back to my class by volunteering to be part of committees for formal class events. This would include Sophomore Banquet and Junior Prom. During the summer, I have volunteered at local Summer Fun programs for three years and was given the opportunity to move up to a paid position this last summer. For clarification, Summer Fun is like a summer camp, but only during the day. This program has been my second home since 2019. The volunteer position watches groups of kids (ages 5 to 12) with the assistance of teenage volunteers, or Junior Leaders. I was a Junior Leader and I learned valuable lessons from both places about responsibility, teamwork, and creativity. This past summer, the paid position was for Group Leaders, who are in charge of a group of kids and have assistance from Junior Leaders that are assigned to them. From there, I learned to improve skills like organization, adapting, and leadership. With any task, I put in my best effort. I take pride in my work at my job, in school, for my side projects, and my training in high school. My summer job means everything to me because of the community and lessons I learned there, and although school is not always the most exciting thing, I'm ready to reach for A's and hold myself accountable for my grades. My side projects get the upmost attention when I have time to pursue it after my school endeavors. For some context about my sports "career" in high school, I'm considered someone who doesn't exactly have the ideal genes for running. Still, I started training much harder than all of my teammates since 10th grade. From there, my progress grew exponentially! I'm still proud of myself today. I try to maintain what I have as I make my way through college, but I also exercise because it makes me feel better. Lifting weights is the main thing that helps me on hard, not-so-happy days. It makes me feel strong and productive. Scholarships have been giving my family some peace of mind by covering the fees for dorming and a meal plan. My parents have anticipated the potential financial challenges of college. Due to my parents’ hard-working mindset, they've done their best to save and provide for me and my brother. There were many hardships that have changed our financial plans over time, such as unexpected incidents where we are forced to spend a significant amount of money. With these external variables, I was almost forced into staying home instead of receiving the opportunity to dorm. The bill piled up to a significant amount of money, surprising me and my family. This past school year, our saving grace has been a Merit Scholarship and another scholarship from my mom’s workplace. The money from these scholarships has been covering the cost of dorming on campus and having a standard meal plan. Knowing that those two hefty costs are paid for with scholarships has relieved stress on us. Dorming isn't just about freedom, but about becoming my own person and making college life easier. Those goals have been reached and I hope to be able to keep my scholarships and obtain more, guaranteeing my education and dorming opportunities.

My career of choice is to be a Special Education teacher, specializing in Severe Disabilities/Autism in elementary school. When I think about what has led me on this path, I think of it as life sending me signs for as long as I can remember. It definitely started when my mother was pregnant with my brother. I was ecstatic to have a sibling, not just because I wanted someone to play with. My first thought was about teaching him his ABC's and 123's. I was ready to be the best big sister ever, the best role model for him. I knew from that moment that I wanted a profession in education, or a career that helps people simply through assistance or teaching. Little did I know, my brother's diagnosis for severe autism would change my whole life. My brother, diagnosed at the age of two, shaped me and my family's lives. It opened our eyes to the disability community, specifically intellectual disabilities. He was placed into the Special Education program at his school, where we got to see other kids similar to him. They can be shy, or scream until they get their blanket. At first, drop-off was chaos. You can tell the parents are at a loss. Their children work in a way that they were not prepared for. My father though was two steps ahead. He took the time to understand my brother and realized that giving him water on the way to the classroom helped him adjust to the transition of home to school. The other parents quickly caught on and found success in similar ways. The teachers were amazed and ended up learning many valuable lessons from my father for the next five years or so. At the same time, I was learning more about children and disabilities on the regular. I would interact with my brother, his classmates, kids of family friends we know, and children I watched during my Summer Fun days. From this, I learned that no matter if someone is neurodivergent or neurotypical, everyone is learns and processes differently. For example, a teacher may need to explain an activity through visuals and verbally instead of just verbal instructions. Or a child with an intellectual disability may need a different analogy to understand how to play basketball. My father has spent a significant amount of his time helping my brother, whether it was school or socializing. He struggled with socializing the most. His brain could process solid facts, but socialization was more complicated and therefore was harder for him to understand. With time, he became a bright, athletic, happy kid who now has friends coming to his pool birthday party to play with water gun, pool noodles, and inflatables. From my father's example and my pursuit to help people, it led me to my volunteer job of three years at the City and County of Honolulu's Summer Fun Program. As a volunteer, to put it simply, I assisted my assigned group leader with activities, watching children, and minor staff tasks. My passion for children flourished through this program, especially my last year of volunteering at a different location. My communication skills, patience, and hard-work ethic grew significantly and led to me taking on a paid role in their program, where I continued to learn this past summer. It was much harder with many more responsibilities, but I love how it kept me on my toes! I have experiences under my belt since I was at least eight years old. It is a huge part of my life and something that drives me everyday.