“Why do you want to work with deaf kids and in a special education classroom? “What drove you to want to do that?” These are the questions I'm asked frequently when I tell people about my career aspirations. I usually answer with something along the lines of “I love seeing kids grow and helping them achieve their goals.” While this is true, I think working with deaf and hard-of-hearing kids is always something I was destined to do. Growing up, my favorite movie was The Little Mermaid. I would watch it over and over and over again, so much so that the DVD would become scratched. I loved that Ariel was different than the other princesses, and had to adapt to her new life without a voice. I also fell in love with the episode “Wish Upon a Starfish” of The Little Mermaid series, which showcases a deaf mermaid, Gabriella. In middle school, all of my friends were participating in sports or hanging out with their friends after school. Meanwhile, I was in the ASL club and spending my free time after school teaching myself Sign Language and poorly signing along to my favorite songs. My drive and love for advocacy have only grown stronger as I mature. Every child has the right to a quality education. My determination, advocacy, and love for children are my driving forces for continuing my education. I strive to become the best teacher I can be to best serve the students in my classroom and community. Over the past year, working as a paraprofessional in a self-contained classroom, I have witnessed these children grow exponentially, not only in their academic skills but also in their emotional intelligence and self-control. It is the most beautiful thing to watch them grow and help them to become the best they can be. My limited knowledge of ASL came in handy when working with a non-verbal girl on the autism spectrum in class. While she received RBT services and Speech therapy both in and outside the classroom, I attempted to incorporate as many basic signs as possible into the classroom to provide her with the means of communication she deserved. After about three months with us, one day during her Speech session, she started verbalizing and signing together. She was prompted with full sentences such as "I want more bubbles, please," instead of only signing "more" and verbalizing "bubbles". I have worked with kids on and off since I first started at a daycare when I was 18. I have seen lots of children grow and hit that "Aha!" lightbulb moment. This was one of my favorite moments. Watching her go from almost completely non-verbal and only saying a few words, to asking for what she wants in full sentences, a few months later, was truly inspiring. It made me cry. I like to think that my role in the classroom and working with her helped her reach that milestone. I consider myself very lucky to have been paired with the teacher I am with, as she has taken me in and guided me in the world of special education. This guidance and support from her and my administration team only make my determination stronger. Whether I pursue my degree at Flagler College or Lake Sumter State College, I will use my assets to better myself as an educator and an advocate for deaf students and students with special needs. Ultimately, this scholarship would not only be an investment in my future but in the future of the countless students I will one day educate in our community.

As an educator, I would like to believe I have made a positive impact on all the children I have worked with. One scenario that stands out is this past year during my time as a paraprofessional in a special needs classroom. I have always been interested in learning American Sign Language (ASL) and working with Deaf individuals. My limited knowledge of ASL came in handy when working with a non-verbal girl on the autism spectrum in our class. While she was getting RBT services and Speech therapy both in and outside of the classroom, I tried to incorporate as many basic signs as I could into the classroom to give her the means of communication she deserved. After about two or three months with us, one day during her Speech session, she started verbalizing and signing as she was talking. She was prompted with full sentences such as "I want more bubbles, please," instead of just signing "more" and verbalizing "bubbles". I have worked with kids on and off through the years since I first started at a daycare when I was 18. I have seen lots of children grow and hit that "Aha!" lightbulb moment. I think this was one of my favorite moments. Watching her go from almost completely non-verbal and only saying a few words, to asking for what she wants in full sentences, a few months later, was truly inspiring. I like to think that my role in the classroom and working with her helped her reach that milestone. I plan to major in either Elementary/Early Childhood Special Education or Deaf Education. If I could change anything in education, it would be the resources and support our students receive. Whether general education or special education, I believe there are so many good and well-deserved resources and tools that classrooms are lacking. Some of those resources are sensory equipment like trampolines and fidget toys, affordable therapies (Speech, OT, PT, Food therapy), and even play equipment for Preschool and Kindergarten classrooms. Kindergarten has become the new Second grade. Kids are expected to go into Kindergarten knowing their alphabet letters and sounds and be ready to write full sentences a few months later. Studies have shown that kids learn best from play and that most of their brain development happens before age five. If children are not given the opportunity to learn from play in centers in the classroom, such as dramatic play and blocks, they will have an even harder time regulating themselves in a higher classroom setting. I would love to see Kindergarten teachers and all grades incorporate more play into the classroom. Kids need to see your fun side too, we are all human and need to let out our silly side. It gives kids the reality of emotions. Adults are people too, we can play and be silly, be serious when it is time to do work, and have emotions just like they do. I think if schools had a designated sensory room not only for exceptional student education classrooms but for all students, grades, and learning would improve. I believe all of the teachers I have had in the past have shaped and guided me to be the teacher I am today. They have all shaped me in one way or another by teaching me how to be a kind, caring, and driven individual. Even the teachers I did not particularly get along with, or the classes I did not enjoy, have helped me to be on the path I am today by making me work harder for the grades I wanted and knew I deserved. If I had to narrow it down, I could give you my top three teachers. Mrs. Amy Inkmann, 3rd Grade, Mrs. Mary Stodola, 5th Grade, and Ms. Jessica Flitter, AP Psychology. In third grade, I remember being the shy kid, afraid of asking for help or being wrong. Mrs. Inkmann took notice of this and made a point to explain things very thoroughly with no judgment to the entire class, so as not to single me or anyone else out. Her classroom was always filled with smiles and laughter. She made a point to build a connection with every student and make the classroom feel like home. I remember being so sad when she left for maternity leave because we would not see her for such a long time. Fifth grade was especially hard for me. Not only academically, but socially as well. In fifth grade, kids are hitting that pre-teen stage and can be so mean. Shortly after the school year started, I had some previous medical procedures, related to being born micro-preemie, that caused complications that required major surgery on my skull and my head to be shaved. On top of the incredible amount of fear and anxiety I had over the surgery, I was also faced with a change in my family dynamic at home that year. I had to return to school with no hair and a nasty scar stapled shut from ear to ear across my head. Mrs. Stodola was so kind to let my mom come in and talk to my class and inform them of what was going on before the procedure. She was very accommodating as my scar healed and I needed to take breaks to care for it. Mrs. Stodola and the administration went out of their way to inform the other grade-level teachers of the situation, and when I returned, I was showered with love and support from my peers and even younger students. In the junior year of high school, I took the leap and decided to take Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology. Before enrolling in the class, I discussed the course content with Ms. Flitter, as I was a B-C average student, and taking an AP class sounded like it would be a lot of work. While the class covered half the content as the general curriculum class, the material was more in-depth, and we covered it a lot faster. Ms. Flitter assured me that I could handle the content and pushed me to take the leap and try it, even if I didn’t take the exam at the end of the year. I am not a morning person, but Ms. Flitter made the class so interesting and related all of the content to real-life experiences; having it in first period helped break my tardy streak. Overall, I have had countless teachers, mentors, counselors, and supervisors who have helped me become the educator and person I am today, and I could not be more grateful. I am excited to share the love for learning that they have instilled in me with the next generation of learners. Ultimately, this scholarship would not only be an investment in my future but in the future of the countless students I will one day educate in our community and beyond.

An adversity that I have faced is my impostor syndrome and my fear of failure. While these are still obstacles I face from time to time, I have come to acknowledge and validate my feelings and find coping skills to work through them. I am actively working to overcome this by focusing on my progress and celebrating the small victories, especially when it comes to my education. Since I took a few years off after high school, all of my friends and peers have graduated with their Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. It has taken a lot of resilience to continue in my journey of finding the right major and career path for me, even when I feel “behind” everyone else. Growing up, I always knew I wanted to work with children. I was in love with the idea of advocacy and was fascinated by American Sign Language (ASL). My future goals are centered on becoming a highly effective and compassionate educator, specifically with Deaf and special needs children in an Elementary or Early Childhood setting. I will do so by obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Deaf Elementary Education from Flagler College or a Bachelor’s in Elementary Special Education from Lake Sumter State College. If awarded this scholarship, it would help ease my worries about paying for school and allow me to better focus on my studies. This scholarship would also help me by allowing me to participate in extracurriculars on campus instead of taking on an additional job to pay for my schooling. I have never been one for the stage or spotlight, as I only participated as part of the stage crew in high school, but I would love to join the theater program. This scholarship would also allow me the freedom to continue in my research in building an accessible playground in Fruitland Park or Leesburg, Florida. While I have only worked as a paraprofessional with special needs children for this past school year, I have truly unlocked my passion and calling in life. I want to help better the community, not only for the students in my care but their families and the community as a whole. While this is a very time-consuming, tedious, and ambitious goal, I am very determined to do everything I can to see it to fruition. These experiences will broaden my perspective and provide practical insights that will undoubtedly enhance my capabilities as an educator and a community advocate. Furthermore, this scholarship would not only allow me to continue to pursue my passions, but it will also help me to maintain my strong academic standing, which will help me in the future should I decide to attend graduate school. Ultimately, this scholarship would not only be an investment in my future but in the future of the countless students I will one day educate in our community and beyond.

I have been affected by many members of the LGBTQIA+ community. I honestly do not think I can narrow it down to just one. Some of the celebrities that have influenced me are Demi Lovato, Lady Gaga, Fletcher, Renee Rapp, Drew Barrymore and so many more. I love how as celebrities in the public eye, they are not afraid to talk about their sexuality and how it impacts the world we live in. They are using their spotlight and voice to address things like LGBT rights and gender-affirming healthcare and that is something I believe in strongly. Celebrities like the ones I have previously mentioned as well as so many more, make me proud of my sexuality and inspire me to stand up for the things I believe in. I plan to march in the Pride parades whenever I can. I also am in the process of volunteering at my local Pride Center. The center helps with people who are struggling with their identity and creates a sense of community in a very conservative older-populated town in Florida. Growing up I was and still am a huge Demi Lovato fan. When they came out as Bi/Queer it gave me a sense of validation. I had come out to some friends as bi at the time but I had not yet come out to my family. Seeing someone I highly admire and someone in the public eye like they are, come out as queer and be shamelessly proud of it really helped me not feel shame about who I am. Demi has always been one to speak their mind and not shy away from what they believe is the right thing. By being so active with so many activism topics on social media it really persuades fans to take a stand and that is really inspiring to me. Every year Demi pushes lots of voting information. Information on how to register to vote, how to find out who your local representatives are, how to find reputable information on the candidates, and spread important information on LGBT related bills on the ballot and changes being made to our rights. Seeing people who have such a large following use their platform for good makes me want to be able to provide a similar space for my students. I am on my path to becoming an Elementary teacher. I want to be able to create a safe and nurturing classroom for my students even from a young age. I will fight for my right to be able to read the books I chose in my classroom and show inclusivity within my learning space. Being in Florida, especially in an education space, things are very scary and people are losing their jobs over supporting children. This is what I want to fight to change because every child deserves to feel secure and supported.