The technology that inspires me is the promethean board, while working in a special education classroom I was able to see firsthand how adaptive technology could help bridge the gap between struggling learners and system that was not made to fit them. The promethean used integrated software to assist with gathering writing samples from disengaged students, it assisted with a sensory component for our easily stimulated kiddos, perfect for student engagement and productivity. In all my years attending school and working in one I had never seen a single piece of technology utilized so well, even maintaining a social skills impact through group participation, something that is relatively impossible with an ipad. One great feature is because the promethean works off a projector you are able to project images for kids to trace for art or use adaptive games that the kids and use Infront off the whole class. Overall, the promethean is a way to use tech and not have kids sitting by themselves at their desks, if you have not been in a classroom with a promethean board, you have definitely missed out, it is interactive, fun and easy to use.

Gowing up with non-English speaking parents, you grow up very quickly. What many people do not understand is for many Hispanic females’ college is one of the only ways to force people to acknowledge your skills and talents. The males in my household often told me my focus should be less on school and more on improving my chances of being married. I would often have to find time to do my classwork after all the housework had been done and my younger siblings attended to. Women were seen as powerless in my household, if I wanted a chance at a better life I would have to cook well and clean well and merry well. At first, I didn’t question this reality, it was the reality that I was taught, but after watching my grandma for a while I noticed she was much smarter than my grandpa, she learned things quickly and worked harder than he did, she learned English before he even decided to try. My grandma never had the opportunity to go to school past a few years in elementary, this was common in the pueblito she grew up in, if given the chance she could have been so much more then what she was forced to be. I did not attend college consistently right after high school, instead I tried to follow what I was taught to do, but that was wrong. I want to go to school and gain the knowledge needed to ensure that people like my grandma who are brave, and intelligent, and willing; are given every opportunity available. Opportunities that can change their lives past the box our culture forces them into, whether it be through education, social work, or political education, I will ensure the Mexican American community grows into an amazing and successful community. Education is important to everyone, through education we have the power to change lives and really make an impact in this world.

Life has prepared me for success by giving me a very clear picture of what needs to change as well as the motivation and work ethic to make those changes. Growing up with very little money, and multiple diagnosis I learned a lot about how the world treat people it views as less than. I learned that some people would need to work harder to be successful. These lessons taught me that I need to work as hard as possible so in the future others like me will not have to work so hard, every step I take in the right direction lessons the steps for each person behind me. My life and struggles have set me up for success the same way the ground materializes a diamond, through intense pressure. Although not a pleasant experience the outcomes are the same, resilience. My personal definition of success is me graduating school not only motivating my community to follow in my footsteps but also working in a profession that allows me to help the most people. I want to get up everyday and know with an absolutely certainty that the day is better because I got up. I want to look around and see the community a better place because of my efforts, to be successful is to have the understanding that people are here to help one another and have the capacity to make an impact on social detriments to health. In 20 years I see myself working at a school either as a teacher or social worker, working predominantly with low income or neurodiverse children, this is where my passion is and the place I feel I can provide the most good, my goal is not flashy and it wont make me wealthy but neither of those attributes really match with my definition of success anyway.