The best teachers are those who show you where to look but don’t tell you what to see. – Alexandra K. Trenfor – Teachers are vital because they not only impart knowledge and instill a love of learning, but they inspire future generations. They guide and give us direction that will ultimately lead us to find out who we will become when we leave high school. It wasn't until experiencing the impact of teachers in my own life that I decided that I wanted a part in inspiring the next generation. As a future teacher, my goal is to empower students to pursue excellence in every area of their life. I want students to know that there are no limitations in their lives that will hold them back from achieving greatness. While limitations can delay and create detours, the final destination is greatness if you hold the correct mindset and work ethic. I grew up in a low-income household and worried that I wouldn’t be able to get where I wanted to because of it. It was a false narrative that I had absorbed from the people around me who resorted to playing victim. As a teacher, I always want to be the one to speak life into my students' lives, demonstrating their potential through the power of encouragement and belief. I plan to accomplish this by recognizing and accommodating students' emotional, mental, and physical needs so that every student can be successful no matter their current circumstances. I want kids to know that someone’s sees, hears, and cares about them because many kids go through life without that. My goal through teaching is to continually challenge common thought and dive deeper to transform the limitations placed on my students as well as the limitations they have placed on themselves. Teachers can positively shift the direction of a generation and I believe that I am called to do just that. I am planning to major in education at Charleston Southern University. Through the help of this scholarship, I will be able to pursue my passion for teaching. I am so very thankful for your consideration for this scholarship honoring Selma Luna.