My interest in becoming an educator stems from the passion for teaching I have held with me throughout my life. As young as six years old, I knew I wanted to be an educator. I was always excited to attend school and be in an environment where I was able to learn and feel welcomed. What arose from the inspiration of my former teachers was the urge to give back to the community that was such a monumental part of my life by passing on the kindness that was shown to me. I hope to see my dedication to the development of young adolescents aid in my journey toward my education and my career. Throughout high school, I have had the opportunity to work in my previous elementary school teachers’ classrooms observing and taking notes on how they teach. Working with students from preschool to fifth grade has given me experience in tackling situations with different approaches. Overall, this has shown me that educating and getting to see the students learn can be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. I hope to continue volunteering my time to work with children, and I know this program will provide me with new opportunities to do so. Although the experience I have gained has been invaluable, a tremendous part of my interest in teaching is being able to obtain more familiarity in a hands-on learning environment. Throughout our lives, certain events or people can leave an incredible impact on us, guiding us to our future. For me, one experience was my involvement in volunteering in my town. Volunteering has helped me achieve my goals of giving back to my community. I moved to Front Royal when I was five and this town has shaped how I perceive myself and the environment around me. The landscapes and natural features are one of my favorite things about this town, but so is connecting with my community. Volunteering here has impacted me in many ways and has given me so many opportunities to connect with my community. As a teenager, I was eager to give back to my community and I wanted to make a positive impact on others. Apart from volunteering with the younger kids, I have also been volunteering for a program called Dinner Together. This program allows us to prepare hot meals for people in need four days a week. Interacting with individuals who could be facing homelessness or challenges in our town has opened my eyes to the harsh realities of poverty. Listening to their stories has given me a new perspective of empathy and compassion. Even though some of these people have faced unimaginable hardships, they still greeted me with a warm smile. Their stories have touched my heart and allowed me to form a stronger community. My experience with volunteering at a place that provides for the less fortunate has been incredibly humbling and has deepened my empathy for others. My engagement through various volunteer opportunities not only allowed me to follow my passion of helping others, but has helped me gain invaluable insights into the issues in my community and the importance of having empathy for others. As I reflect on my volunteering experiences, the path I have chosen aligns with my passion for helping others. Volunteering has played a significant role in fostering my personal growth and self-discovery.

My interest in becoming an elementary school teacher stems from the passion for teaching I have held with me throughout my life. As young as six years old, I knew I wanted to be an educator. I was always excited to attend school and be in an environment where I was able to learn and feel loved. What arose from the inspiration of my former teachers was the urge to give back to the community that was such a monumental part of my life by passing on the kindness that was shown to me. I hope to see my dedication to the development of young adolescents aid in my journey toward not only a teaching position, but into making an impact on them. Throughout high school, I have had the opportunity to work in my previous elementary school teachers’ classrooms observing and taking notes on how they teach. Working with students from preschool to fifth grade has given me experience with tackling situations with different approaches. Overall, this has shown me that educating and getting to see the students learn can be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. I hope to continue volunteering my time to work with children, and I know teaching will provide me with new opportunities to do so. Although the experience I have gotten has helped, a tremendous part of my interest in teaching is being able to obtain more familiarity in a hands-on learning environment, so I can teach effectively. Another main reason for my interest is the outlet of creativity that I will have once I become a teacher. In order to be a good teacher, one must be creative and be able to present unique perspectives to enhance learning. My ambitions and commitment to being an effective educator will enrich the learning community in various ways. The positive attitude that accompanies my presence will allow me to connect with my peers, advisors, and professors. Being engaged and creating strong bonds is extremely crucial for enabling a shared learning community. An educator should be patient, engaging, motivated, creative, and empathetic to succeed in their career. The fact that I carry these specific characteristics, I know I have what it takes to succeed in becoming an effective teacher. Given the critical demand for teachers in the United States, we are in need of more teachers who are dedicated to taking on the task of developing young adolescents into kind, thoughtful, and hardworking people. Now more than ever, children are in need of support and reassurance. This is because of an increase in diversity, parent expectations, and change in family structures. The support can come in many forms, including skill development, motivation, role modeling, and academic guidance. Based on my own experience, I know how much these things can mean to a student. Teachers are some of the first role models in a child’s life, and we need more of them who can guide them to a successful future. Teaching will teach me how to create a positive and safe environment, encourage curiosity, and connect them to the real world.

My drive to becoming an educator stems from the passion for teaching I have held with me throughout my life. As young as six years old, I knew I wanted to be an educator. I was always excited to attend school and be in an environment where I was able to learn and feel welcomed. What arose from the inspiration of my former teachers was the urge to give back to the community that was such a monumental part of my life by passing on the kindness that was shown to me. I hope to see my dedication to the development of young adolescents aid in my journey toward not only a teaching position, but into making the world a better place. Throughout high school, I have had the opportunity to work in my previous elementary school teachers’ classrooms observing and taking notes on how they teach. Working with students from preschool to fifth grade has given me experience in tackling situations with different approaches. Overall, this has shown me that educating and getting to see the students learn can be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. I hope to continue volunteering my time to work with children, and I know teaching will provide me with new opportunities to do so. Although the experience I have gained has been invaluable, a tremendous part of the drive I have comes from being able to obtain more familiarity in a hands-on learning environment. Another main reason for my interest is the outlet of creativity that I will have once I become a teacher. To be a good teacher, one must be creative and be able to present unique perspectives to enhance learning. My ambition and commitment to becoming an effective educator will enrich our learning community. My positive attitude will help forge strong connections with peers, advisors, and professors of my college, which is crucial for a thriving learning environment. My positive attitude will allow me to connect with my peers, advisors, and professors. Being engaged and creating strong bonds is extremely crucial for enabling a shared learning community. I want to be able to shape ideas for my future role as an educator. An educator should be patient, engaging, motivated, creative, and empathetic to succeed in their career. I believe that I have these qualities and I am confident that I have what it takes to succeed in becoming an influential teacher. Given the critical demand for teachers in the United States, we are in need of more teachers who are dedicated to taking on the task of developing young adolescents into kind, thoughtful, and hardworking people. It takes a special person to have a strong passion for wanting to and being able to work with kids. Now more than ever, children are in need of support and reassurance and I want to be able to provide that to my students. Teachers are often first role models in a child’s life, and we need more of them who can guide the students and build a foundation for their future.

Having mental health illnesses while being a full-time student and a part-time worker can be very challenging. Even though my mental illnesses are not curable, they are treatable. Every day I push harder and harder to do better for myself and everyone else around me. Many people my age suffer from the same illnesses as me like depression and anxiety. I know I am not alone in this, so I need to keep pushing and be strong for other people who may need a role model. Having these illnesses take a toll on my everyday life. At times it can become hard to even wake up in the morning, go to work right after school, eat dinner, focus on my school work, and just do normal daily things like brushing my teeth. I use my future as motivation to keep going. I want to pursue a career in elementary school education. Given the critical demand for teachers in the United States, we are in need of more teachers who are dedicated to taking on the task of developing young adolescents into kind, thoughtful, and hardworking people. I am a straight A student, which means I spend a lot of time on school work, studying, and redoing things I need to even if I am exhausted. Even though I do not have much alone time because I am either at school, work, volunteering, or doing chores I still set aside alone time. Having more bad days than good, made me realize that I need to prioritize myself and even on my busiest days still make time for me. Even if it is as little as doing some self-care, writing, reading a book, cleaning my room, listening to music, or going on a walk I know this is what is good for my mental health. Before I realized this I would sit in my bed at night and listen to sad songs and I knew this made me worse, so I made a change. My mental health affects my personal life though on a whole other level. My relationships with my family can be tough. I feel like it is hard for them to understand me. At times I feel like a burden and it makes me overthink everything. I lost almost all of my friends, and I always blamed my mental health. Sometimes it is hard to think about how I will live with depression forever, but I am learning to understand that I am more than just my mental illnesses. Having depression and anxiety is not just who I am. I am still a good, hardworking, and nice person. I wake up everyday, go to school, manage straight A's, take extra college classes while still in high school, go to work, and then come home, make myself dinner, and do homework. Even though it is very challenging, I can do it.

As young as six, I knew I wanted to be an educator, and I have held onto that passion for teaching throughout my life. I was always excited to attend school and be in an environment where I was able to learn and feel welcomed. The kindness that my teachers showed me was such a monumental part of my life that I believe it is the reason I want to be a teacher myself. I want to give back to the community by passing on the kindness that was shown to me. An educator should be patient, engaging, motivated, empathetic, and willing to learn to succeed in their career. I believe that I have these qualities, and I am confident that I have what it takes to succeed in becoming an influential teacher. Given the critical demand for teachers in the United States, we are in need of more teachers who are dedicated to taking on the task of developing young adolescents into kind, thoughtful, and hardworking people. Now more than ever, children are in need of support and reassurance. This is because of an increase in diversity, parent expectations, and change in family structures. The support can come in many forms, including skill development, motivation, role modeling, and academic guidance. Based on my own experience, I know how much these things can mean to a student. Teachers are some of the first role models in a child’s life, and we need more of them who can guide them to a successful future. I have had many teachers that have left an impact on my life, but one specifically would be my third grade teacher. She pushed me even when times got hard. She was there for me when I was struggling with issues at home. She encouraged me to do my best on everything that I did. Even though I am a senior now in high school and I am still able to keep in touch with her. She saw how much I loved working with my classmates, so she would allow me to do one-on-one activities with them to help with whatever they needed. She is one of the biggest reasons why I began volunteering in elementary schools and tutoring after school. The everlasting impact she had one me encouraged me to help others. My interest stems from the education I have had and my dedication to giving back.

Into the wild would be the name of this new chapter in my life. It is a book I read in my English 111 and 112 class in my junior year. My professor related into the wild about us going off into the wild and doing things on our own. Preparing for college, applying for scholarships, volunteering, and working is me going into the wild. Even though this chapter of my life can get overwhelming because it is setting up my future it is still important to me. It is important to reflect on my goals, embrace the unknown, and stay open to growth. Into the wild also fits the title for choosing my career choice. I am deciding to become an elementary school teacher and that is me going off into the wild because of the unknown. Making big decisions for our future is us going into the wild alone. Given the critical demand for teachers in the United States, we are in need of more teachers who are dedicated to taking on the task of developing young adolescents into kind, thoughtful, and hardworking people. Now more than ever, children are in need of support and reassurance. This is because of an increase in diversity, parent expectations, and change in family structures. The support can come in many forms, including skill development, motivation, role modeling, and academic guidance. Based on my own experience, I know how much these things can mean to a student. Teachers are some of the first role models in a child’s life, and we need more of them who can guide them to a successful future. As young as six, I knew I wanted to be an educator, and I have held onto that passion for teaching throughout my life. I was always excited to attend school and be in an environment where I was able to learn and feel welcomed. The kindness that my teachers showed me was such a monumental part of my life that I believe it is the reason I want to be a teacher myself. I want to give back to the community by passing on the kindness that was shown to me. My dedication to the development of young adolescents will not only aid in my journey toward a career but a successful trip into the wild. While going off into the wild during this chapter I have to stay positive and savor all the moments along the way.

As young as six, I knew I wanted to be an educator, and I have held onto that passion for teaching throughout my life. I was always excited to attend school and be in an environment where I was able to learn and feel welcomed. The kindness that my teachers showed me was such a monumental part of my life that I believe it is the reason I want to be a teacher myself. II want to give back to the community by passing on the kindness that was shown to me. My dedication to the development of young adolescents will not only aid in my journey for my career but in inspiring my students as well. Given the critical demand for teachers in the United States, we are in need of more teachers who are dedicated to taking on the task of developing young adolescents into kind, thoughtful, and hardworking people. Now more than ever, children are in need of support and reassurance. This is because of an increase in diversity, parent expectations, and change in family structures. The support can come in many forms, including skill development, motivation, role modeling, and academic guidance. Based on my own experience, I know how much these things can mean to a student. Teachers are some of the first role models in a child’s life, and we need more of them who can guide them to a successful future. I can inspire my students to be engaging, communicate, share, and be kind. I would be able to plan engaging lessons, group discussions, and diverse learning styles. Our children deserve a great future and in order to do that they need teachers who will inspire them to become their best self. Sharing my own stories and experiences with my students and it will inspire them. This will foster a sense of collaboration within the learning community.

As young as six, I knew I wanted to be an educator, and I have held onto that passion for teaching throughout my life. I was always excited to attend school and be in an environment where I was able to learn and feel welcomed. The kindness that my teachers showed me was such a monumental part of my life that I believe it is the reason I want to be a teacher myself. I want to give back to the community by passing on the kindness that was shown to me. My dedication to the development of young adolescents will provide me with a college education. Throughout high school, I have had the opportunity to work in my previous elementary school teachers’ classrooms, observing and taking notes on how they teach. Working with students from preschool through fifth grade and tutoring has given me experience in tackling situations with creative approaches. Overall, this has shown me that educating and getting to see the students learn can be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. I hope to continue volunteering my time to work with children, and I know this program will provide me new opportunities to do so. Although the experience I have gained has been invaluable, a tremendous part of my interest has been impacted by my father. My father is one of the most hardworking people I have ever met. He continues to wake up early every single day and provide for his family. He works even off the clock to make sure he is caught up on his work. He goes above and beyond for everyone in his life. He has impacted my mindset so much, for he has a strong work ethic. Even though my father hasn’t gone to college, he is still the vice president of his inspiration plumbing company and thriving in his job. He has worked since a very young age which has inspired me to be the first in my family to get a college degree and pursue my dream career. There are so many reasons why my dad has inspired me to become a teacher. Teachers are important and I want to be important to others just like my father is to me. Given the critical demand for teachers in the United States, we are in need of more teachers who are dedicated to taking on the task of developing young adolescents into kind, thoughtful, and hardworking people. Now more than ever, children are in need of support and reassurance. This is because of an increase in diversity, parent expectations, and change in family structures. The support can come in many forms, including skill development, motivation, role modeling, and academic guidance. Based on my own experience, I know how much these things can mean to a student. Teachers are some of the first role models in a child’s life, and we need more of them who can guide them to a successful future.

Every community needs more civic engagement. Since I have a strong passion for becoming an elementary school teacher, I volunteer a lot of time working with kids. Every kid could use someone extra in their life to lean on and get support from. I am in the National Honor Society and childhood classes in my high school, so I have the opportunity to choose things I want to do for community service. I chose to go to elementary schools to work one-on-one with the students because I enjoy working with them. I go in the hallways and practice their sight words, go to lunch with them, and spend time helping with their work. love seeing the light in their eyes when they understand something. Outside of school community service hours and my days off work--there is a church in my community where I help organize free events for the community and people in need. For example, there is an event coming up soon where we will give out free jackets, blankets, socks, and shoes to people in need. As well as dinners. Another thing I do is volunteer at a thrift shop called "Pick of the Litter." This thrift shop gives 100% of its proceeds to our local Humane Society to help the animals. I price items, sort through the donations, and place them on the shelves. Another church I volunteer at is also a preschool. I help by setting up their events, making and preparing food, and working with the kids. I also have two kids I tutor a week at my public library, a first and second grader. I plan to continue volunteering as much of my time as I can to help my community. I hope to plan more events and make an impact on more kids' lives. I am very excited to pursue a career in elementary education. I hope to get more younger kids involved in civic engagement. There are many things I could plan with them. An example would be planting plants and flowers outside of the school, and then giving them to people around the community. Youth civic engagement is very important and beneficial. It will teach them the importance of helping others, social skills, and respect, and it will show them a sense of empowerment. At a young age, I discovered my passion for teaching. We had a career day in first grade and I wore my dress shoes, put a lanyard around my neck, and had a clipboard in my hand. I was trying to look like my teacher. I have always gotten to help kids around my school because I was in the honor society in elementary school. I loved doing it--the spark in their eyes when they learned something made my heart so happy. I could not wait to have my classroom full of kids that I could leave an impact on. Being one of the first adults in their lives to be able to leave an impact on them, I wanted them to look up to me. I went around to classrooms helping the teachers clean up, prepare snacks, read, etc. I could not wait to have my classroom decorated. I want a safe and fun classroom, for all my elementary school teachers had one. My short-term goal is to finish high school with 30 more hours of volunteer and take the one more class I need in my community college for my one-year associate's degree. My long-term goal is to get accepted into James Madison University and pursue my dream career.

Having mental health illness while being a full-time student and a part-time worker can be very challenging. Even though my mental illnesses are not curable, they are treatable. Every day I push harder and harder to do better for myself and everyone else around me. Many people my age suffer from the same illnesses as me like depression and anxiety. I know I am not alone in this, so I need to keep pushing and be strong for other people who may need a role model. Having these illnesses takes a toll on my everyday life. At times it can become hard to even wake up in the morning, go to work right after school, eat dinner, focus on my school work, and just do normal daily things like brushing my teeth. I use my future as motivation to keep going. I want to pursue a career in elementary school education. If I stop now, I will never get there. I am a straight A student, which means I spend a lot of time on school work, studying, and redoing things I need to even if I am exhausted. Even though I do not have much alone time because I am either at school, work, volunteering, or doing chores I still set aside alone time. Having more bad days then good, made me realize that I need to prioritize myself and even on my busiest days still make time for me. Even if it is as little as doing some self-care, writing, reading a book, cleaning my room, listening to music, or going on a walk I know this is what is good for my mental health. Before I realized this I would sit in my bed at night and listen to sad songs and I knew this made me worse, so I made a change. My mental health affects my personal life though on a whole other level. My relationships with my family can be tough. I feel like it is hard for them to understand me. At times I feel like a burden and it makes me overthink everything. I lost almost all of my friends, and I always blamed my mental health. Sometimes it is hard to think about how I will live with depression forever, but I am learning to understand that I am more than just my mental health. Having depression and anxiety is not just who I am. I am still a good, hardworking, and nice person. I wake up everyday, go to school, manage straight A's, take extra college classes, go to work, and then come home, make myself dinner, and do homework. Even though it is very challenging, I can do it.

Growing up in a generation where the world is not such a nice place anymore, and the hate and crime continue to grow is scary. At a young age, I moved to a small town Front Royal, Virginia. My parents did this because where I used to live wasn’t safe and they were nervous. I am so thankful they moved me here. When I was in first grade I discovered my passion for becoming a teacher. My love for teaching has never changed. I knew my community needed someone to be there for the kids, so ever since I have volunteered my time. My passion for teaching has grown more and more every time I meet a new kid. I am in the National Honor Society at my high school. This means we need 20 hours of community service by the end of each school year. I have decided to put my time into helping children and give back to the teachers who inspired me to teach. I went to my childhood elementary school and spent lots of hours in different grade levels. I had the privilege of working in my first-grade teacher's classroom. She is now a kindergarten teacher. She allowed me to work one-on-one with her students outside in the hallway. We read books, worked on their classwork, and practiced their sight words. It was so much fun finding new ways to help each kid remember different things. There are many other things I have done to change my community. There is a thrift shop in my town, and it is called Pick of the Litter. 100% of their process goes to the local Humane Society. I volunteer some of my time there by helping sort through donations, price items, and stock them on shelves. I think this is such a good way to help animals in need. Another thing I have done is for a church that is also a preschool. I have helped prepare and make food, set up and make things for events, and socialize with the kids. This has been such a good way to add to my experience with kids. On top of that, I have tutored kindergarten and first graders at my local library weekly. This is one of my favorite things I have done because I got to buy them snacks and prizes and make up fun things for them to do. I love seeing a light in their eyes when they learn new things. One last thing I will be doing in the future for another church is help plan a free event for people in need. We will collect jackets, socks, shoes, and blankets for people in need. We will also prepare a free hot meal for them. I am very pleased to be a part of such a great community. Every community needs more civic engagement, and I know I can continue to help. I also know every single thing I do will leave an impact on someone.

I am a senior at Skyline High School in Virginia. I am a straight-A student, I am in the National Honor Society, and I take childhood classes at my school. I am a hardworking and independent student. I have the opportunity to choose things I want to do for community service because I need 20 hours by the end of each school year. I chose to go to elementary schools to work one-on-one with the students because I enjoy working with them. I go in the hallways and practice their sight words, go to lunch with them, and spend time helping with their work. I love seeing the light in their eyes when they understand something. I want to be someone that the kids look up to, so I have done over 15 hours recently there. Outside of school community service hours and my days off work--I volunteer at a church in my community. My dedication to helping others shows my value of dedication and caring. I help organize free events for the community and people in need. For example, an event is coming up soon where we will give out free jackets, blankets, socks, and shoes to people in need. As well as dinners. Another thing I do is volunteer at a thrift shop called "Pick of the Litter." This thrift shop gives 100% of its proceeds to our local Humane Society to help the animals. I price items, sort through the donations, and place them on the shelves. Another church I volunteer at is also a preschool. I help by setting up their events, making and preparing food, and working with the kids. I also have two kids I tutor a week at my public library, a first and second grader. We work on their homework and phonics. At a very young age, I realized I had a strong passion for wanting to become a teacher. In first grade, we had a career day. We dressed up as our dream career. I wore my dress shoes, put a lanyard around my neck, and had a clipboard in my hand. I was trying to look like my teacher. I have always gotten to help kids around my school because I was in the honor society in elementary school. I loved doing it--the spark in their eyes when they learned something made my heart so happy. I could not wait to have my classroom full of kids that I could leave an impact on. Being one of the first adults in their lives to be able to leave an impact on them, I wanted them to look up to me. I went around to classrooms helping the teachers clean up, prepare snacks, read, etc. I could not wait to have my classroom decorated. I want a safe and fun classroom, for all my elementary school teachers had one. My short-term goal is to finish high school with 30 more hours of volunteer and take the one more class I need in my community college for my one-year associate's degree. My long-term goal is get accepted into James Madison University and pursue my dream career.

Having mental health illness while being a full-time student and a part-time worker can be very challenging. Even though my mental illnesses are not curable, they are treatable. Every day I push harder and harder to do better for myself and everyone else around me. Many people my age suffer from the same illnesses as me like depression and anxiety. I know I am not alone in this, so I need to keep pushing and be strong for other people who may need a role model. Having these illnesses takes a toll on my everyday life. At times it can become hard to even wake up in the morning, go to work right after school, eat dinner, focus on my school work, and just do normal daily things like brushing my teeth. I use my future as motivation to keep going. I want to pursue a career in elementary school education. If I stop now, I will never get there. I am a straight-A student, which means I spend a lot of time on schoolwork, studying, and redoing things I need to even if I am exhausted. Even though I do not have much alone time because I am either at school, work, volunteering, or doing chores I still set aside alone time. Having more bad days than good, made me realize that I need to prioritize myself and even on my busiest days still make time for myself. Even if it is as little as doing some self-care, writing, reading a book, cleaning my room, listening to music, or going on a walk I know this is what is good for my mental health. Before I realized this I would sit in my bed at night and listen to sad songs and I knew this made me worse, so I made a change. My mental health affects my personal life though on a whole other level. My relationships with my family can be tough. Making friends is ever harder. I feel like it is hard for them to understand me or that they are lying to me. At times I feel like a burden and it makes me overthink everything. I lost almost all of my friends, and I always blamed my mental health. Sometimes it is hard to think about how I will live with depression forever, but I am learning to understand that I am more than just my mental health. Having depression and anxiety is not just who I am. I am still a good, hardworking, and nice person. I wake up every day, go to school, manage straight A's, take extra college classes, go to work, and then come home, make myself dinner, and do homework. Even though it is very challenging, I can do it.

I am a senior at Skyline High School in Virginia. I am a straight-A student, I am in the National Honor Society, and I take childhood classes at my school. I also take college classes to get my 1-year before going into my 4-year university. I have the opportunity to choose things I want to do for community service because I need 20 hours by the end of each school year. I chose to go to elementary schools to work one-on-one with the students because I enjoy working with them. I go in the hallways and practice their sight words, go to lunch with them, and spend time helping with their work. love seeing the light in their eyes when they understand something. I want to be someone that the kids look up to, so I have done over 15 hours recently there. Outside of school community service hours and my days off work--I volunteer at a church in my community. I help organize free events for the community and people in need. For example, an event is coming up soon where we will give out free jackets, blankets, socks, and shoes to people in need. As well as dinners. Another thing I do is volunteer at a thrift shop called "Pick of the Litter." This thrift shop gives 100% of its proceeds to our local Humane Society to help the animals. I price items, sort through the donations, and place them on the shelves. Another church I volunteer at is also a preschool. I help by setting up their events, making and preparing food, and working with the kids. I also have two kids I tutor a week at my public library, a first and second grader. We work on their homework and phonics. At a very young age, I realized I had a strong passion for wanting to become a teacher. In first grade, we had a career day. We dressed up as our dream career. I wore my dress shoes, put a lanyard around my neck, and had a clipboard in my hand. I was trying to look like my teacher. I have always gotten to help kids around my school because I was in the honor society in elementary school. I loved doing it--the spark in their eyes when they learned something made my heart so happy. I could not wait to have my classroom full of kids that I could leave an impact on. Being one of the first adults in their lives to be able to leave an impact on them, I wanted them to look up to me. I went around to classrooms helping the teachers clean up, prepare snacks, read, etc. I could not wait to have my classroom decorated. I want a safe and fun classroom, for all my elementary school teachers had one. Someone who left a positive impact on me was my first-grade teacher. I wanted to be just like her one day. A fun, loving, caring, and kind teacher. She cared for me and all of my classmates like we were her own. She had a smile on her face all the time and she always knew what to do. 12 years later I still think about her all the time. She is now a kindergarten teacher. She was the teacher of a boy I tutored, so it was cool to see the homework she gave out. It inspired me to come up with ways to teach. I also volunteer in her class and spend the day with her. 12 years later my passion never changed.

I am a senior at Skyline High School in Virginia. I am a straight-A student, I am in the National Honor Society, and I take childhood classes at my school. I also take college classes to get my 1-year before going into my 4-year university. I have the opportunity to choose things I want to do for community service because I need 20 hours by the end of each school year. I chose to go to elementary schools to work one-on-one with the students because I enjoy working with them. I go in the hallways and practice their sight words, go to lunch with them, and spend time helping with their work. love seeing the light in their eyes when they understand something. I want to be someone that the kids look up to, so I have done over 15 hours recently there. Outside of school community service hours and my days off work--I volunteer at a church in my community. I help organize free events for the community and people in need. For example, an event is coming up soon where we will give out free jackets, blankets, socks, and shoes to people in need. As well as dinners. Another thing I do is volunteer at a thrift shop called "Pick of the Litter." This thrift shop gives 100% of its proceeds to our local Humane Society to help the animals. I price items, sort through the donations, and place them on the shelves. Another church I volunteer at is also a preschool. I help by setting up their events, making and preparing food, and working with the kids. I also have two kids I tutor a week at my public library, a first and second grader. We work on their homework and phonics. At a very young age, I realized I had a strong passion for wanting to become a teacher. In first grade, we had a career day. We dressed up as our dream career. I wore my dress shoes, put a lanyard around my neck, and had a clipboard in my hand. I was trying to look like my teacher. I have always gotten to help kids around my school because I was in the honor society in elementary school. I loved doing it--the spark in their eyes when they learned something made my heart so happy. I could not wait to have my classroom full of kids that I could leave an impact on. Being one of the first adults in their lives to be able to leave an impact on them, I wanted them to look up to me. I went around to classrooms helping the teachers clean up, prepare snacks, read, etc. I could not wait to have my classroom decorated. I want a safe and fun classroom, for all my elementary school teachers had one. Someone who left a positive impact on me was my first-grade teacher. I wanted to be just like her one day. A fun, loving, caring, and kind teacher. She cared for me and all of my classmates like we were her own. She had a smile on her face all the time and she always knew what to do. 12 years later I still think about her all the time. She is now a kindergarten teacher. She was the teacher of a boy I tutored, so it was cool to see the homework she gave out. It inspired me to come up with ways to teach. I also volunteer in her class and spend the day with her. 12 years later my passion never changed.

At a very young age, I realized I had a strong passion for wanting to become a teacher. In first grade, we had a career day. We dressed up as our dream career. I wore my dress shoes, put a lanyard around my neck, and had a clipboard in my hand. I was trying to look like my teacher. I have always gotten to help kids around my school because I was in the honor society in elementary school. I loved doing it--the spark in their eyes when they learned something made my heart so happy. I could not wait to have my classroom full of kids that I could leave an impact on. Being one of the first adults in their lives to be able to leave an impact on them, I wanted them to look up to me. I went around to classrooms helping the teachers clean up, prepare snacks, read, etc. I could not wait to have my classroom decorated. I want a safe and fun classroom, for all my elementary school teachers had one. Someone who left a positive impact on me was my first-grade teacher. I wanted to be just like her one day. A fun, loving, caring, and kind teacher. She cared for me and all of my classmates like we were her own. She had a smile on her face all the time and she always knew what to do. 12 years later I still think about her all the time. She is now a kindergarten teacher. She was the teacher of a boy I tutored, so it was cool to see the homework she gave out. It inspired me to come up with ways to teach. I also got to volunteer in her class and spend the day with her. 12 years later my passion never changed. She has shown me my full potential by showing me the impact I can leave on other people. Because of her, I know I can pursue a career in education and will change the world. I have become more confident in my potential because of gaining more experience with kids. My first-grade teacher ahs supported me ever since I was in first grade. I know I can work with kids well and change their lives. Every day I see more of my potential when I think of my first-grade teacher because of how strong she is. I know I can do it too.

I am a senior at Skyline High School in Virginia. I am a straight-A student, I am in the National Honor Society, and I take childhood classes at my school. I plan to finish out my senior year keeping straight A's. I also am taking college classes right now, so that way I can get my 1-year before going into my 4-year university. Then, I will apply to James Madison University as my first choice to pursue a career in elementary education. This scholarship will help me pay for college so that I can leave an impact on my community and their kids. I have the opportunity to choose things I want to do for community service because I need 20 hours by the end of each school year. I chose to go to elementary schools to work one-on-one with the students because I enjoy working with them. I go in the hallways and practice their sight words, go to lunch with them, and spend time helping with their work. love seeing the light in their eyes when they understand something. I want to be someone that the kids look up to, so I have done over 15 hours recently there. Outside of school community service hours and my days off work--I volunteer at a church in my community. I help organize free events for the community and people in need. For example, an event is coming up soon where we will give out free jackets, blankets, socks, and shoes to people in need. As well as dinners. Another thing I do is volunteer at a thrift shop called "Pick of the Litter." This thrift shop gives 100% of its proceeds to our local Humane Society to help the animals. I price items, sort through the donations, and place them on the shelves. Another church I volunteer at is also a preschool. I help by setting up their events, making and preparing food, and working with the kids. I also have two kids I tutor a week at my public library, a first and second grader. We work on their homework and phonics. At a very young age, I realized I had a strong passion for wanting to become a teacher. In first grade, we had a career day. We dressed up as our dream career. I wore my dress shoes, put a lanyard around my neck, and had a clipboard in my hand. I was trying to look like my teacher. I have always gotten to help kids around my school because I was in the honor society in elementary school. I loved doing it--the spark in their eyes when they learned something made my heart so happy. I could not wait to have my classroom full of kids that I could leave an impact on. Being one of the first adults in their lives to be able to leave an impact on them, I wanted them to look up to me. I went around to classrooms helping the teachers clean up, prepare snacks, read, etc. I could not wait to have my classroom decorated. I want a safe and fun classroom, for all my elementary school teachers had one. These contributions impacted me by showing my future at 6 years old. I have been able to volunteer much of my time based on that.

I am a senior at Skyline High School in Virginia. I am a straight-A student, I am in the National Honor Society, and I take childhood classes at my school. I also take college classes to get my 1-year before going into my 4-year university. I have the opportunity to choose things I want to do for community service because I need 20 hours by the end of each school year. I chose to go to elementary schools to work one-on-one with the students because I enjoy working with them. I go in the hallways and practice their sight words, go to lunch with them, and spend time helping with their work. love seeing the light in their eyes when they understand something. I want to be someone that the kids look up to, so I have done over 15 hours recently there. Outside of school community service hours and my days off work--I volunteer at a church in my community. I help organize free events for the community and people in need. For example, an event is coming up soon where we will give out free jackets, blankets, socks, and shoes to people in need. As well as dinners. Another thing I do is volunteer at a thrift shop called "Pick of the Litter." This thrift shop gives 100% of its proceeds to our local Humane Society to help the animals. I price items, sort through the donations, and place them on the shelves. Another church I volunteer at is also a preschool. I help by setting up their events, making and preparing food, and working with the kids. I also have two kids I tutor a week at my public library, a first and second grader. We work on their homework and phonics. At a very young age, I realized I had a strong passion for wanting to become a teacher. In first grade, we had a career day. We dressed up as our dream career. I wore my dress shoes, put a lanyard around my neck, and had a clipboard in my hand. I was trying to look like my teacher. I have always gotten to help kids around my school because I was in the honor society in elementary school. I loved doing it--the spark in their eyes when they learned something made my heart so happy. I could not wait to have my classroom full of kids that I could leave an impact on. Being one of the first adults in their lives to be able to leave an impact on them, I wanted them to look up to me. I went around to classrooms helping the teachers clean up, prepare snacks, read, etc. I could not wait to have my classroom decorated. I want a safe and fun classroom, for all my elementary school teachers had one. Someone who left a positive impact on me was my first-grade teacher. I wanted to be just like her one day. A fun, loving, caring, and kind teacher. She cared for me and all of my classmates like we were her own. She had a smile on her face all the time and she always knew what to do. 12 years later I still think about her all the time. She is now a kindergarten teacher. She was the teacher of a boy I tutored, so it was cool to see the homework she gave out. It inspired me to come up with ways to teach. I also got to volunteer in her class and spend the day with her. 12 years later my passion never changed.

Every community needs more civic engagement. Since I have a strong passion for becoming an elementary school teacher, I volunteer a lot of time working with kids. Every kid could use someone extra in their life to lean on and get support from. I am in the National Honor Society and childhood classes in my high school, so I have the opportunity to choose things I want to do for community service. I chose to go to elementary schools to work one-on-one with the students because I enjoy working with them. I go in the hallways and practice their sight words, go to lunch with them, and spend time helping with their work. love seeing the light in their eyes when they understand something. I want to be someone that the kids look up to, so I have done over 15 hours recently there. Outside of school community service hours and my days off work--there is a church in my community where I help organize free events for the community and people in need. For example, there is an event coming up soon where we will give out free jackets, blankets, socks, and shoes to people in need. As well as dinners. Another thing I do is volunteer at a thrift shop called "Pick of the Litter." This thrift shop gives 100% of its proceeds to our local Humane Society to help the animals. I price items, sort through the donations, and place them on the shelves. Another church I volunteer at is also a preschool. I help by setting up their events, making and preparing food, and working with the kids. I also have two kids I tutor a week at my public library, a first and second grader. We work on their homework and phonics. I plan to continue volunteering as much of my time as I can to help my community. I hope to plan more events and make an impact on more kids' lives. I am very excited to pursue a career in elementary education. I hope to get more younger kids involved in civic engagement. There are many things I could plan with them. An example would be planting plants and flowers outside of the school, and then giving them to people around the community. Youth civic engagement is very important and beneficial. It will teach them the importance of helping others, social skills, and respect, and it will show them a sense of empowerment. Every community needs more civic engagement. If youth engagement increases, it might improve the future community. I plan to leave a mark in my community.