I am a student in Plant Science and Life Science Teaching, hailing from Fairbanks, Alaska. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in preschool, and I discovered my passion for biology when I was fifteen. My dream has always been to help students discover their passions in science, so my career plans are to pursue Plant Science graduate school after I graduate, and then enter the field of biology education. I specifically chose my institution (all the way across the country!) because of their renowned College of Education, in which I will learn about teaching to all types of students, which is a huge priority for me. I'm passionate about teaching because of the positive effects educators have had in my own life and I want to reciprocate that. I also desire to teach because of my personal experiences as a neurodivergent student, so I know how important it is to know how to teach students with many different learning styles, so that every student has the opportunity to discover their passions. For me, discussion-based lessons, and being encouraged by educators to utilize resources related to my biological interests, are what have gotten me through my courses. The potential of educators to change students’ lives is so inspiring to me. Even now, I sometimes struggle with the structure of academics, but the encouragement of my plant science professors, motivates me to keep going and to advocate for myself. I hope to become a supportive force in my future students’ lives, just as certain educators have been for me. We cannot box students into specific ways of thinking or learning, and students’ passions must be encouraged in order for them to thrive as learners. As for the Plant Science aspect of my path, I had not considered plant science an option to study until I took my first college intro biology course, a general overview of ecology and the diversity of life, and I absolutely loved it. The subject itself captivates me, especially learning about leaves and practical applications of photosynthesis, as well as the resilience of plants in stressful environmental conditions. Not only was I fascinated, but my professors were engaging and enthusiastic about plants to an unbelievable degree. My professors' combined enthusiasm inspires me to have that same kind of passion, and I can’t believe I had completely missed such an important and prevalent field until now. It is now my goal to prevent this from happening with my future students; when I will teach biology, I plan to teach ecological concepts by using both zoological, biomedical, and botanical/agricultural examples (heavy emphasis on that last one!), so that students will have exposure to multiple fields. I am disappointed by the lack of botanical representation in secondary curriculums, and I hope to change that. I believe that I will be better able to open more doors for my future students if I include many types of biology and many types of instruction in what I teach. The primary responsibility of educators is to support and encourage their students, and I am pursuing these skills in the best ways I know how. Overall, I hope to someday inspire my own future students with enthusiasm as my professors have for me, especially those that introduced me to the beautiful world of plants. I hope to become an advocate for increasing botanical and agricultural education, and to learn skills that will help me best encourage all types of learners in my future classrooms.

I am a student in Plant Science and Life Science Teaching, hailing from Fairbanks, Alaska. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in preschool, and I discovered my passion for biology when I was fifteen. My dream has always been to help students discover their passions in science, so my career plans are to pursue Plant Science graduate school after I graduate, and then enter the field of biology education. I specifically chose my institution (all the way across the country!) because of their renowned College of Education, in which I will learn about teaching to all types of students, which is a huge priority for me. I'm passionate about teaching because of the positive effects educators have had in my own life and I want to reciprocate that. I also desire to teach because of my personal experiences as a neurodivergent student, so I know how important it is to know how to teach students with many different learning styles, so that every student has the opportunity to discover their passions. For me, discussion-based lessons, and being encouraged by educators to utilize resources related to my biological interests, are what have gotten me through my courses. The potential of educators to change students’ lives is so inspiring to me. Even now, I sometimes struggle with the structure of academics, but the encouragement of my plant science professors, motivates me to keep going and to advocate for myself. I hope to become a supportive force in my future students’ lives, just as certain educators have been for me. We cannot box students into specific ways of thinking or learning, and students’ passions must be encouraged in order for them to thrive as learners. As for the Plant Science aspect of my path, I had not considered plant science an option to study until I took my first college intro biology course, a general overview of ecology and the diversity of life, and I absolutely loved it. The subject itself captivates me, especially learning about leaves and practical applications of photosynthesis, as well as the resilience of plants in stressful environmental conditions. Not only was I fascinated, but my professors were engaging and enthusiastic about plants to an unbelievable degree. My professors' combined enthusiasm inspires me to have that same kind of passion, and I can’t believe I had completely missed such an important and prevalent field until now. It is now my goal to prevent this from happening with my future students; when I will teach biology, I plan to teach ecological concepts by using both zoological, biomedical, and botanical/agricultural examples (heavy emphasis on that last one!), so that students will have exposure to multiple fields. I am disappointed by the lack of botanical representation in secondary curriculums, and I hope to change that. I believe that I will be better able to open more doors for my future students if I include many types of biology and many types of instruction in what I teach. The primary responsibility of educators is to support and encourage their students, and I am pursuing these skills in the best ways I know how. Overall, I hope to someday inspire my own future students with enthusiasm as my professors have for me, especially those that introduced me to the beautiful world of plants. I hope to become an advocate for increasing botanical and agricultural education, and to learn skills that will help me best encourage all types of learners in my future classrooms.

I am a student in Plant Science and Life Science Teaching, hailing from Fairbanks, Alaska. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in preschool, and I discovered my passion for biology when I was fifteen. My dream has always been to help students discover their passions in science, so my career plans are to pursue Plant Science graduate school after I graduate, and then enter the field of biology education. I specifically chose my institution (all the way across the country!) because of their renowned College of Education, in which I will learn about teaching to all types of students, which is a huge priority for me. I'm passionate about teaching because of the positive effects educators have had in my own life and I want to reciprocate that. I also desire to teach because of my personal experiences as a neurodivergent student, so I know how important it is to know how to teach students with many different learning styles, so that every student has the opportunity to discover their passions. For me, discussion-based lessons, and being encouraged by educators to utilize resources related to my biological interests, are what have gotten me through my courses. The potential of educators to change students’ lives is so inspiring to me. Even now, I sometimes struggle with the structure of academics, but the encouragement of my plant science professors, motivates me to keep going and to advocate for myself. I hope to become a supportive force in my future students’ lives, just as certain educators have been for me. We cannot box students into specific ways of thinking or learning, and students’ passions must be encouraged in order for them to thrive as learners. As for the Plant Science aspect of my path, I had not considered plant science an option to study until I took my first college intro biology course, a general overview of ecology and the diversity of life, and I absolutely loved it. The subject itself captivates me, especially learning about leaves and practical applications of photosynthesis, as well as the resilience of plants in stressful environmental conditions. Not only was I fascinated, but my professors were engaging and enthusiastic about plants to an unbelievable degree. My professors' combined enthusiasm inspires me to have that same kind of passion, and I can’t believe I had completely missed such an important and prevalent field until now. It is now my goal to prevent this from happening with my future students; when I will teach biology, I plan to teach ecological concepts by using both zoological, biomedical, and botanical/agricultural examples (heavy emphasis on that last one!), so that students will have exposure to multiple fields. I am disappointed by the lack of botanical representation in secondary curriculums, and I hope to change that. I believe that I will be better able to open more doors for my future students if I include many types of biology and many types of instruction in what I teach. The primary responsibility of educators is to support and encourage their students, and I am pursuing these skills in the best ways I know how. Overall, I hope to someday inspire my own future students with enthusiasm as my professors have for me, especially those that introduced me to the beautiful world of plants. I hope to become an advocate for increasing botanical and agricultural education, and to learn skills that will help me best encourage all types of learners in my future classrooms.

The most inspiring book I have ever read was Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury because of the mental impact it left upon me, and the opinions I formed as a result. When I open to the first page and read Bradbury’s rich descriptions, I feel as if I am there with Guy Montag, holding my own hose of kerosene to douse the screaming woman in her house of books. The fire will inevitably break out, and I, the fireman, will painfully relish the flames just like I devour the words Bradbury expresses in this resonant book. Montag’s fast-paced futuristic world is a distorted reflection of the technological advancement of society juxtaposed with our concurrent social regression. In Fahrenheit 451, firemen burn houses hiding books, since they are said to “make everything unhappy with conflicting theory and thought” (page 59). Reading this dystopian warning reminds me of the widespread intolerance of conflicting opinions present in our society, potentially leading to censored communities where “nobody says anything different from anybody else,” like the one Montag lives in (page 28). Rather than removing the source of ideas altogether, we must work together to be more tolerant of others. As “the mind drinks less and less,” the ability to empathize with others deteriorates. (page 54). Montag himself realizes this truth as the book progresses, and eventually rebels from his job, abandoning his complacent way of life, which inspires me to fight for my own beliefs. The book culminates with Montag watching a bomb from afar demolish his hometown, which left an impression on me since it illustrates the sobering consequence of living unaware under censorship. This prospective future and how we must prevent it is, like to Montag, a “fire [that will] last me the rest of my life... in my mind.” (page 48).

My favorite book is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury because of the mental impact it left upon me, and the opinions I formed as a result. When I open to the first page and read Bradbury’s rich descriptions, I feel as if I am there with Guy Montag, holding my own hose of kerosene to douse the screaming woman in her house of books. The fire will inevitably break out, and I, the fireman, will painfully relish the flames just like I devour the words Bradbury expresses in this resonant book. Montag’s fast-paced futuristic world is a distorted reflection of the technological advancement of society juxtaposed with our concurrent social regression. In Fahrenheit 451, firemen burn houses hiding books, since they are said to “make everything unhappy with conflicting theory and thought” (page 59). Reading this dystopian warning reminds me of the widespread intolerance of conflicting opinions present in our society, potentially leading to censored communities where “nobody says anything different from anybody else,” like the one Montag lives in (page 28). Rather than removing the source of ideas altogether, we must work together to be more tolerant of others. As “the mind drinks less and less,” the ability to empathize with others deteriorates. (page 54). Montag himself realizes this truth as the book progresses, and eventually rebels from his job, abandoning his complacent way of life, which inspires me to fight for my own beliefs. The book culminates with Montag watching a bomb from afar demolish his hometown, which left an impression on me since it illustrates the sobering consequence of living unaware as a result of censorship. This prospective future and how we must prevent it is, as it was to Montag, a “fire [that will] last me the rest of my life... in my mind.” (page 48).

After a period of darkness, everything seems so much brighter when you come back into the light. I used to think that we live in a dark world, especially while I struggled with mental health during the past few years. Fortunately, the actions of others helped lift me out of my situation, and I was able to realize the bright possibilities the world has to offer. What continued to lift me up and keep me afloat despite my struggles were the actions of caring people, even those I was not close with, since their actions reflect human nature rather than friendship. I have had numerous teachers who let me stay in their classroom after school hours to work with me one-on-one, giving me both life advice and homework help. Despite knowing that they weren't being paid for it, they gave their time, expertise, and effort anyway. In my eyes, teachers are some of the most compassionate people out there, and the extra effort they consciously choose to put in is touching. This reflection on the essence of humanity inspires me every day, and my greatest aspiration is to become a teacher myself. I have set my heart on being able to encourage my students like my teachers have for me. I find joy in moments like these, and the supportive experiences that make me believe that there is brightness and hope in the world are invaluable. The kindness of humanity motivates me to seize my own future, and I aspire to help others see that kindness too, by showing them through my own actions. I hope to show other people what I see in life, and in them. I may be just one person, but if little things impact me so much, they might for someone else too. Ultimately, the most influential thing I have learned through my struggles has been that the everyday actions of ordinary people spell out success for our future. I have hope for the future because I fully believe that everyone is intrinsically good-hearted, and trying their best to make it in the world. Everyone has so much unrealized potential, and I can’t wait to see the world change for the better as we continue to positively influence the progression of history.