When I reflect on my past, I realize that despite facing many challenges and adversities, I have accomplished remarkable things and should take pride in my achievements. This realization has inspired me to want to assist others in overcoming their difficulties. My personal experiences have fueled my desire to become a Special Education Teacher, as I understand the struggle of being a student with educators who do not comprehend their unique needs. In preschool, I was diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss, and in first grade, my parents noticed that I struggled to complete tasks and found it challenging to focus. Subsequently, I was diagnosed with ADHD. It took over a year for the school to approve an Individualized Education Program (IEP), but unfortunately, many teachers did not adhere to it. As I was always the last to finish tests and assignments, I felt insecure and doubted my intelligence. Despite these challenges, I overcame many learning and social obstacles and successfully completed elementary school. Transitioning to middle school, I looked forward to meeting new people and experiencing a different environment. Still, to my dismay, I encountered similar academic challenges, faced teacher misunderstandings, and struggled to be accepted by my peers. In eighth grade, with the assistance of an advocate, my school district agreed to conduct psychological and educational evaluations. The test revealed that I had been misdiagnosed with ADHD and had a learning disability called Nonverbal Learning Disorder. Frustrated by my misdiagnosis and the hardships I endured throughout my early education, I remained resilient. By my senior year, my learning improved significantly with the correct accommodations in place, which improved my knowledge, and I graduated with honors. Nonverbal Learning Disorder is often misdiagnosed and is relatively uncommon, which creates challenges for educators in supporting their students. Determined to address this issue, I took the initiative as a Girl Scout and developed a presentation to increase awareness about NLD. This video, posted on YouTube, received recognition and awards, offering educators valuable insights into this disability. Although life will always pose challenges for individuals who are considered different, I have learned how to overcome and thrive. My ambition is to support other students like myself and empower them to believe in their ability to achieve success. I aim to provide the kind of assistance I did not receive. Receiving this scholarship will help me realize my aspiration of becoming a Special Education teacher and will enable me to help students like me achieve their dreams in the future. Here is the link to my YouTube video: https://youtu.be/V19RV1XhhME?si=n4BQkkgfleNablTJ

Everyone dreams of what they want to be when they get older; my dream is to work with kids. It was not until eighth grade that I decided I wanted to become an early elementary special education teacher. I have first-hand experience in the special education program, and I would never want another child to struggle like I did. In kindergarten, I was diagnosed with hearing loss, and then in first grade, I was diagnosed with ADHD. It took over a year for my school to agree to an Individual Education Plan for me, and even with the IEP, teachers did not follow it. Some believed I did not need it because parts of the IEP did not address my needs correctly, which made it exceedingly difficult for me to get through school (K-12). There were many days that it was a battle for my parents to get me to school. It was not until eighth grade, through additional testing, that I was properly diagnosed, and my IEP improved with the help of an advocate. I have a learning disability called Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD). My family, along with some of my teachers, finally had an “aha” moment when they were truly able to understand me and my struggles with the correct diagnosis. NLD is not spoken about often, which did not sit well with me. I wanted to advocate for others like me. Therefore, I decided to complete my Girl Scout Gold Award on NLD. My original goal was to create a live in-person presentation for teachers, which never happened due to the pandemic. However, I changed strategies and successfully completed my project by creating an informative YouTube video, which reached many more individuals than I planned. I was awarded the Young Woman of Distinction for my video, which is the highest award that a Gold Awardee Girl Scout can earn. Receiving this scholarship means a lot to me because it will help me fulfill my dream of helping others. Even though my parents, who are retired disabled veterans, cannot afford to help me pay for tuition, they are proud and supportive of me. I plan on paying for my education, even though it is a financial burden for me. This scholarship would not only help me to fulfill my dream of becoming a Special Education teacher, but it would also benefit the students that I will be able to teach and support; it will inspire my students to know that even those with learning disabilities, can achieve anything they want to. Here is the link to my YouTube video: https://youtu.be/V19RV1XhhME?si=n4BQkkgfleNablTJ

I have had a lifetime of hardship. Yet, when I look back at my life, I realize I have accomplished many astounding things. I am so proud of what I have achieved and how I overcame my challenges. It began as the quirky kid that few kids wanted to play with. In preschool, I was diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss and received hearing aids. Besides being quirky, I was made fun of for wearing them. In elementary school, schoolwork was difficult, and I was then diagnosed with ADHD. I got an IEP, but it was poorly worded and not helpful. Middle school was worse, both socially and educationally. Less rote learning and more complex thinking. My IEP accommodations improved once I got an advocate. She also insisted on appropriate psychological/educational tests, not just generic ones. The test results came back saying that I have Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD), not ADHD. I was relieved that I was finally diagnosed correctly, but I was also furious and upset. I endured so many hardships in K-8 grades. Socially, it wasn't very pleasant. Educationally, it was a nightmare. What would take the average student 15-30 minutes to complete an assignment took me hours. Somehow, I did not allow myself to give up; I persevered and finished middle school. High school was tough. I was unsure I could complete high school, but I graduated with honors. High school became more difficult as the courses became more complex. I overcame the difficulties by talking with my teachers and creating solid relationships. I learned that having these relationships made it easier for me to speak to them and to ask for help; because of my disabilities, I had to work harder and spend more hours to complete my work. I also had to learn different techniques and use technology to help me complete my assignments. What I learned was that being successful was like being on a team. Everyone has things they are good at. However, the things that may give them struggles are that it is okay to have help, whether it is a person, a technique, or technology. NLD has yet to be well known. This is why I decided to complete my Girl Scout Gold Award on NLD. My original goal was to create a live, in-person presentation for teachers. Sadly, I couldn't do my original plan because of the pandemic. I had to modify my project and overcome many hurdles. The final project I created was a YouTube video, and I reached out to a lot more people. My Girl Scout Council awarded me the 2022 Young Woman of Distinction for going above and beyond the requirements of the Gold Award. I have completed three years at a community college with honors. Now, I am ready for university life. I know I still have my educational struggles, but I will succeed. I know I still have social struggles, but I now have friends. Though life has been challenging and always will be, I have learned to persevere. Even though there will be difficulties and hardships, I have learned how to be successful, and I want others to be successful, too. That is why I want to become a Special Education teacher. I want to help children so they do not have to go through what I went through. I want to help disabled children know they can achieve and be successful. Being awarded this scholarship will help me reach my dreams of being a special educator. My YouTube video: https://youtu.be/V19RV1XhhME?si=piuQAieJFqGKIwog

My dream is to be an early elementary special education teacher. I went through the special education program myself, and I would never want another child to struggle like I did. I was diagnosed with a hearing impairment in kindergarten and then ADHD in first grade. It took over a year for my school to agree to an Individual Education Plan for me. Even with the IEP, some teachers did not follow it, believing I did not need it because parts of the IEP did not address my needs correctly. It was exceedingly difficult to get through school (K-12). Many days, it was a battle for my parents to get me to go to school. It wasn't until eighth grade, after further testing, that I received a proper diagnosis and saw improvement in my IEP with the assistance of an advocate. I have been diagnosed with a learning disability known as Nonverbal Learning Disorder. My family and some of my teachers finally had an "aha" moment when they could finally understand me and my struggles. I want to become a special education teacher so I may prevent the misery I experienced in school for kids like me. I know what it is like to be in the special education system, and I am determined to help students with their learning difficulties. I want them to love learning and be confident in themselves, knowing they can succeed regardless of their disability. It is also important to me that students and teachers understand that everyone learns differently and that they are not less than others due to their struggles, which caused me to dread going to school. My dream is to work in special education as a resource room teacher, which will allow me to work with various students with different disabilities. Unfortunately, I know what it is like to have a hearing impairment, wear hearing aids, and not understand what I have missed in communications; however, I believe my negative experience allows me to be a better teacher. Being in the special education system, I have been around students with a variety of disabilities and have seen both the positive and negative treatment of students with disabilities. As a student, I struggled to voice my concerns about how teachers treated other students; therefore, as a teacher, I want to prevent it. Everyone has the right to succeed, regardless of disability, and should be treated equally. With my passion for working with younger students within the special education system, I look forward to being able to make a difference in their lives. I will not let them slip through the cracks of the education system. I will teach them to stand tall and give them the tools they need to be all they can be. Many of my early education teachers did not believe I could graduate high school. I graduated high school with honors and am on the Dean's list at my Community College. I am also a Girl Scout and used my platform to earn a Gold Award, the highest honor you can receive, to share with others the truth behind my learning disability through a video on YouTube (link to my video: https://youtu.be/V19RV1XhhME?si=ztLXh6uZ_wKlN2Ea). My hard work paid off, and I was awarded the Young Woman of Distinction award in 2022. My motto is: I have been there, I struggled, but I did it. And so can you. I will help you. Please help me fulfill my dream of becoming a special education teacher by awarding me this scholarship so I can do the same for others.

My dream is to be an early elementary special education teacher. I went through the special education program myself, and I would never want another child to struggle like I did. I was diagnosed with a hearing impairment in kindergarten and then ADHD in first grade. It took over a year for my school to agree to an Individual Education Plan for me. Even with the IEP, some teachers did not follow it, believing I did not need it because parts of the IEP did not address my needs correctly. It was exceedingly difficult to get through school (K-12). Many days, it was a battle for my parents to get me to go to school. It wasn't until eighth grade, after further testing, that I received a proper diagnosis and saw improvement in my IEP with the assistance of an advocate. I have been diagnosed with a learning disability known as Nonverbal Learning Disorder. My family and some of my teachers finally had an "aha" moment when they could finally understand me and my struggles. I want to become a special education teacher so I may prevent the misery I experienced in school for kids like me. I know what it is like to be in the special education system, and I am determined to help students with their learning difficulties. I want them to love learning and be confident in themselves, knowing they can succeed regardless of their disability. It is also important to me that students and teachers understand that everyone learns differently and that they are not less than others due to their struggles, which caused me to dread going to school. My dream is to work in special education as a resource room teacher, which will allow me to work with various students with different disabilities. Unfortunately, I know what it is like to have a hearing impairment, wear hearing aids, and not understand what I have missed in communications; however, I believe my negative experience allows me to be a better teacher. Being in the special education system, I have been around students with a variety of disabilities and have seen both the positive and negative treatment of students with disabilities. As a student, I struggled to voice my concerns about how teachers treated other students; therefore, as a teacher, I want to prevent it. Everyone has the right to succeed, regardless of disability, and should be treated equally. With my passion for working with younger students within the special education system, I look forward to being able to make a difference in their lives. I will not let them slip through the cracks of the education system. I will teach them to stand tall and give them the tools they need to be all they can be. Many of my early education teachers did not believe I could graduate high school. I graduated high school with honors and am on the Dean's list at my Community College. I am also a Girl Scout and used my platform to earn a Gold Award, the highest honor you can receive, to share with others the truth behind my learning disability through a video on YouTube (link to my video: https://youtu.be/V19RV1XhhME?si=ztLXh6uZ_wKlN2Ea). My hard work paid off, and I was awarded the Young Woman of Distinction award in 2022. My motto is: I have been there, I struggled, but I did it. And so can you. I will help you. Please help me fulfill my dream of becoming a special education teacher by awarding me this scholarship so I can do the same for others.

My name is Katina Proen. I have been attending a community college to complete many of my general education credits. This fall, I will be transferring to Eastern Michigan University, and I am extremely excited because it has been my dream school since my sophomore year of high school. I will pursue my bachelor's degree in K-3 education, specifically in Special Education, focusing on Learning Disabilities. I have wanted to work with kids since I was young, but it was not until middle school that I thought about becoming a special education teacher. My family consists of my dad, a disabled veteran; my mom, who is retired; my older sister; and my twin brother. I am proud to say that I am paying for my education, even though it is a financial burden for me. Being awarded a scholarship would be financially valuable to me and would not only help me fulfill my dream of becoming a Special Education teacher, but it would also benefit the students that I can teach and support in the future. I am determined to positively impact the world because I will be helping kids who need additional guidance to succeed. I know this because I was a kid who was not getting the help I needed; when I was young, I struggled in school. The schoolwork would take me hours to complete when it was a twenty-minute assignment, and I was always the last student to finish in-class assignments and tests. I was eventually tested after years of struggling and was diagnosed with ADHD. I got an Individual Education Plan, but it took months of advocacy for my school district to approve my application. Once I was able to get an IEP, I thought that I would finally get the help I needed, but unfortunately, everything got worse. I was struggling to make friends, and my teachers would refuse to follow my IEP. This made me hate school. Years later, I was retested and found that I was misdiagnosed with ADHD. I have a learning disability called Nonverbal Learning Disorder. Once I was diagnosed correctly, I once again thought things would get better for me, but again, they did not. Teachers continued to refuse to follow my IEP, and we eventually had to hire a professional advocate on my behalf. Looking back at my experience, I realize that my struggles with the special education system motivate me to help my students in the ways they need to make a positive impact. I plan to make a positive impact by fighting for my students’ rights and establishing a relationship with them and their parents. I will talk to my student’s parents weekly about their child’s progress and any concerns that I might have. I plan on fighting for my students’ rights by talking to them daily about their classes and if they have any issues with a class or a teacher. If a teacher is not following their IEP or 504 Plan, I will meet with the teacher, the student’s parents, and the principal. I will always have an open door for my students to come and talk with me. By awarding me this scholarship, you are not just helping me make a positive impact. You are also helping my future students make a positive impact.

Looking back at my life, I realize I have accomplished many astounding things. I am so proud of what I have achieved. My life was tough. I have had a lifetime of adversity, but I overcame it. When I was two weeks old, my mom realized that something was going on with me. My mom took me to numerous doctors who downplayed everything. Something was going on me. In preschool, I was diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss. I had to get hearing aids. When I started elementary school, my parents and teachers began to realize that it was taking me a long time to complete my work and that I was having difficulty focusing. In first grade, I was diagnosed with ADHD. I was able to apply for an IEP. It took over a year for the school to agree to an IEP for me. Once the school decided to give me an IEP, some of my teachers did not follow it. They thought that I did not need it. This made me not want to go to school because I felt like I was too stupid to go to school. I was always the last person to finish tests and classwork. I felt like I wasn't going to pass first grade. I overcame everything and passed not only first grade but also elementary school. Then, I started middle school. I was excited to start fresh, but it was not a fresh start. I struggled even more with schoolwork, and my teachers continued not following my IEP. My parents and I tried communicating with my teachers and the principal, but they didn't listen. It was so bad that my parents had to hire an advocate. In eighth grade, the school district agreed to psychological/educational tests. The test results came back saying that I have Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD), not ADHD. I was relieved that I was finally diagnosed correctly, but I was also furious. I did not allow myself to give up, though; I persevered and completed middle school. High school was still stiff, with teachers not following my IEP, but it was better than elementary and middle school. I felt like high school was better because of the advocate my parents hired and the new diagnosis. I kept pushing myself, and I graduated high school with honors. NLD is not well known, and this did not sit well with me, so I decided to complete my Girl Scout Gold Award on NLD. My original goal was to create a live, in-person presentation for teachers. Unfortunately, I couldn't follow my original plan because of the coronavirus pandemic. I overcame that and completed my Gold Award by creating a YouTube video and was able to reach out to a lot more people. The fantastic part is that I was the 2022 Young Woman of Distinction. The Young Woman of Distinction is the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. Though life has been challenging and always will be with someone with NLD, I have learned to persevere. Even though there will be difficulties, I have learned how to be successful, and I want to help others succeed. That is why I want to become a Special Education teacher. I want to help children so they do not have to go through what I went through. I also want to help disabled children understand that just because they have a disability does not mean they can't do amazing things. Being awarded this scholarship will help me achieve my dreams and also help my future students achieve their dreams. My video link: https://youtu.be/V19RV1XhhME?si=n4BQkkgfleNablTJ