My name is Kaydence Veach, and I am pursuing a Bachelor's in early education. I used to think that I didn't have any passions or goals for my life, as I struggled deeply with anxiety and depression throughout high school. But I knew I had to do something to pay my bills like my parents had expected me to. I applied for a part time position at our local YMCA in their preschool program. Almost instantly, I fell in love with the entire environment. I grew a deep passion for teaching children, especially pre-kindergarten kiddos. I worked my way up to full time, then lead teacher of the 2s, then lead teacher of the 3-5s. Being able to watch my students reach their goals, hit milestones, and grow in a beautiful way was and still is so rewarding. I have developed strong connections and relationships with students and have held their hand as they walk their way through preschool into kindergarten. A very special moment for me was receiving an enrollment of a kiddo who had never been to daycare, or much socialization at all. He struggled with speech and social skills, but as we became comfortable with each other, worked hard, and he came to trust me, he blossomed into a whole new child. I watched him form full sentences, make new friends on his own, and develop so many skills that he had not had before. Though he leaned on me for support, he began to become more confident on his own and be excited to learn new things. Experiencing this journey will him just solidified my feeling that teaching was something I was called to do. In my darkest time, I found love and encouragement in the world of teaching. My students gave me the courage to continue my education and work for my degree. Although I had no idea where to start, as I had just turned 22 and never thought of college, I was determined to find something that worked for me. I did and have now been enrolled at GCU for a year. I strive to be better for my students. Someone that they can learn from but also trust and respect. Someone that sets examples and can be a role model to them, especially if that is not the case at home. Sometimes teachers and schools are the only people and places that children can feel safe and cared for. I am determined to be that person for any child who needs it. Continuing my education gives me the opportunity to do that for my present and future students.

My name is Kaydence Veach and I am a 23 year old first-generation student. I am the first in my family to attend college. Though I was a little late to the game. After graduating high school in 2021, I went straight into working. I did not have many goals or ambitions. I just needed a job to pay for bills. But the job I chose showed me a lot more about myself than I ever knew. I started working in a preschool part time, and fell absolutely in love. I worked up to full time, then to lead teacher of the 2 year old class, and then to lead teacher of the preschool class. I am now a secretary at an elementary school as I continue my schooling. I grew a deep passion for children and had a strong feeling that this career was meant for me. But I couldn't do my best for my students if I did not continue my education. I did some research in online schools as I worked 40 hours a week and knew uprooting my life to travel for college would not work. I found GCU (Grand Canyon University) in August of 2025. But I did not realize how much goes into this process. The loans, approvals, deadlines, etc. And neither my mother or father knew either. They could not help me as much as I needed. For the money aspect, I have always had great pride in my independence and dedication. I have not and will not rely on my family to pay my way. I want to leave this college with the confidence that I did this and did not burden my family with lifelong loans. I want to serve my current and future students as best as I can. This means working hard for my degree and continuing my education even after receiving my bachelor's. I have never known true love and reward until I received it from my students. These kids are our future, and they need confident, strong, and willing teachers. I want so bad to be that for them. I want to be the teacher that I never had as a child. Someone smart, compassionate, trusting, and able to give a safe and comforting space for students. And I want to have the confidence to say that I did it while working, and dedicating myself. Though a scholarship is not exactly doing it "on my own", it is a way I can work for it, rather than collecting from my family. My parents are incredibly proud of my dedication and hard work, as they have never taken this journey themselves. I hope to continue making them and my students proud. I can show my students what hard work gets you, and to never think it is too late to chase a dream.

My name is Kaydence Veach, and I am fighting tooth and nail to achieve my goals and dreams all on my own. I have always been very independent and pride myself in doing things by myself with no help. When I am not working or doing school, I try to read or take outside walks on nature trails. On a lazy day, I will watch true crime documentaries or journal. I volunteer for a lot of fundraising events for my job where we raise money to provide families and their children with scholarships for childcare, youth sports, and memberships. I donate to this campaign myself as well. My job has changed my life. I am a lead teacher for a preschool, and have loved every minute of it. I found a true passion for teaching children and furthering my education to better serve and advocate for them. I want to be a kindergarten teacher in the local area. I started off small at this job as just a part time employee, then to full time, then to lead teacher of the 2 year old room and now serve as the lead teacher for the 3-5 year old room. I have successfully sent off 4 classes to kindergarten and still maintain a relationship with their families. I want to be the teacher that I needed and never had. Getting my degree can help me do that for more children. I want to go through this journey on my own and be completely debt free before my future children are sent off to school. I am slowly paying off student loans on my own, as I work full time. I save as much as I can and put it towards that balance. I work 40 hours a week and take on extra work on the weekends when I can, while also trying to balance my regular life. I qualify for some aid, but of course that must be paid back later. I also suffer from chronic neck, back, and shoulder pain which has resulted in a lot of physical therapy bills and hospital bills. I am doing the best I can to leave with a degree and as little debt as possible. I have grown up watching my parents pay back debts on credit cards, car loans, dental expenses, etc. I do not want to live my life with my head just above water. I want to be able to give my future children as many opportunities as possible. Learning to do this on my own has been tough, but rewarding. I am learning how to navigate the real world efficiently and being proud of myself along the way. My parents did not attend college. So it has been hard to turn to them for advice because they do not have any. They could help me with payments but I do not want to be reliant on someone else. I want to be able to do this on my own and say I did it. "Self-made" if you will. I know it won't be easy and it will take time and dedication. But I am determined to achieve this goal and climb each obstacle along the way.