My journey in music has been significantly enhanced by the support and expertise of my private lesson and now choir teacher, Mrs.Hicks. She has not only helped me sharpen my vocal skills but has also instilled in me a deep sense of confidence that carries over into every area of my life. Through personalized instruction, constructive feedback, and a nurturing environment, Mrs.Hicks has played a crucial role in my growth as a vocalist and as an individual. As a child, school, homework and expressing myself were always a struggle. My significant speech delays, dysgraphia and vision issues caused school to be challenging to say the least. I struggled to exactly find my place and leave my mark on the world. This all changed however when I fell in love with music and truly found my voice through singing. Fast forward with me a few years to the summer before my Freshman year in high school where I met the person that helped take a simple love of choir and singing and turn it into my ability to perform and share myself with others. That summer I began forty five minute voice lessons and was introduced to a new level of sight reading, solos and the all state audition process. Mrs. Hicks was a natural encourager. She was nurturing, supportive and always saw the best in me. She didn’t just dismiss me because I sometimes appeared quiet, introverted and reserved. Instead, she saw something in me that I couldn’t yet see in myself and helped me grow. She took a student who didn't know how to sight read, struggled to pronounce words in other languages ,and could barely stand in front of a crowd and transformed me into a member of the Texas All Region Choir. The journey of becoming a confident and successful member of a choir is multifaceted, and my private lesson teacher has been a pivotal figure in that journey. At first auditions were my worst nightmare. I had to develop my stage presence and learn to believe in myself. There were some pitfalls along the way, not every performance went as planned, but through it all Mrs. Hicks still believed in me. Before every performance she gave me encouraging pep talks, and let me know that no matter what she was proud of me. With my teacher’s guidance, I have learned that success is not just about talent but also about dedication, resilience, and the courage to embrace challenges. As I continue my musical journey, I am grateful for the invaluable role my teacher has played in helping me find my voice.

Since I was little, I have known I wanted to be a teacher. I always used to go into my mom's kindergarten classroom and pretend I was teaching students. I absolutely adore kids, they always seem to bring a smile on my face, they are funny, smart, cute and even _ at times. I love getting to volunteer with kids and I always stove to make a positive impact in their life. Growing up in school was a struggle for me. I hated school so much, I felt like I wasn't smart and like I was a failure. A few years later I got tested and discovered I have dysgraphia. This diagnosis was extremely hard, I hated having a label on me, I thought that having a learning disability meant I would never flourish in school. I almost gave up, I almost said I'm done with school I will never be able to succeed and push through. If it weren't for my family and a couple teachers who believed in me, I'm not sure I'd be where I am today. These people greatly impacted my life, they encouraged me and stayed by my side even in the nights where it took me hours to do one writing assignment. A few years later I figured out the learning methods that worked best for me, this was a total game changer in my academic success. Perhaps my greatest challenge though came when as a ten-year-old I lost my dad, who was my hero to cancer. This experience at first made me question my faith, be hesitant to trust anyone and be a little more reserved. Luckily, I had people in my life, who supported me and walked with me through this grief journey. Instead of giving into this challenge I rose to overcome it and in the process learned to truly adapt and adjust to many different situations. It has made me a more loving, empathetic, and confident young woman. These experiences have impacted me significantly, it's made me want to be a teacher and encourage kids. I truly strive to show every kid that they can learn, they are capable of success they just have to learn how they learn. Starting next fall, I plan on attending Dallas Baptist University and majoring in elementary education with a focus on helping kids with reading-based learning disabilities. It has always been my dream to attend college and as soon as I walked through the doors of DBU my Junior year I knew it was the place for me. Since then, I have been working extremely hard to make this dream come true. I have maintained a 3.8 GPA, made A & B honor roll and I have 21 hours of dual credit high school classes. The only thing that now stands in my way is figuring out how to finance college. Due to the death of my father in 2017 when I was just 10 years old my mom’s financial situation has changed a lot. She's taken a full-time public-school teaching job, worked camps in the summer and done extra tutoring just to help us get by and pay for my school activities, I have worked full time in the summers and part time during the school year since I was 16 to help offset costs. Without scholarships like this it will be difficult for me to attend college and obtain my goal and dream of becoming an educator. An investment in me will truly change not only my life, but the lives of future children for generations.

Starting next fall, I plan on attending Dallas Baptist University and majoring in elementary education with a focus on helping kids with reading-based learning disabilities. It has always been my dream to attend college and as soon as I walked through the doors of DBU my Junior year I knew it was the place for me. Since then, I have been working extremely hard to make this dream come true. I have maintained a 3.8 GPA, made A & B honor roll and had 21 hours of dual credit high school classes. I have written essays, filled out all my financial aid paperwork, met with admissions and the education department and everyone is excited to have me as a DBU Patriot. The only thing that now stands in my way is figuring out how to finance college. As a private college DBU costs on average over $50,000. Although I've gotten a little bit of money from the government in the form of a Pell grant and TEG I still have a long way to go. Due to the death of my father in 2017 when I was just 10 years old my mom’s financial situation has changed a lot. She's taken a full-time public-school teaching job, worked camps in the summer and done extra tutoring just to help us get by and pay for my school activities, I have worked full time in the summers and part time during the school year since I was 16 to help offset costs. I worked as a nanny and also as a daycare provider at Premier Prep School in Keller. Scholarships such as this one will be necessary to help me fulfill my dreams. I have overcome many challenges during my years of schooling. I have dysgraphia and this made learning, particularly reading and writing a challenge for me. I had to figure out how my brain worked best, how I learned and how I could adjust to be successful. This ability to adapt to new situations and to find strategies to be successful have not only made me a more successful student but a more caring and resilient person as well. These experiences have made me a more nurturing and compassionate individual as I truly seek to see the good in others. I believe these challenges will be a gift to me as a future educator as I truly do know every child can learn and seek to empower students to reach their full potential. Perhaps my greatest challenge though came when as a ten-year-old I lost my dad, who was my hero to cancer. This experience at first made me question my faith, be hesitant to trust anyone and be a little more reserved. Luckily, I had people in my life, who supported me and walked with me through this grief journey. Instead of giving into this challenge I rose to overcome it and in the process learned to truly adapt and adjust to many different situations. It has made me a more loving, empathetic, and confident young woman. I have already had the opportunity to give back and to mentor several young girls who have lost a parent. Without scholarships like this it will be difficult for me to attend college and obtain my goal and dream of becoming an educator. It is my desire to be a servant and to impact the lives of many students. An investment in me will truly change not only my life, but the lives of future children for generations.

We all go through tough times but what is most important is to have a positive attitude even when it may seem like everything and everyone around you is turning the opposite direction. As my mom always says you can be sad for a little while but at the end of the day you have to try to be positive or else you won't survive. Sometimes I would get so annoyed by this answer, how could I be positive when it feels like my whole world is crumbling into pieces? But as I grew up, I found this to be true, being negative will only make you feel worse. This is such an important lesson and every day I try to be positive and spread kindness. Even if it's just a smile, you never know what someone may be going through and one small act like that can brighten up their day. I was born to loving parents in Fort Worth Texas on a cool January day. Since day one I have always been extremely close to my extended family. I was a pretty normal child; I loved playing superhero with my dad and watching Disney movies. Everything was going great until I started first grade. That's when I started struggling with school. When I compared my handwriting to my peers, I quickly realized mine looked so much worse. I started struggling with math and I would have to spend hours at the kitchen table while my grandma tried to help me understand. I was so frustrated that everything took me longer, I felt like I couldn't learn that I would never succeed. During this time, I had some really great teachers that encouraged me, believed in me and truly wanted me to succeed. My family also pushed me to not give up. Finally in 5th grade I was able to get tested and I found out I had dysgraphia. In a way this diagnosis almost helped me, I finally was able to realize why I was struggling. I was finally able to learn how I learn. I kept working and after this year by year I got better. Once I got into middle school my hard work started to pay off when I was able to make all A’s and B’s. In high school I was able to make primarily A’s and take honors and dual credit classes. I wouldn't have been able to do it without my support system who didn't give up on me, who pushed me even when I wanted to give up. Perhaps my greatest challenge though came when as a ten-year-old I lost my dad, who was my hero to cancer. This experience at first made me question my faith, be hesitant to trust anyone and be a little more reserved. Luckily, I had people in my life, who supported me and walked with me through this grief journey. Instead of giving into this challenge I rose to overcome it and in the process learned to truly adapt and adjust to many different situations. It has made me a more loving, empathetic, and confident young woman. I have already had the opportunity to give back and to mentor several young girls who have lost a parent. Without scholarships like this it will be difficult for me to attend college and obtain my goal and dream of becoming an educator. It is my desire to be a servant and to impact the lives of many students. An investment in me will truly change not only my life, but the lives of future children for generations.

I have overcome many challenges during my years of schooling. I have dysgraphia and this made learning, particularly reading and writing a challenge for me. I had to figure out how my brain worked best, how I learned and how I could adjust to be successful. This ability to adapt to new situations and to find strategies to be successful have not only made me a more successful student but a more caring and resilient person as well. These experiences have made me a more nurturing and compassionate individual as I truly seek to see the good in others. I believe these challenges will be a gift to me as a future educator as I truly do know every child can learn and seek to empower students to reach their full potential. more effective for every student. Another big part of my life has been music and choir. My journey in music has been significantly enhanced by the support and expertise of my private lesson and now choir teacher, Mrs.Hicks. She has not only helped me sharpen my vocal skills but has also instilled in me a deep sense of confidence that carries over into every area of my life. As a child, school, homework and expressing myself were always a struggle. My significant speech delays, dysgraphia and vision issues caused school to be challenging to say the least. I struggled to exactly find my place and leave my mark on the world. This all changed however when I fell in love with music and truly found my voice through singing. Fast forward with me a few years to the summer before my freshman year in high school where I met the person that helped take a simple love of choir and singing and turn it into my ability to perform and share myself with others. That summer I began forty-five-minute voice lessons and was introduced to a new level of sight reading, solos and all state audition process. Mrs. Hicks was a natural encourager. She was nurturing, supportive and always saw the best in me. She didn’t just dismiss me because I sometimes appeared quiet, introverted and reserved. Instead, she saw something in me that I couldn’t yet see in myself and helped me grow. She took a student who didn't know how to sight read, struggled to pronounce words in other languages ,and could barely stand in front of a crowd and transformed me into a member of the Texas All Region Choir. The journey of becoming a confident and successful member of a choir is multifaceted, and my private lesson teacher has been a pivotal figure in that journey. I had to develop my stage presence and learn to believe in myself. There were some pitfalls along the way, not every performance went as planned, but through it all Mrs. Hicks still believed in me. With my teacher’s guidance, I have learned that success is not just about talent but also about dedication, resilience, and the courage to embrace challenges. As I continue my musical journey and educational journey, I am grateful for the invaluable role my teacher has played in helping me find my voice. Without scholarships like this it will be difficult for me to attend college and obtain my goal and dream of becoming an educator. It is my desire to be a servant and to impact the lives of many students. An investment in me will truly change not only my life, but the lives of future children for generations.

Community service is very important to me. It brings me joy to help others. I am a two-year member of the National Honors Society where I serve for over 30 hours a year. I volunteer at a elementary school in the kindergarten classrooms and at special events such as Trunk or Treat etc. It brings me pleasure to work with the kids, see their smiles and to be able to pitch in wherever I am needed. I am also very fortunate to be a member of a church that values community service and provides many opportunities to serve. I volunteer each week as a fourth hand fifth grade small group worship leader. I also mentor a group of elementary age girls who have lost a parent. I love working with these girls each week and building relationships and helping them grow. All of these experiences have allowed me to improve my leadership skills and will be a great asset to me as a future educator. It is my desire to be a servant and to impact the lives of many students. An investment in me will truly change not only my life, but the lives of future children for generations.

Starting next fall, I plan on attending Dallas Baptist University and majoring in elementary education with a focus on helping kids with reading-based learning disabilities. It has always been my dream to attend college and as soon as I walked through the doors of DBU my Junior year I knew it was the place for me. Since then, I have been working extremely hard to make this dream come true. I have maintained a 3.8 GPA, made A & B honor roll and have 21 hours of dual credit high school classes. I have written essays, filled out all my financial aid paperwork, met with admissions and the education department and everyone is excited to have me as a DBU Patriot. The only thing that now stands in my way is figuring out how to finance college. As a private college DBU costs on average over $50,000. Although I've gotten a little bit of money from the government in the form of a Pell grant and TEG I still have a long way to go. Due to the death of my father in 2017 when I was just 10 years old my mom’s financial situation has changed a lot. She's taken a full-time public-school teaching job, worked camps in the summer and done extra tutoring just to help us get by and pay for my school activities, I have worked full time in the summers and part time during the school year since I was 16 to help offset costs. I worked as a nanny and also as a daycare provider at Premier Prep School in Keller. Scholarships such as this one will be necessary to help me fulfill my dreams. I have overcome many challenges during my years of schooling. I have dysgraphia and this made learning, particularly reading and writing a challenge for me. I had to figure out how my brain worked best, how I learned and how I could adjust to be successful. This ability to adapt to new situations and to find strategies to be successful have not only made me a more successful student but a more caring and resilient person as well. I believe these challenges will be a gift to me as a future educator as I truly do know every child can learn and seek to empower students to reach their full potential. I will also constantly be on the lookout for tools, strategies and tips to make learning easier and more effective for every student. Perhaps my greatest challenge though came when as a ten-year-old I lost my dad, who was my hero to cancer. This experience at first made me question my faith, be hesitant to trust anyone and be a little more reserved. Luckily, I had people in my life, who supported me and walked with me through this grief journey. Instead of giving into this challenge I rose to overcome it and in the process learned to truly adapt and adjust to many different situations. It has made me a more loving, empathetic, and confident young woman. I have already had the opportunity to give back and to mentor several young girls who have lost a parent. These challenges have inspired me to work hard, make smart Finacial decisions and do whatever it takes to go to college and better my future. I hope to serve as an inspiration that no matter what we face in life with hard work, resilience and dedication anyone can be successful and achieve their dreams.

Jack Terrys story truly is an inspiration. As someone who has gone through loss and hardships io respect his determination and resilience so much. He truly is an inspiration and living proof that no matter what we go through every child can be successful. Terry's story continues to live on in memory of him as a reminder to never give up and rise up above the adversities and challenges this world brings us. I have overcome many challenges during my years of schooling. I have dysgraphia and this made learning, particularly reading and writing a challenge for me. I had to figure out how my brain worked best, how I learned and how I could adjust to be successful. This ability to adapt to new situations and to find strategies to be successful have not only made me a more successful student but a more caring and resilient person as well. These experiences have made me a more nurturing and compassionate individual as I truly seek to see the good in others. I believe these challenges will be a gift to me as a future educator as I truly do know every child can learn and seek to empower students to reach their full potential. I will also constantly be on the lookout for tools, strategies and tips to make learning easier and more effective for every student. Perhaps my greatest challenge though came when as a ten-year-old I lost my dad, who was my hero to cancer. This experience at first made me question my faith, be hesitant to trust anyone and be a little more reserved. Luckily, I had people in my life, who supported me and walked with me through this grief journey. Instead of giving into this challenge I rose to overcome it and in the process learned to truly adapt and adjust to many different situations. It has made me a more loving, empathetic, and confident young woman. I have already had the opportunity to give back and to mentor several young girls who have lost a parent. Someday I hope to become a child counselor and to specialize in grief and loss. Starting next fall, I plan on attending Dallas Baptist University and majoring in elementary education with a focus on helping kids with reading-based learning disabilities. It has always been my dream to attend college and as soon as I walked through the doors of DBU my Junior year I knew it was the place for me. Since then, I have been working extremely hard to make this dream come true. I have maintained a 3.8 GPA, made A & B honor roll and had 21 hours of dual credit high school classes. The only thing that now stands in my way is figuring out how to finance college. Due to the death of my father in 2017 when I was just 10 years old my mom’s financial situation has changed a lot. She's taken a full-time public-school teaching job, worked camps in the summer and done extra tutoring just to help us get by and pay for my school activities, I have worked full time in the summers and part time during the school year since I was 16 to help offset costs. Without scholarships like this it will be difficult for me to attend college and obtain my goal and dream of becoming an educator. It is my desire to be a servant and to impact the lives of many students. An investment in me will truly change not only my life, but the lives of future children for generations.

Since I was little, I have known I wanted to be a teacher. I always used to go into my mom's kindergarten classroom and pretend I was teaching students. I absolutely adore kids, they always seem to bring a smile on my face, they are funny, smart, cute and even _ at times. I love getting to volunteer with kids and I always stove to make a positive impact in their life. Growing up in school was a struggle for me. I hated school so much, I felt like I wasn't smart and like I was a failure. A few years later I got tested and discovered I have dysgraphia. This diagnosis was extremely hard, I hated having a label on me, I thought that having a learning disability meant I would never flourish in school. I almost gave up, I almost said I'm done with school I will never be able to succeed and push through. If it weren't for my family and a couple teachers who believed in me, I'm not sure I'd be where I am today. These people greatly impacted my life, they encouraged me and stayed by my side even in the nights where it took me hours to do one writing assignment. A few years later I figured out the learning methods that worked best for me, this was a total game changer in my academic success. Now, I have made it to senior year where I have made all as and bs since eighth grade. I'm now a member of show choir, choir, Taffe and national Honors Society. This experience has impacted me significantly, it's made me want to be a teacher and encourage kids. I truly strive to show every kid that they can learn, they are capable of success they just have to learn how they learn. I hope in the future to be able to use my experience and help other kids like me. Starting next fall, I plan on attending Dallas Baptist University and majoring in elementary education with a focus on helping kids with reading-based learning disabilities. It has always been my dream to attend college and as soon as I walked through the doors of DBU my Junior year I knew it was the place for me. Since then, I have been working extremely hard to make this dream come true. I have maintained a 3.8 GPA, made A & B honor roll and had 21 hours of dual credit high school classes. The only thing that now stands in my way is figuring out how to finance college. Due to the death of my father in 2017 when I was just 10 years old my mom’s financial situation has changed a lot. She's taken a full-time public-school teaching job, worked camps in the summer and done extra tutoring just to help us get by and pay for my school activities, I have worked full time in the summers and part time during the school year since I was 16 to help offset costs. I worked as a nanny and also as a daycare provider at Premier Prep School in Keller. Without scholarships like this it will be difficult for me to attend college and obtain my goal and dream of becoming an educator. It is my desire to be a servant and to impact the lives of many students. An investment in me will truly change not only my life, but the lives of future children for generations.

Since I can remember school has been hard for me. When I was younger, I would spend hours working on simple assignments. My handwriting was often illegible. I never quite understood why things were so incredibly difficult for me, I often felt like I wasn't smart, and I would never succeed. It wasn't until I was in fourth grade that I got diagnosed with dysgraphia. This diagnosis allowed me to finally understand what was wrong. Through hard work, a specialized tutor and the support of my family I am proud to say I have received all A's and B's since 7th grade. Since freshman year I have taken multiple honors courses and received over 20 hours of dual credit classes for college. Even though my grades have been exceptional there are still certain things I struggle with however through accommodations and my never quitting attitude I can't wait to start college. I have come so far and worked so hard, and I don't plan on quitting anytime so Around the time I got diagnosed with dysgraphia however another catastrophe happened. When I was just 10 years old my father got diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer. This was so incredibly difficult. It was a very long road and unfortunately only 8 months later he passed away. This put a severe strain on my family emotionally and financially. Since then, my mom has picked up a public-school teaching job, I've gotten many summer jobs, and we have worked so hard to budget for college. My dream is to go to college, and I really hope that this dream can come true. I plan on becoming an elementary school teacher and helping struggling kids just like me. I want to make a difference in their life however to do this It is essential I get scholarships or help funding college. I plan on working so hard to make this dream come true and further my education in order to help kid succeed. The hardest thing I've ever gone through is losing my dad to cancer. At age 10, my dad was my hero, and I truly thought he was invincible. My Dad was fighting Esophageal cancer, an overwhelming enemy, that made even normal eating and drinking fluids become gigantic feats. The devastation of watching him lose strength and become so weak that he couldn't even stand combined with even more emotional and financial strain as he could no longer work, and his benefits were drained. The death of my dad changed life as we knew it financially. We were blessed to have family and friends to help us survive the many transitions. My Dad’s life insurance helped us pay off pending medical and funeral costs. My Mom soon went from teaching in a small private Pre-School program to teaching in a Public School so she could provide for us and our needs. My mom has always been an extremely hard worker and truly she's made so many sacrifices for me. I hope someday I can repay her. She has taught me so much about how to work hard, live within our means, save every time we can, and never give up your dreams. Going to college has been more than just a dream for me. My dream of going to college now relies on me working and getting scholarships. I am striving to get a better education and work towards my life goal of teaching, but it's a task I will need help to accomplish. This scholarship would go a long way to help meet this dream.

Since I was little, I have known I wanted to be a teacher. I always used to go into my mom's kindergarten classroom and pretend I was teaching students. I absolutely adore kids, they always seem to bring a smile on my face, they are funny, smart, cute and even _ at times. I love getting to volunteer with kids and I always stove to make a positive impact in their life. Growing up in school was a struggle for me. I hated school so much, I felt like I wasn't smart and like I was a failure. A few years later I got tested and discovered I have dysgraphia. This diagnosis was extremely hard, I hated having a label on me, I thought that having a learning disability meant I would never flourish in school. I almost gave up, I almost said I'm done with school I will never be able to succeed and push through. If it weren't for my family and a couple teachers who believed in me, I'm not sure I'd be where I am today. These people greatly impacted my life, they encouraged me and stayed by my side even in the nights where it took me hours to do one writing assignment. A few years later I figured out the learning methods that worked best for me, this was a total game changer in my academic success. Now, I have made it to senior year where I have made all as and bs since eighth grade. I'm now a member of show choir, choir, TAFFE and national Honors Society. This experience has impacted me significantly, it's made me want to be a teacher and encourage kids. I truly strive to show every kid that they can learn, they are capable of success they just have to learn how they learn. I hope in the future to be able to use my experience and help other kids like me. My dream is to go to college, and I really hope that this dream can come true. I plan on becoming an elementary school teacher and helping struggling kids just like me. I want to make a difference in their life however to do this It is essential I get scholarships or help funding college. I plan on working so hard to make this dream come true and further my education in order to help kid succeed. I cannot wait to get out there and start making a difference in kids' lives. I hope to be someone they can turn to when they need encouragement, I hope to provide support that they may not get anywhere else, I hope to bring them hope, hope that they can learn, and they will get better and lastly, I hope to help them believe in themselves and lead them to success.

The hardest thing I've ever gone through is losing my dad to cancer. At age 10, my dad was my hero, and I truly thought he was invincible. My Dad was fighting Esophageal cancer, an overwhelming enemy, that made even normal eating and drinking fluids become gigantic feats. The devastation of watching him lose strength and become so weak that he couldn't even stand combined with even more emotional and financial strain as he could no longer work, and his benefits were drained. The death of my dad changed life as we knew it financially. We were blessed to have family and friends to help us survive the many transitions. My Dad’s life insurance helped us pay off pending medical and funeral costs. My Mom soon went from teaching in a small private Pre-School program to teaching in a Public School so she could provide for us and our needs. My mom has always been an extremely hard worker and truly she's made so many sacrifices for me. I hope someday I can repay her. She has taught me so much about how to work hard, live within our means, save every time we can, and never give up your dreams. Going to college has been more than just a dream for me. My Dad did not attend college and so he constantly talked to me about how important it would be for my future. Since I was young, I’ve known I wanted to be a teacher and help students with reading difficulties. My dream of going to college now relies on me working and getting scholarships. I am striving to get a better education and work towards my life goal of teaching, but it's a task I will need help to accomplish. The summer before Junior year I got my first official summer job as a nanny for a family friend. I kept two children each day and worked approximately 40 hours a week. This job was not only a financial boost to help my mom and I, but also a great experience for a future Elementary Teacher. School is sometimes a time-consuming effort as a student with dysgraphia and visual perceptual challenges. Yet I manage during school to work on my studies, perform in the Varsity choir, volunteer with kids, and successfully take dual credit classes to cut some of the college costs. I also babysit for friends and family any time I can. These experiences helped me secure a full-time job this last summer at a daycare called Premier Prep where I completed an 8-hour day working with young children. This job was essential to finish paying for a car and all that comes with that, but also to save up for college. I am a hard worker, and am determined to become a teacher and impact many lives. This scholarship would go a long way to help meet this dream.

My drive to become a teacher came from witnessing my family members change children's lives. Many of the members of my family are educators so I grew up around the classroom a lot. I would always sit on my mom's rug and pretend to be teaching with stuffed animals as my students. I always said I wanted to be a teacher, but it wasn't until I was about 12 that I finally confirmed my calling. It was one of the first times I had volunteered in my mom's kindergarten class. I loved getting to watch my mom interact with the kids, to see them smiling and listening intently. A little bit later my mom pulled reading small groups. Growing up in school was a struggle for me. I hated school so much, I felt like I wasn't smart and like I was a failure. A few years later I got tested and discovered I have dysgraphia. This diagnosis was extremely hard, I hated having a label on me, I thought that having a learning disability meant I would never flourish in school. I almost gave up, I almost said I'm done with school I will never be able to succeed and push through. If it weren't for my family and a couple teachers who believed in me, I'm not sure I'd be where I am today. These people greatly impacted my life, they encouraged me and stayed by my side even in the nights where it took me hours to do one writing assignment. A few years later I figured out the learning methods that worked best for me, this was a total game changer in my academic success. Now, I have made it to senior year where I have made all as and bs since eighth grade. So, when I was intently watching my mom do this, I remembered all the time I was that kid and how hard I worked. I realized that maybe my dyability was a blessing not a curse. maybe I would be able to use my struggles, use my learning disability to help other kids who struggle. Since that moment I've looked up to my mom so much more. Because she too went through a similar story as me. I realized that regardless of what anyone would ever say about being a teacher with a learning disability I was determined to make a difference in kids' lives. This experience has impacted me significantly, it's made me want to be a teacher and encourage kids. I truly strive to show every kid that they can learn, they are capable of success they just have to learn how they learn. I hope in the future to be able to use my experience to help other kids like me.