This is my third year here in Alaska and I am enamored by its glories and diverse population. In my few short years here, I have familiarized myself with local vegetation and its nutritional value. I have participated in subsistence practices such as dip-netting and I learned I still have a lot more to learn. In May of 2019 I came to visit my childhood friend in Alaska and the experience changed my life, I quit my job of 15 years, rented out my home, and moved to Anchorage in August. The town we grew up in lacked diverse mind-sets and beliefs, Alaska has challenged my way of thinking for the better. I am excited to learn about more cultures, traditions, and beliefs, particularly the Alaskan Native culture. Their sustainable way of life is something desirable and I am impassioned to learn more about their practices, customs, and philosophies. Alaskan Native communities recognize the value of working together and the importance of having a positive impact on their environment. The Alaskan Native way takes a wholistic approach to support children in their growth, I admire this. Since August of 2019, I have been employed as a teacher’s assistant in a developmental pre-school classroom in the Anchorage School District. The job has been challenging but I build a strong rapport with my students and have an innate teaching ability. I look forward to using all the intellect that I’ve gained thus far to continue to support low-income, culturally diverse, young learners in Alaska. I grew up in a small town in Idaho in a homogenous community where I was considered the minority because I wasn’t member of the religious majority. My mother played a significant role in shaping my world view, she was compassionate, encouraging, emboldened in her ability to make genuine connections, and prioritized spreading authentic love to all. My mother was my role model, deeply involved in my life, and I take great honor in being her daughter. The day after I graduated high-school I turned 18, family members who hadn’t seen my mother in a few years, came to celebrate and noticed something was wrong. Eventually she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s and passed away at the age of 64. After my 18th birthday, my role quickly changed from child to caregiver as I watched my mother slowly slip away for 10 years before succumbing to the disease. Losing my mother was traumatic and riddled with challenges. My experience taught me to look beyond the surface and treat everyone with dignity, everyone has value. Regardless of outward strengths or weaknesses, we all have worth and deserve respect. I understand what it’s like to be in crisis and I will use my wisdom and awareness to construct meaningful relationships with my students to create a classroom environment that is supportive and understanding. I have a gusto for life and my passion is teaching, I aspire to become an elementary school teacher in Anchorage, Alaska where the population is culturally diverse and the views are stellar. I am currently a junior in the Bachelor of Elementary Education program at the University of Alaska Southeast Juneau and plan to graduate in the Spring of 2023. I work full-time and attend college part-time but next year I will be enrolled full-time and highly discouraged from working in accordance with the senior handbook. I am devoted to education and am committed to being a life-long learner. I love working with kids and inspiring learning and I love the results. I am eager to share my zest for learning with young learners.

In May of 2019 I visited my childhood friend in Alaska and the experience changed my life, I quit my job of 15 years, rented out my home, and moved to Anchorage in August. The town we grew up in lacked diverse mind-sets and beliefs, Alaska has challenged my way of thinking for the better. I am excited to learn about more cultures, traditions, and beliefs, particularly the Alaskan Native culture. Their sustainable way of life is something desirable and I am impassioned to learn more about their practices, customs, and philosophies. Alaskan Native communities recognize the value of working together and the importance of having a positive impact on their environment. The Alaskan Native way takes a wholistic approach to support children in their growth, I admire this. In my few short years here, I have familiarized myself with local vegetation and its nutritional value. I have participated in subsistence practices such as dip-netting and I learned I still have a lot more to learn. I recently accepted a position as a long-term substitute in a developmental preschool classroom at a Title 1 school, I am co-teaching with and being mentored by a SPED pre-school teacher. I am learning to implement naturalistic interventions and record meaningful data based on each child’s IEP goals. Learning how to scaffold instruction based on each student’s individual needs helps me build a better foundation to support all learners with varying learning styles and academic needs. I look forward to using all the intellect that I’ve gained thus far to continue to support low-income, culturally diverse, young learners in Alaska. I am ambitious to develop student potential and I will use my solid educational foundation to foster relationships and learning environments that address the whole child. I desire to create an effective, energetic learning environment that is student centered. I love working with kids and inspiring learning and I love the results. I am eager to share my zest for learning with young learners.

I have a gusto for life and my passion is teaching, I aspire to become an elementary school teacher. My mother played a significant role in my education and shaping my world view, she was compassionate, encouraging, and emboldened in her ability to make genuine connections. Her demeanor was calm and welcoming, she never spoke ill of anyone, always kept her word, and prioritized spreading authentic love to all. Fortunately for me, my mother was my role model and deeply involved in my life and I take great honor in being her daughter. Unfortunately, the day after I graduated high-school I turned 18, some family members who hadn’t seen my mother in a few years, came to celebrate and noticed something was wrong with her mental state. Eventually she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s and passed away at the age of 64. After my 18th birthday, my role quickly changed from child to caregiver as I watched my mother slowly slip away for 10 years before succumbing to the disease. I completed 80 credits in pursuit of an Elementary Education BA before I stopped going to college to become a full-time caregiver. I am currently a junior in the Bachelor of Elementary Education program at the University of Alaska Southeast Juneau and plan to graduate in the Spring of 2023. I am devoted to education and am committed to being a life-long learner. Losing my mother was traumatic and riddled with challenges that help me relate to students and families of students who are also suffering from trauma. My experience taught me to look beyond the surface and treat everyone with dignity, everyone has value. Regardless of outward strengths or weaknesses, we all have worth and deserve respect. I anticipate that focusing on strengths rather than weaknesses, coupled with encouraging guidance, will inspire critical thinking, personal growth, confidence, and thus, self-motivated learners. I understand what it’s like to be in crisis and I know I will have the strength to support students who need extra assistance due to their life outside of school and its stressors. I will use my wisdom and awareness to construct meaningful relationships with my students to create a classroom environment that is supportive and understanding. I look forward to using all the intellect that I’ve gained thus far to continue to support low-income, culturally diverse, young learners in Alaska. I aim to be patient, caring, and upbeat in tailoring instruction to meet individual needs and learning styles. My goal is to enhance and increase the number of positive learning experiences and student-teacher interactions. I will treat all my students with respect and genuinely connect with each one. I am ambitious to develop student potential and I will use my solid educational foundation to foster relationships and learning environments that address the whole child. I desire to create an effective, energetic learning environment that is student centered. I love working with kids and inspiring learning and I love the results. I am eager to share my zest for learning with young learners.

I have a gusto for life and my passion is teaching, I aspire to become an elementary school teacher in the Anchorage School District in schools that are low-income and culturally diverse. I grew up in a small town in Idaho in a homogenous community where I was considered the minority because I wasn’t member of the religious majority. My rural upbringing gave me an appreciation and love for the great outdoors, mother nature is my favorite artist. My mother played a significant role in shaping my world view, she was compassionate, encouraging, and emboldened in her ability to make genuine connections. Her demeanor was calm and welcoming, she never spoke ill of anyone, always kept her word, and prioritized spreading authentic love to all. Fortunately for me, my mother was my role model and deeply involved in my life and I take great honor in being her daughter. Unfortunately, the day after I graduated high-school I turned 18, some family members who hadn’t seen my mother in a few years, came to celebrate and noticed something was wrong with her mental state. Eventually she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s and passed away at the age of 64. After my 18th birthday, my role quickly changed from child to caregiver as I watched my mother slowly slip away for 10 years before succumbing to the disease. I completed 80 credits in pursuit of an Elementary Education BA before I stopped going to college to become a full-time caregiver. I am currently a junior in the Bachelor of Elementary Education program at the University of Alaska Southeast Juneau and plan to graduate in the Spring of 2023. I am devoted to education and am committed to being a life-long learner. Losing my mother was traumatic and riddled with challenges that will help me relate to students and families of students who are also suffering from trauma. My experience taught me to look beyond the surface and treat everyone with dignity, everyone has value. Regardless of outward strengths or weaknesses, we all have worth and deserve respect. I understand what it’s like to be in crisis and I know I will have the strength to support students who need extra assistance due to their life outside of school and its stressors. I will use my wisdom and awareness to construct meaningful relationships with my students to create a classroom environment that is supportive and understanding.