School has always been a refuge from the challenges I faced at home, including food instability, homelessness, and family loss. My appreciation for education deepened in high school, particularly due to a passionate English teacher who reignited my love for learning and helped me establish academic goals. Taking college courses while in high school better prepared me to become an educator. In my quest for academic proficiency, I came to value the aspect of education that turned me, a struggling child, into a thriving intellectual. I discovered that my calling is to become an English teacher because I was inspired to pursue a subject in which I excel and to share my love of literature with others. Three core values guide the teacher I aspire to be: equity, communication, and commitment. I firmly believe that every student, regardless of their background or abilities, deserves a quality education that equips them with the skills necessary for success in their careers. Education shouldn't just prepare students for jobs; it should also challenge their critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. As a low-income, first-generation student, I have firsthand experience with hardships like food insecurity and family instability, which expands my understanding of the obstacles many students face. One of the most impactful aspects of my education was the individual attention I received from my teachers. A supportive and inclusive classroom environment is crucial for students to thrive. It’s important for teachers to care about their students' identities and backgrounds from the outset to create a sense of belonging. Additionally, I found that small group work significantly enhanced my learning experience. Collaborating with peers allowed me to gain multiple perspectives and learn the value of respectful debate. As an educator, I intend to facilitate small group work to encourage students to express diverse opinions and embrace cultural differences, which empowers them to address social disparities. Beyond fostering self-expression, I want to inspire my students to become leaders in their communities. My goal is to motivate them to care for others and seek ways to uplift their neighborhoods, not merely for classwork purposes but out of genuine concern. I aim to cultivate future volunteers, public speakers, and caretakers who will have a positive impact on society. I will challenge my students academically while nurturing their growth mindset and helping them build confidence in their abilities. I am continuously seeking to improve myself as a person and educator. As I embark on college and take on internships, I will broaden my experience in education. However, my growth won’t stop once I begin teaching; I am committed to seeking advice from peers and feedback from my students to enhance my teaching methods. I will differentiate instruction to meet each student's unique needs, dedicating the time and effort necessary to support their success. In addition to my teaching career, I aspire to create a scholarship fund for impoverished and marginalized students. This initiative will allow me to advocate for the rights of these students, just as my teachers fought for my right to a quality education. After graduating college, I plan to raise donations and contribute my personal funds to this scholarship. I also intend to use social media and the press to spread awareness and advocate for supporting marginalized students in achieving their academic goals. My commitment to education is both a personal journey and a mission to create a more equitable future. I am dedicated to making a meaningful difference in my students' lives, inside and outside the classroom, and ensuring they have the resources and support needed to succeed.

The best part about being in high school is that the opportunities for extracurricular activities expand by a long shot, and you can become irrevocably intertwined with your community. Clubs, sports, and community service activities become more popular and accessible in high school, making them easy ways to be more involved in our neighborhoods. Not only that, but the memories you make while participating in these activities are cherishable, life-long experiences that will stick with you your entire life. I know that was the case for me, at least. My involvement in clubs, sports, and community service has enabled me to be more involved with my peers and environment and make meaningful contributions to my community. My most lengthy commitment, which has lasted throughout my high school career, is my participation in track and field. I've participated on the varsity team for the past two years and have had the honor of serving as the team's Varsity Captain for these two years. My duties as Captain include leading workouts for practice, leading team-building activities, organizing run/workout routes, coordinating workouts, and guiding and supporting new teammates. The most direct impact of my position is being there to uplift my teammates and boost team morale. However, team sports go so much deeper than that. Sports outreach can touch students from all walks of life, including students who might struggle at home, need additional academic support, or are looking to become more involved at school. By being a leader on this team, I was able to impact these incoming students, being one myself, and have a greater, more positive effect on them. Clubs have a similar outreach. I ensured that outside of athletics, I would be active at my school in order to reach more students and show others what the school community has to offer. These clubs include the Art Club, Student Government, and National Honor Society. The Art Club at Lansdowne High School, where I attend, holds this incredible event--called Lanscape--every year. This cultural festival hosts many presentations, food tables, art galleries, and handmade shops, which invite the entire community to celebrate the cultural diversity at LHS and raise money for the school. Student Government is also very involved in the school community. When I served as Class Vice President in 10th grade, I met with my fellow officers a few times a month to discuss fundraising opportunities, outreach activities, and ways to make our school more accepting of the diverse population it houses. I'm currently a part of the National Honor Society, where we have weekly meetings to discuss future volunteering events and community outreach. So far this year, we've hosted two volunteer events: The American Heart Association Blood Blank and the Lansdowne High School Coat Drive. Outside of school, I'm a part of a college prep program that participates in community service activities. I also enjoy engaging in community service independently on top of what I already complete in the program. TRIO Upward Bound is an academic organization for high-achieving, low-income, first-generation students. Since March 2022, I've been an active member of this program, participating in various volunteer events at the Maryland Food Bank, Baltimore County Animal Services, and the Better Business Bureau. I've also participated in volunteer events at the school, including a college fair, where I advocated for students applying to particular schools and helped set up the event. I hope that by being in multiple extracurriculars and dedicating my free time to community service, I can help make my community a better place and inspire my peers to contribute meaningfully to their environment.

Equity. Communication. Commitment. These three values immediately come to mind when contemplating what type of teacher I want to be. It is my firm belief that every student, regardless of skill level or accommodations needed, deserves a quality and equitable education that prepares them with the applicable skills required for building a career. Not only should education prepare students for finding a job they love and excel in, but it should also challenge student's critical thinking skills to expand their depth of knowledge and problem-solving abilities. As a low-income, first-generation student, I've had to persevere through my hardships, such as food insecurity, home instability, and family loss, while simultaneously attempting to excel academically at school. Having this firsthand experience, I want to be more forgiving and understanding with my students because one can never tell just by looking at someone what they're dealing with at home. Something I've always cherished from my teachers is the individual attention and care they put into each student. I struggled immensely during my ninth-grade year, but I was lucky to have a spirited English teacher who motivated me to stay focused and to help me discover my vocation as an educator. To have a safe and accepting classroom environment, the teacher must demonstrate they care about students' identities, backgrounds, and opinions from the start to facilitate that kind of response from students. Additionally, I benefited a lot from small group work during high school. While it's great to work at my own pace, being a part of a small group allowed me to gain different perspectives and learn how respectfully debating among my peers boosts everyone's learning. As an educator, I want to facilitate lots of small group work to encourage my students to discuss culturally diverse opinions and viewpoints. In doing so, I hope my students will feel more comfortable expressing their authentic selves and embracing cultural differences. Other than helping my students express themselves openly and fearlessly, I hope to motivate my students to be leaders in their communities and to challenge rules and viewpoints that are unfair and inequitable. I want my students to be excited to help others and to research ways of uplifting their neighborhoods, not just because it may be for a class assignment. I plan to create the next generation of volunteers, public speakers, caretakers, and more to benefit society. Academically, I want to challenge all my students within their capabilities and encourage everyone to step outside of their comfort zone. I want my students to have growth mindsets, be confident in their work, and be proud of their accomplishments. I'm always looking for ways to improve myself as a person, friend, mentor, and, recently, an educator. As I enter college and participate in more internships, I will broaden my experience in education. However, my growth won't stop once I reach the door to my new career. As I progress throughout my years of teaching, I will constantly look for advice from my peers and feedback from my students on ways to be more informative, engaging, and helpful. Furthermore, I will differentiate my instruction as needed to accommodate the unique needs of every student, ensuring I dedicate individualized time and effort to my students. I won't adapt to my students just because it's "a part of the job." I will do so because I care about all my student's success and want to support them in reaching their goals.

One value that has changed the course of my life is education. School has always been indispensable to me; it is my refuge from the difficulties I face at home. Whether it was food instability or grieving a family member, I've always looked forward to going to school. Since entering high school, a new appreciation for education has taken hold. During my first year, a spirited English teacher helped make learning fun and rekindled my natural curiosity and devotion to learning. Through his guidance, I molded my keenness for writing into a strong interest in research, which allowed me to connect with previously overlooked subjects, such as history and science. He encouraged me to pursue more academically challenging work, like the Early College Access Program, where I've participated in college courses. I've taken classes that are not offered at my school like English Grammar and Usage and Adolescent Psychology, which provide meaningful knowledge I can apply in my pursuit of becoming an educator. In these classes, I offer unique perspectives and contribute to advanced discussions about class material. In my quest for academic proficiency, I came to value the aspect of education that turned me, a struggling child, into a thriving intellectual. I discovered that my calling is to become an English teacher because I was inspired to pursue a subject in which I excel and to share my love of literature with others.  Over the past three years, I have worked alongside my peers in classes across all subjects, facilitating meaningful discussions by exchanging ideas and asking probing questions like, "What would you do if you were in the main character's shoes?" or "How would the final answer change if the limit were negative instead of positive?" to encourage critical thinking and higher-level problem-solving. I have uplifted my classmates academically and emotionally by creating a personal connection through shared interests, such as storytelling, reading, and research. This school year, I'm a teacher's assistant for 11th graders dual-enrolled in English 101 and 102. I have lots of fun as an aide because I enjoy guiding the students in their courses, helping revise essays, leading study groups, and engaging peers in productive learning. After undergoing teaching opportunities with neurotypical and neurodiverse students, I plan to conduct research at university about intellectual and emotional phenomena that affect human learning capabilities to be more prepared for my work as an educator.