Ever since I was young, I have wanted to teach, to inspire young minds with my passion and a desire for knowledge. Although the subject that I've wanted to teach has changed since I was little, I still have a strong desire to share the topics I am passionate about. Receiving this scholarship will allow me to follow that dream and become the teacher I have always wanted to be. I am grateful enough to be going to Grove City College which has one of the best education programs on the east coast. Although this is only my sophomore year, I have already learned so much, not only through my classes but through my experiences as well. Unfortunately, Grove City is a rather expensive college and the financial burden of attending a good institution tends to weigh on me. This can at times affect my ability to work well as I am worried about how I will be able to pay off my loans and thinking about my life after college instead of staying focused and remaining in the moment. This scholarship would relieve that worry and allow me to completely focus on my education without worrying about the financial portion of it. By focusing on my education, I will be able to more effectively pursue my future goal of becoming a Spanish teacher. I will allow my desire to teach to fuel me and push me to work harder than I have before so that I might fully achieve that goal. Not only will receiving the scholarship help me work towards my goal now, but also when I do become a teacher. When teaching, I want my focus to be on my work and I want it to be my main focus. A large financial burden could potentially hinder my ability to teach well when my mind is in a different place. I want my students to know that I am with them, not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. I desire to pour my whole heart and soul into my work so that I can inspire kids to pursue their own dreams. I have a big heart for young minds and I'd hate to see my own worries hinder kids' ability to reach for the stars and make it there. I want my students to see my passion, not my worry so that they may be inspired by that passion and have one as hot, if not hotter than my own.

In today's day and age, it's difficult to find people that have optimism and hope for the future. With the rise in mental health issues and political and social tension, it is understandable that our culture has become increasingly pessimistic. This is where I believe I differ. As a Christian, I have found hope in the knowledge that all things work together for the good thus creating a sense of joy and optimism within me. I believe that this attribute will allow me to give back to my community by serving others joyfully as well as encouraging others to do the same through my teaching. I am currently going to school for k-12 Spanish education and as a teacher, it will be my job to help and serve my students in order to increase their knowledge and understanding not only in Spanish but also of the world around them. I hope to give them a sense of optimism and joy about the world so that they may live happy and fulfilling lives. I hope that my future students will recognize my optimism and excitement to teach and then get excited to learn as a result. Due to my joy, I find it easy to love people of all backgrounds, races, ethnicities, political parties, genders, and sexual orientations. I want each and every one of my students to know that they are loved, appreciated, and worthy. I hope that this will encourage them to talk to me if they are ever going through a difficult situation, or just need to take a break in my classroom during their lunch or free period. I hope to be a role model of joy and optimism that they can look up to but not be intimidated by. Unfortunately, I am only human and cannot share my optimism with every being on earth but I know that if I share it with whom I can, they will be impacted by that joy and then spread it to others, thus creating a rippling effect of love, joy, and hope. The world can be an intimidating and dark place but we can't let our light be overcome by it. We must share our hope and joy with whoever we can so that we can create a more loving and welcoming world. Joy is contagious and we have the ability to spread it if only we open our hearts and are willing to accept it.

As an American, wanting to fight for important social issues is in my blood, but I often find it difficult to do so as I find myself thinking I'm too young to make a difference or there isn't much that I can do. Yet amidst those unproductive thoughts, I can find ideas and ways that I can be addressing specific issues, and ways that I have already done so. I have found that I can post on social media, give presentations at school, attend clubs, and do political canvassing in order to address the issues. One issue that I am particularly passionate about aiding single and/or young mothers who don't feel capable of raising a child whether that be due to problems regarding finances, lack of relational support, mental health struggles, or any other issue for that matter. I firmly believe that these women need to be supported in a variety of ways and given multiple choices as to what they can do going forward. In order to address the issue, I first off like to be completely informed so I follow a variety of pregnancy resource accounts on social media that address different sides of the issue such as Live Action, CompassCare, and pro-choice America. After becoming more informed regarding this issue, I feel capable of addressing it. I have found that funding and praying for pregnancy resource centers such as Compass Care and Alpha Omega Pregnancy Center allows me to do my part in supporting these mothers. These centers provide free ultrasounds, free STI testing, as well as a variety of mental health and financial support resources to help these mothers provide for their babies. I also find that I enjoy informing others about this issue and I do so by reposting profound ideas from the accounts I follow. When I repost, I often have people responding, by asking questions, refuting, or agreeing with the ideas I post. This gives me the opportunity to have constructive conversations regarding soon-to-be mothers, informing others of the different sides of the issue. To further address the issue, I have traveled to participate in political canvassing, encouraging others to vote for politicians who will advocate for the healthy support of mothers and their children. I was able to inform citizens of ways they could help mothers through their vote and through encouraging others to vote for these politicians as well. To continue addressing this social issue, I have joined clubs at my school such as Young Women for America that fight for the rights of mothers and their children. This club allows me to become more informed of the issue as well as go out to and help pregnancy resource centers around the school. As an American, I am very passionate about certain social issues that I feel have an enormous effect on other citizens of the United States. As such, I believe it is my duty to address these issues and help those who are in need. I continue to take action as stated above, and I will continue to do so throughout the duration of my life.

Every child always has a long list of different career choices that often change over time, and I was no exception. Although my list consisted of many jobs, and although those jobs often changed, the idea of being a teacher remained constant. I have enjoyed working with children of all ages since I was young and I wish to continue to do so as an educator in an elementary school. I want to give students the skills they need in order to be independent and achieve their goals by teaching them those skills at an early age. Although math and reading are valuable skills that every student deserves to possess, I also want to prioritize teaching them to love others and treat their peers with respect and repour. I want to pour love and kindness into my future students and be a good role model for them so that they may take that kindness and pay it forward to help improve their communities. In order to achieve my personal and educational goals, I chose to work in an after-school program at my local recreation center that does not pay enough for what its' workers are doing. Although I wish to be paid more, I would not trade this job for the world because I get valuable experience that will help me become a better educator. I know that I could have gotten a job anywhere else that would pay me more per hour but it would not have taught me how to manage a classroom or how to manage behavior. I gave up hanging out with friends after school and over breaks to get some extra hours in at the recreation center in order to help pay for college and lower my debt. I know that as an educator, I will not be paid much so I want to try to pay off as much of my debt as I can. Rather than using my spare time to relax or hang out with people, I have spent hours applying for scholarships so that I can successfully pay for higher education. Getting paid large sums of money has never been an objective in searching for a dream job, as I'd rather be able to help others achieve their goals. I want to work with children so that they will be able to do what they love and give back to their communities. If I can help change the life of just one student, I can rest knowing I have done my job successfully.

Like most avid readers, it can often be difficult for me to select my favorite book, as I have read many. But, when asked what my favorite book is I often respond with The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This book is quite unique in its narration style and plot line. It is written from the point of view of death which is why I enjoy it so much. With this narration, Zusak provides a rather dark outlook on an already dark topic, World War II. "Death" is a rather comical character, often making sarcastic remarks about humans, their stupidity, and their wickedness, providing comic relief to the depressing story. Not only is this book written from an interesting point of view, the writing is beautiful and eloquent. Zusak's word choice is exquisite. He knows exactly what complex words to use and when to use them, making the text higher level but still readable. Of course I don't just enjoy the book because of the narration and word choice, but also its plot. As aforementioned, The Book Thief is about World War II. The main character Liesel Meminger, is a young girl living in Germany with a foster family, the Hubermans. Whilst living with them, Liesel not only learns how to read but also experiences what it is like to be loved and cared for. She must overcome her past trauma and learn to have hope, despite the dark time in which she is living. Over the course of the book, her character develops beautifully while still facing internal and external conflict, making the character very admirable. I have read the Book Thief three times and have thoroughly enjoyed it each time and I will never get tired of reading it.

Galatians 5:22-23 says "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." As a Christian, I understand that each of these attributes is important to practice and understand so that I may be more like God. In this essay, I will be focusing on how I strive to be joyful and demonstrate this portion of the fruit of the spirit. As a believer, having joy in my life is very important to me, and I fully believe that it is vital to have it when faced with trials and persecutions. To stay joyful, I often turn to God asking Him to help me trust in Him at all times. This trust that He provides me with, allows for more joy to come into my life and I become an overall happier person. Another action I take to remain joyful is by remembering my blessings and thanking God for them. Countless studies have been done that state that people who write down what they are thankful for are significantly more joyful. I do this a little differently, but it's the same idea. When I pray, I try to remember to thank God for the countless people, opportunities, and blessings He has bestowed upon me. When I am more thankful, I am more joyful so this is a step I try to take every day to find joy in my life.

Like most individuals, I have quite a few hobbies that I like to dabble in. One that I have had ever since I was little, is reading. I have always enjoyed being able to sit down and immerse myself in a different world, whether it be fantastical, mysterious, scary, or sad. Reading has never ceased to relax and entertain me, no matter what book it is. Another hobby that I have invested in since fifth grade, is flute playing. When I first picked up the beautiful instrument, I fell in love with it. I love how the flute can be used in the melody of a piece, as well as give a lovely fluttering effect in the background. Its sounds can be used in so many different ways, and I have grown to have a great appreciation for the instrument over the years. Another reason I enjoy playing so much is that it allows me to play in the band at my school. Listening to how all the instruments work together to form a beautiful piece of music is fascinating to me and band is my favorite part of the school day because of this. One more interest that I have is actually what I am choosing to pursue as a career in the future and that is children. I have been babysitting since I was twelve, as well as helping in the Sunday School at my church since I was ten. My current job is working with kids at the local Recreation Center in the after-school program. I adore kids and I love seeing how their minds work and develop over time. Because of my passion for working with kids, I am going into a career in elementary education, so that I may be a part of their future.

Everybody has their own way of demonstrating love and affection, otherwise known as a "love language." My love language is primarily known as "words of affirmation" and "quality time." So in order to make my friends and family feel loved, I offer kind words of affection. This could be in the form of compliments, words of encouragement, or empowerment. Every once in a while, I may write a letter or text a long paragraph that demonstrates how much I care for that person and how much they mean to me. Throughout the day, I'll often ask them how they are doing, how their day is going, or what they have been up to. I do this because I genuinely care about how their day is going and I want them to know that. As I said before, I also show love is through quality time. This is just what it sounds like. If I love someone, I'll often ask if they want to hang out. I'm content going shopping with them, watching a movie, going on walks, getting coffee, or just being bored together as long as I get to spend time with them and make them feel loved.

Like all children, I often had a large list of careers I wanted to pursue as an adult, and that list was constantly changing. But the one job that always remained consistent was one as a teacher, and this still holds true today. My dream career is to be an educator. I have always loved kids and I want to be able to work with them and prepare them for their futures. I also want to be able to show them love and demonstrate that I care for them, because I know that most students don't feel that way about their teachers. I want them to know that there are people out there who care about them and want what is best for them. Because I love kids so much, education is very important to me, as it's crucial in the lives of children. Their education and their experience in school can shape their characters, their ways of thinking, and their futures. I hope to somehow be part of that shaping even if I can only contribute a little bit. In the future, I would like to be an elementary school teacher, and then perhaps be a special education teacher. All children deserve to have an equal chance in the world, including children with disabilities. So I would like to utilize my education to help them feel loved and to help them have an education that is just as good as that of other students. I would also like to use my education to become an principal one day. I would like to take my experience as a teacher to be able to relate to other teachers, help them, help the students and be able to communicate the needs of my school and the district to those who are ranked above me. All in all, I really just want to be able to spread some love and light into the world, through the lives of the coming generations, so that they can do the same.

Music has always had a great effect on my life and I don't know where I would be without it. I am constantly listening to music of all genres for a variety of reasons whether it be entertainment, relaxation, or a well needed energy boost. I also listen to music in order to find inspiration, and the song that has helped me find that inspiration most is "Adventure is Out There" by AJR. Although it has a fun, up-beat melody that boosts my mood and energy, it's the lyrics that really impact me. A line from the chorus goes, "Adventure is out there/Adventure is out there/So why am I in here/Why am I in here today?" This always reminds me that the world has so much to offer me and my future so I shouldn't stay cooped up inside, doing nothing. I should be working hard, going out, hanging out with friends and going on adventures. These adventures don't have to be big to impact one's life, but they can be relatively small and still have a large effect. This song is one of my favorites and I hope that others can feel the same way about it as I do, and be inspired by its encouraging lyrics.

As a talkative extrovert, it has often been difficult for me to listen instead of speaking. But over the years, I have learned how to become a better listener. When listening to someone, I am actively aware of what is going on in my head, as well as what the other person is saying. Being aware of my own mind, helps me to sort out my thoughts and whether what I want to say is important. If it's not, I discard it and allow myself to be fully attentive to the speaker. When I am actively listening, I want the other person to know that I care about what they are saying. I do this by maintaining eye contact, nodding and only speaking when the other person has completed their thought. I'll often ask questions if I don't understand or would like to know more about what they are saying, this demonstrates that I was listening and would like to know more. Over the years, I have learned how to become a better listener and I now care greatly about that aspect of myself. I feel this way because I want to treat others the way I want to be treated. If I am speaking to someone, I want to know that they are actively listening to what I have to say; and others most likely feel the same so I choose to listen.