I am currently an 18-year-old student who hopes to build a career in education. My path to this goal has not been typical, but the challenges I have faced growing up have shaped the person I am today and the kind of impact I want to have on the world. Through everything I experienced, school was often the one place where I felt safe and supported. Because of that, I hope to become the kind of teacher who creates that same sense of stability and encouragement for other students. Growing up, my home life was extremely difficult and unpredictable. My mom was in and out of penitentiaries for much of my childhood, and my father has never been a part of my life. I have never even known who he is. Because of these circumstances, I had to grow up very quickly. When my little brother was born, I took on a large role in helping raise him. He is nine years younger than me, and from a young age I felt responsible for protecting and caring for him the best I could. As I got older, my great-grandparents stepped in and adopted me, giving me the stability that I needed during an otherwise chaotic time in my life. Recently, I have taken on the role of helping care for them as they age. My great-grandmother has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and helping support her through those challenges has been another experience that has shaped my perspective on responsibility, compassion, and resilience. At the same time, I have faced incredibly difficult decisions within my own family. One of the hardest moments of my life was having to rehome my younger brother so he could have a safer and more stable environment. That experience broke my heart, but it also reinforced how important stability and support are in a child’s life. Growing up surrounded by so much uncertainty has given me a deep understanding of what it feels like to live in chaos and instability. Despite these hardships, school was always a place where I felt hope. Some of the teachers I had growing up made a lasting impact on my life. They gave me encouragement, patience, and understanding at times when I needed it the most. Their classrooms became safe spaces where I could focus on learning and building a future for myself. Those teachers showed me the power that educators have to positively shape a young person’s life. Because of those experiences, I want to become that kind of teacher for the next generation of students. I want to create a classroom where children feel safe, supported, and encouraged no matter what they may be facing outside of school. I understand firsthand that many students come to school carrying burdens that others may not see. Having a teacher who believes in them can make a life-changing difference. Currently, I work as a CDC preschool teacher, where I already have the opportunity to support young students as they learn and grow. Every day in the classroom reinforces my belief that education can be a powerful tool for change. By creating environments where students feel valued and understood, teachers can help them develop confidence, curiosity, and resilience. Through my career in education, I hope to give students the same sense of safety and encouragement that my teachers once gave me. My goal is to make sure that every child who walks into my classroom feels seen, supported, and capable of building a better future for themselves.

I have always had a passion for teaching. Education is the art of shaping young minds, and preparing them for all the hardships and joys to come. Growing up, I always struggled with feeling excluded in social settings… particularly school. Teachers that were loving and welcoming made my academic journey a pleasant one. I may have been young, but I will forever remember the genuine care they brought to their profession. I hope to one day do the same. Currently, I am a Critical Development teachers aide in my hometown elementary school. This job position opened up for me very spontaneously. My previous worksite had closed and then someone told me I had been recommended for the position. The Board of Education warned me going into this position that it was a hard one, that it was difficult and most certainly not for everyone. I would be dealing with and caring for young, preschool age, students with disabilities and special needs. The job weighed heavily upon my heart. I prayed every night that I would have the opportunity to accept such as a position, as I also knew that I wanted to pursue my degree in education. Finally, I got the call back- and I was accepted! So I began work at Parris South Elementary School, right here in Savannah Tennessee. Immediately, I knew that this job would not only be my career but that it would be the passion of my life. As of now, I work with a General Education classroom of twenty students under the age of five years old. I specialize in working with 2 of the children in my CDC Department- both nonverbal and on the spectrum. They are so full of life and joy. Every day they inspire me to see the good, and to be the good. This job has taught me patience, character, preservation, intentionality, and even to find my sense of childlike wonder yet again! I wouldn’t trade my position for the world. I have been fortunate to have many teachers that have shaped me into the person I am today. I remember: my first grade teacher that taught me that I was loved and that with confidence I could do anything I set my mind to, my sixth grade teacher that made school feel like a safe space, my eighth grade teacher- my inspiration to teach to this day, the teacher that taught me that learning was an art and that our passions made room for us, my high school literature teacher that taught me hard work rewards all. For all of them, I am so very thankful. I hope to one day be the same inspiration,