Mackenzie Childress To be an educator is to be a lifelong learner. Whether listening to my parents, in Sunday school, or in class, I always loved learning and hearing stories. One foundational moment in my schooling career and decision to be a teacher was in 4th grade while learning about the history of Texas. There I fell in love with history. I remember hearing about the lifestyles of the native tribes of the Gulf Coast region and Texas’s struggle for independence. These Texan historical figures’ ways of life and stories came to life, intriguing me and leaving me thirsting for more. Throughout my schooling, I continued to enjoy history more than any other subject, but I was planning to pursue a career in law. I aspired to be an attorney for monetary purposes and make a difference in the Black community. Simultaneously in high school, on Sundays, and throughout the summer, I taught children’s Sunday school classes. I enjoyed working with kids, no matter their behavior. If one were more spirited than the other children, I would work one-on-one with them or have a short talk to reengage them in the lesson. Here was where I realized that I would enjoy being a teacher. Outside influences continuously influenced and encouraged me to go into law. The final straw that released me from the mind-prisoning aspiration to be a lawyer was an Educational Psychology course at Spelman College. Within this course, I learned about the racial discrepancies in education success rates, teaching strategies, and administrative insight into the public education system. I constantly desired to make a difference in my community but failed to see that education as a means to assist. Education is the root of our society. All occupations require some level of knowledge that children learn in school. After finishing the education psychology course, I decided to become a history teacher. Now, as a sophomore at the University of North Texas, I am a history major on track to receive teaching certification in Texas for grades seven through 12. By teaching history, I am not only telling stories and giving assignments based on the past but gifting students with the knowledge of the past to reshape their future. Many students view history as a class to memorize dates, names, and the accomplishments of influential White men. In my history class, I hope to tell an unaltered history of our nation; the good, the bad, and even the ugly, while still abiding by state guidelines. History is about not repeating the past and taking pride in it. African Americans and other minorities in the United States have a resilient history that all American children need to be taught. Even without the historical aspect of being a history teacher, I aim to inspire my students. Although it would be wonderful to influence several of my students to become history teachers, I want to nurture a classroom of prom solvers and lifelong learners. No matter what profession my students desire to be, I want them to thirst for knowledge. My 4th-grade teacher, Ms. Spelman, sparked my love for history, and I desire to do the same for my future students. Teaching is a cycle of gifting knowledge to the next generation and exchanging information between the instructor and their students. By observing and gaining insight and feedback from my students, they will be gifting me with more knowledge to be a better educator and a lifelong learner.