My interest in pursuing a career in special education came from reflecting on everything I went through as a younger student to get to where I am today. I started school when I was three and had a lot of special accommodations put in place with an Individualized Education Plan. The team at ABC Preschool recommended that I go to Murray Ridge, a school for developmentally disabled students, but my parents refused this recommendation. My family worked diligently with me at home, and I continued progressing throughout elementary and summer school. This aspect was only possible because my mom cut her work hours to a minimum to provide additional support at home related to my disability. Access to early intervention was integral to my success. Leaving class for intervention and speech created gaps for me academically and socially. Despite the obstacles, I chose to grow. I have an awareness and experience that will give me insight into my career choice as a special education teacher. Educators, coaches, family, and friends played essential roles in helping me set and reach goals. They helped build my confidence by encouraging me to continue my great work. I had many opportunities to grow and achieve much success throughout my life. I know firsthand the importance of an educator who understands and believes in me. I am pursuing my goals by attending Bowling Green State University, which has one of the most respected undergraduate education programs. I plan to receive a Bachelor’s Degree and obtain a license in teaching mild to moderate K-12 learning environments. I will use my degree to serve my community by advocating for more inclusive treatment involving students with disabilities. I understand what it is like to receive judgment from my peers based on past experiences. I want to become that educator who can change lives like my teachers have done for me before. I would create a safe space where students can talk to me about their struggles, and I can help them become more confident about their academic and social abilities. Success to me would look like five years after graduation when I am in a financially stable enough place to afford necessities, having satisfaction in my profession as an Intervention Specialist, believing that the school I work for values my contributions and that the goals I created are getting accomplished. Educators, coaches, family, and friends played a vital role in helping me set goals, build my confidence, and believe in my abilities. Five years from now, I will stay as an Intervention Specialist and begin my career in the best way possible. I want to do what is right for every student, even though some people may disagree with my opinions. At the same time, I want to become a great listener because it is essential to consider different perspectives, such as what family members think and how they feel about the circumstances involving their son or daughter. Communication and collaboration are crucial to help everyone reach their goals. I believe that teaching a younger audience would work better for me. At the moment, I am thinking about teaching in an elementary school five years from now because I remember how much of a role early intervention has played in my life and that I can help create a significant difference in their development. I want to make a difference in this world and give back to everyone who helped me become who I am today. I appreciate the opportunity to apply for the Bob Thompson Memorial and have a chance to share part of my life story.

The event that eventually changed my life and career projections significantly involves a backstory of where I first started and how far I have come. I started school when I was three and had a lot of special accommodations put in place with an Individualized Education Plan. The team at ABC Preschool recommended that I go to Murray Ridge, a school for developmentally disabled students, but my parents refused this recommendation. My family worked diligently with me at home, and I continued progressing throughout elementary and summer school. It was only possible because my mom cut her work hours to a minimum to provide additional support at home related to my disability. Access to early intervention was integral to my success. Leaving class for intervention and speech created gaps for me academically and socially. Despite the obstacles, I chose to grow. I have an awareness and experience that will give me insight into my career choice as an intervention specialist. Educators, coaches, family, and friends played essential roles in helping me set and reach goals. They helped build my confidence by encouraging me to continue. I had many opportunities to grow and achieve much success throughout my life. I know firsthand the importance of an educator who understands and believes in me. I used my past circumstances to help give back to other people and make a difference in this world. I had several ideas about what I wanted to do for my profession, but none stayed with me for the long term. There was one day in my life that changed my career aspirations forever, but during that moment, I did not know. This event took place in my 11th-grade English class, where I had to present an assignment where everyone had to share their journey of success. I took it in a different direction and decided to write about my past struggles to reach that success. I was initially hesitant about taking the risk because I did not share my personal story with any of my classmates. I feared how people would perceive me after the presentation, but my teacher encouraged me to take the chance. I remember the aftermath of the presentation, everyone clapping for me and my teacher pulling me off to the side, saying how I did a great job and that it was brave of me to share my story. It was the day when the calling of my future career as an intervention specialist began. At first, I was in denial, pushing it off to the side, still not knowing what I wanted to do with my future. After talking to my parents and teachers and mentioning how this career field needs people similar to me, I decided to follow that path to the education field. Pursuing a career as an intervention is a perfect opportunity to give back to everyone who helped me throughout the years and work with students who need extra assistance, as I did a long time ago. There is still a lot I am trying to figure out regarding my major, including identifying the best grade to teach, how to manage a classroom, and where to go after I graduate. I do not know where I would be right now if I did not complete this AP Language and Composition assignment in 11th grade. It had more of an impact on my life than I ever thought. That was the first time I shared my personal story and struggles with anyone while in a classroom. I appreciate this opportunity to share my passion as a future intervention specialist.

The efforts that make a significant difference in a community happen when everyone collaborates and does their service for an important cause. Doing independent community service is great to do as well, but I believe that people working as a team create greater fulfillment and purpose in accomplishing a goal. It brings an experience that is not only an educational one but also something that makes an impact on you and other individuals along the way. Receiving the Bob Deats Memorial Scholarship for Education would mean everything because this opportunity will bring me one step closer to making a difference. I want to become an intervention specialist to help prepare students with disabilities for success while advocating for more inclusive treatment. I am pursuing these goals by attending Bowling Green State University, which has one of the most respected undergraduate education programs. I plan to receive a Bachelor’s Degree and obtain a license in teaching mild to moderate K-12 learning environments. It can be a struggle to overcome the stigma of a learning disability. I experienced this when I was younger, having a severe speech delay and qualifying for special education services. There was one day in my life that changed my career aspirations forever, but during that moment, I did not know. This event occurred in my 11th-grade English class, where I had to present an assignment where everyone shared their journey of success. I took it in a different direction and decided to write about my past struggles to reach that success. I was initially hesitant about taking the risk because I did not share my personal story with any of my classmates. I feared how people would perceive me after the presentation, but my teacher encouraged me to take the chance. I used to be ashamed of sharing my past because I worried that individuals would judge me. In the last few years, I have become more open to communicating information because I want to spread awareness about what challenges individuals go through as special education students. Without the encouragement from my instructor, I would have never shared my story in front of the entire class. It was the day when the calling of my future career as an intervention specialist began. At first, I was in denial, pushing it off to the side, still not knowing what I wanted to do with my future. After talking to my parents and teachers and mentioning how this career field needs people similar to me, I decided to follow that path to the education field. Pursuing a career as an intervention is a perfect opportunity to give back to everyone who helped me throughout the years and work with students who need extra assistance, as I did a long time ago. I plan to pay it forward through my teaching and mentoring experiences by getting involved with student organizations that connect with my major as an intervention specialist. The service activities I participated in for RallyCap Sports helped me become a better person and created a deeper connection. The volunteer experiences also inspired my mission to become great and continue to make a difference in the world, for what I want to accomplish by someday becoming an intervention specialist. For those I served throughout the years, individuals were happy and felt that they were in a safe place to be themselves. I want my future classroom to provide a safe place for every student, where they feel a sense of love, belonging, and acceptance. I appreciate this opportunity to share my life story and my passion for community service.

My name is Meghan Glahn, and I am in my 2nd year of college at Bowling Green State University, one of the most respected undergraduate education programs. I am majoring as an intervention specialist, which can connect to Early childhood education. I will find ways to make my classroom exciting for students. I admit that my opinion will change about this topic, but right now, I have four main ideas to create a more exciting classroom environment for students. These ideas include emphasizing group class activities, making concepts into fun games, encouraging questions instead of dismissing them, and finally, the teacher allowing student feedback about the assignments. The first idea I want to emphasize in my classroom is to have more group in-class activities while providing an option of letting students work independently. I want to create a classroom environment where students can complete their assignments as they please. I understand how some students feel uncomfortable working with others, and I decided to add the second part of that option for a reason. This classroom setup will allow students to choose whether to collaborate with others or come up with creative ideas independently. Having opportunities for students to work together leads to more participation and overall engagement. I would want to emphasize creating in-class concepts into fun games for students. Whether that means providing an online Kahoot or creating a more hands-on approach game, I would like everyone to have a great time in the classroom while learning concepts at the same time. To add to this idea, I would also add a friendly competition part, as I do not want this idea to backfire and make everyone unhappy. Instead, I will do this element in a way that helps everyone master the learning objectives while preparing them for the inevitable exam. I would encourage all my students to ask questions instead of dismissing them entirely. A classroom is a place to learn about life, which provides a perfect opportunity for everyone to ask questions instead of feeling terrible for not understanding a concept. School should also become a place that encourages critical thinking instead of being dismissive about it. This idea could become very dangerous because students could ask inappropriate questions that a teacher cannot answer. In my future classroom, I will answer questions to the best of my ability. I will do that as long as the questions remain appropriate. The most important aspect of a classroom is how the students respond to the lesson plan. Some days, a teacher does a better job with preparation than other moments. When a lesson has not worked out, the way to identify how to make these necessary modifications is to ask for student input. This aspect does not only benefit the students as they feel they have a voice. It also helps the professor identify what works and what to never try again in their future classes. This idea overall creates a more safe and engaging space for everyone in the classroom. With the topic relating to creative teaching and engaging students, I believe there are many ways to respond to this prompt. I had more ideas that did not make it in this response, but I chose the aspects with the most impact on student learning and their overall development. Everyone has a different learning style and how they understand concepts. I believe it is essential that a classroom should provide materials to help each student find success. I appreciate this opportunity to share my thoughts about this prompt and apply for the Marjorie Moriole Early Childhood Education Scholarship.

I want to become an intervention specialist because of everything I went through as a younger student and one 11th-grade English presentation, which helped convince me to choose special education. I view this profession as an opportunity to help give back to everyone who has helped me to get to where I am today and that I can make a difference in this world. I want to prepare students with disabilities for success while advocating for more inclusive treatment. I am pursuing these goals by attending Bowling Green State University, which has one of the most respected undergraduate education programs. I plan to receive a Bachelor’s Degree and teaching license for mild to moderate K-12 learning environments. Just because someone has a disability, they should not be treated differently by others. It just means they need more assistance. I started school when I was three with a severe speech delay and had several special accommodations put in place for me with an Individualized Education Plan. My family worked diligently with me at home, and I continued progressing throughout elementary and summer school. It was only possible because my mom cut her work hours to a minimum to provide additional support at home related to my disability. Access to early intervention was integral to my success. Leaving class for intervention and speech created gaps for me academically and socially.  Despite the obstacles, I chose to grow. I have an awareness and experience that will give me insight into my career choice as a special education teacher. Educators, coaches, family, and friends played essential roles in helping me set and reach goals. I had many opportunities to grow and achieve much success throughout my life. I know firsthand the importance of an educator who understands and believes in me.  There was one day in my life that changed my career aspirations forever, but during that moment, I did not know. This event took place in my 11th-grade English class, where I had to present an assignment where the main goal was for everyone to share their journey of success. I took it in a different direction and decided to write about my past struggles to reach that success. I felt hesitant to take the risk because I never shared my personal story with anyone. I feared how people would perceive me after the presentation, but my teacher encouraged me to take the chance. I used to be ashamed of sharing my past because I worried that individuals would judge me. In the last few years, I have become more open to communicating information because I want to spread awareness about the challenges others go through as special education students.  Without the encouragement from my instructor, I would have never shared my story in front of the entire class. I remember the aftermath of my presentation of my class clapping for me and the teacher pulling me off to the side, saying how I did a great job and that it was brave of me to share my story. It was the day when the calling of my future career as an intervention specialist began. At first, I was in denial, not knowing what I wanted with my future. After talking to my parents and teachers and mentioning how this career field needs people similar to me, I decided to follow that path to the education field.  Pursuing a career as an intervention is a perfect opportunity to give back to everyone who helped me throughout the years and work with students who need extra assistance, as I did a long time ago.

Receiving the Denise K. Emberton Memorial Scholarship would mean everything because it will bring me one step closer to making a difference. I want to become an intervention specialist to help prepare students with disabilities for success while advocating for more inclusive treatment. I am pursuing these goals by attending Bowling Green State University, which has one of the most respected undergraduate education programs. I will receive a Bachelor’s Degree and a teaching license for mild to moderate K-12 learning environments. Just because someone has a disability, they should not be treated differently by others. They need more assistance, and no one should judge them for that. It can be a struggle to overcome the stigma of a learning disability, and I experienced this as a younger student, having a severe speech delay and qualifying for special education services. I started school when I was three and had several special accommodations with an Individualized Education Plan. My family worked diligently with me at home, and I continued progressing throughout elementary and summer school. It was only possible because my mom cut her work hours to a minimum to provide additional support at home related to my disability. Access to early intervention was integral to my success. Leaving class for intervention and speech created gaps for me academically and socially. I chose to grow despite the obstacles. I have the awareness that will give me insight into my career choice as an intervention specialist. My teachers, coaches, family, and friends played essential roles in helping me set and reach goals. They helped build my confidence by encouraging me to continue. I received many opportunities to achieve success throughout my life and know firsthand the importance of an educator who understands and believes in me. By sharing my experiences of overcoming my barriers to learning (severe speech delay), I will build meaningful relationships to help build confidence in all low-incidence students. I might only be in my second year of college, but I have some experiences to share regarding working with low and high-incidence students in high school and college. In high school, I volunteered to help with Special Olympics practices, including flag football, cornhole, and basketball. The competitors ranged in age from young elementary school children to older high school-aged students. The purpose behind these practices was for them to have fun playing sports while preparing everyone to compete against other schools. I enjoyed working one-on-one with all of these students. The leadership experiences offered throughout my involvement with the Special Olympics program increased my desire to improve how people treat students with disabilities. The special education students participating in the activities reminded me a lot of myself. Due to my past experiences, I have a connection with this individual population. My contributions to the Special Olympics also affected the community. I saw how the athletes were having fun participating, and their satisfaction made me proud that I was making a difference. Parents were pleased to see their children participating in these events. The impact you have on other people matters. Helping with the Special Olympics practices inspired me to join RallyCap Sports at Bowling Green State University. With the RallyCap Sports organization, active members create a positive sports environment for children and young adults with special needs. The members helped lead games, drills, and exercises to create an inclusive atmosphere throughout the academic year. I appreciate the opportunity RallyCap Sports gives to help me prepare for my career as an intervention specialist and the connections created with other individuals. I appreciate the opportunity to apply for this scholarship.

I started school when I was three with a severe speech delay and had several special accommodations put in place with an Individualized Education Plan. My family worked diligently with me at home, and I continued progressing throughout elementary and summer school. This was only possible because my mom cut her work hours to a minimum to provide additional support at home related to my disability. Access to early intervention was integral to my success. Leaving class for intervention and speech created gaps for me academically and socially. Despite the obstacles, I chose to grow. I have an awareness and experience that will give me insight into my career choice as a special education teacher. Educators, coaches, family, and friends played essential roles in helping me set and reach goals. I had many opportunities to grow and achieve much success throughout my life. I know firsthand the importance of an educator who understands and believes in me. There was one day in my life that changed my career aspirations forever, but during that moment, I did not know it yet. This event took place in my 11th-grade English class, where I had to present an assignment where the main goal was for everyone to share their journey of success. I took it in a different direction and decided to write about my past struggles to reach that success. I was initially hesitant about taking the risk because I did not share my personal story with any of my classmates. I feared how people would perceive me after the presentation, but my teacher encouraged me to take the chance. I used to be ashamed of sharing my past because I worried that individuals would judge me. In the last few years, I have become more open to communicating information because I want to spread awareness about what challenges others go through as special education students. Without the encouragement from my instructor, I would have never shared my story in front of the entire class. I remember the aftermath of my presentation of my class clapping for me and the teacher pulling me off to the side, saying how I did a great job and that it was brave of me to share my story. This was the day when the calling of my future career as an intervention specialist began. At first, I was in denial, pushing it off to the side, still not knowing what I wanted to do with my future. After talking to my parents and teachers and mentioning how this career field needs people similar to me, I decided to follow that path to the education field. Pursuing a career as an intervention is a perfect opportunity to give back to everyone who helped me throughout the years and work with students who need extra assistance, as I did a long time ago. My personal story is not unique regarding the struggles that students identified with disabilities face. My story is unique in that successes have motivated me to choose the same career field responsible for helping me succeed. I can’t wait to make a difference in the lives of others, as so many have done for me. I am living proof that dreams really do come true with hard work, determination, and perseverance! My older brother is also in college, and my parents must finance two college educations simultaneously. I am doing everything possible to help diminish the financial burdens of my family. I want to make an impactful contribution to the field of education, and this scholarship will get me closer to reaching my goals.

What makes me proud to be American is what the country stands for. The Statue of Liberty best represents this by symbolizing freedom and democracy. This country, however, is not a perfect place and needs improvement in some areas. One of many changes I would want to see in US society is how they value our educators. I have seen a problem throughout the years of people overall disrespecting teachers and not appreciating their contributions to society. Think about what an education system would look like without having any teachers. Without teachers, how would schools function? Who would replace the expectations teachers have right now? We are beginning to witness consequences that will only worsen if we do not address this issue. People try to dismiss teaching and believe it is easy when it is one of the most challenging jobs. Society commonly mentions how teachers have the summer off to relax, which is far from the truth. They are already making lesson plans for the following school year, and some had to do additional jobs to afford a decent living. We reached this point in society for many reasons, including the rise of feminization in this teaching profession, society valuing other priorities, the administration disrespecting our educators, and the overall negative media perception. These four factors led to several significant consequences that will only worsen if no one steps up and works on this issue. These include teachers quitting at high rates, high burnout, having more unqualified teachers, and students receiving inadequate knowledge from education. The next step to solving any significant issue is taking action. What would be the best course of action for me to take? Now, we must find a way to begin taking action regarding teacher underappreciation. How to best take action would include these three main words: awareness, advocate, and acknowledgment. The first step is to spread more awareness to the public regarding teacher underappreciation and the consequences that could take place if nothing gets done. Then, we advocate for the teachers regarding what they contribute to society. The teachers will also advocate for themselves and the students. We must do everything possible to spread awareness about this topic and advocate for their valuable services. The third aspect of taking action for teacher underappreciation is acknowledgment. We must acknowledge what teachers provide to the education profession and our lives. Everyone must also understand there is a massive problem taking place right now in society. Before we begin solving a problem, people must acknowledge its existence. With almost any topic regarding a project, there is a lot of research to choose from and overall contribute. At the same time, it is incomplete because the topic needs further investigation. Out of the three words mentioned when taking action, acknowledgment is the most essential aspect. Before solving a problem, we must acknowledge that it exists in the first place. When it comes to a topic relating to teachers being undervalued and underappreciated, this will not go away anytime soon. More research has to happen to learn more about this phenomenon, but several sources indicate this is the case. Society needs to collaborate and work together, especially individuals in the education profession. Instead of dismissing educators, we should listen to what they say about the current state of education. It is also up to future educators, including myself, to discuss more about this issue. Teacher underappreciation needs more of a serious discussion, and it is once again up to those with experience in the education profession, future educators, and anyone willing to work to solve this significant issue.

Success to me looks like giving back to the community and those who helped me throughout my life. My interest in pursuing a career in education came from reflecting on everything I went through as a younger student to get to where I am today. I started school when I was three and had a lot of special accommodations put in place with an Individualized Education Plan. The team at ABC Preschool recommended that I go to Murray Ridge, a school for developmentally disabled students, but my parents refused this recommendation. My family worked diligently with me at home, and I continued progressing throughout elementary and summer school. This was only possible because my mom cut her work hours to a minimum to provide additional support at home related to my disability. Access to early intervention was integral to my success. Leaving class for intervention and speech created gaps for me academically and socially. Despite the obstacles, I chose to grow. I have an awareness and experience that will give me insight into my career choice as a special education teacher. Educators, coaches, family, and friends played essential roles in helping me set and reach goals. They helped build my confidence by encouraging me to never give up. I had many opportunities to grow and achieve much success throughout my life. I know firsthand the importance of an educator who understands and believes in me. After overcoming many childhood issues, I flourished academically, athletically, and artistically throughout high school and the beginning of college. I earned the High Honor Roll every grading period in high school. I also took advantage of college-level courses offered for three years, including summer semesters, and consistently earned a 4.0+ GPA. I was involved in many extra-curricular activities in high school. These included the Student Council, Leo Club, assisting with Special Olympics, and getting inducted into the National Honor Society. Junior year, after encouragement from my older brother, I joined the outdoor Track & Field team as a thrower. I became a captain on both indoor and outdoor Track & Field teams. I became a member of the Wind Ensemble Band, composed of the top musicians in the music program, during my senior year as a flute player. I believe these experiences have made me a well-rounded individual. I may have only completed one semester at BGSU, but I made the Dean’s List with a 4.0 GPA. I struggled to answer one question, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I had several answers, but none stayed with me for the long term. There was one day that changed my career aspirations forever. This event happened in my 11th-grade English class, where I had to present an assignment. The main goal was for everyone to share their journey of success. I took it in a different direction and decided to write about my past struggles to reach that success. I was initially hesitant about taking the risk because I did not share my personal story with any of my classmates. I feared how people would perceive me after the presentation, but my teacher encouraged me to take the chance. I brought up a copy of my IEP documents, showing everyone what I have been through with my life. I wrote about the obstacles I faced having a severe speech delay in my younger days, and despite all the challenges, I found success thanks to the support I received from my family, friends, and other educators. I used to be ashamed of sharing my past because I worried people would judge me. I have become more open to communicating information because I want to spread awareness about what others go through as special education students. Without the encouragement from my instructor, I would have never shared my story in front of the entire class. I remember the aftermath of my presentation. My class clapped for me, and the teacher pulled me off to the side, saying how I did a great job and that it was brave to share my story. This was when the calling of my future career as an intervention specialist began. At first, I denied this, pushing it off to the side, not knowing what I wanted to do with my future. After talking to my parents and teachers and mentioning how this career field needs people similar to me, I decided to follow that path to the education field. Pursuing a career as an intervention is a perfect opportunity to give back to everyone who helped me throughout the years and work with students who need extra assistance, as I did a long time ago. I want to make an impactful contribution to the field of education, and this scholarship will get me closer to reaching my goals.