When I was younger, my parents told me that I could be anything I want--except a teacher. Both of my parents are teachers and are extraordinarily passionate about their jobs, but they understand that teaching is not a job for the faint of heart. They knew that if I followed in their footsteps, I would face increasing class sizes combined with decreasing funding, parent complaints combined with a lack of mental health support, and straining workloads combined with financial insecurity. For years, I never had the thought that I would go into education. I wanted to be an occupational therapist in middle school then shifted my focus to psychology in high school before I realized that neither of those jobs suited me nearly as well as being a teacher, even if it meant that I would have to give up the flexibility that comes with working at an outpatient office and the financial security that medical professionals earn. As the oldest cousin on my mom's side, I have found joy in teaching the younger ones new things. I would read to them when they were toddlers and point out the letters in their names. One of my favorite games was "swim teacher," where I would take my cousin and teach her the strokes I was learning at swim team. This led to me becoming a swim instructor at my local pool, and my love of seeing children grow and find enjoyment in their new skills has only increased. After the summer season ended, I found myself filling in as a tutor for some of the younger students at my school, and that is how I knew for certain that music education was the field I was born to go into. Throughout my life, music has been stable and comforting. I struggle with anxiety and depression, and songs have helped me through my hardest times. Even more importantly, the community aspect of my school choir has helped me immeasurably. I was timid when I went to my audition the summer before my freshman year, but I was immediately greeted by an upperclassman who made sure I felt as confident as I could be and wished me luck before I met the director. Even though she has since graduated, I know I can always call her, and she will be there for me. This sense of community may seem miraculous, but I know that it would have never happened without my choir teacher. She promotes a sense of community that I have not found in any other class. This is what I will strive to bring to my own classroom. I have looked at my education through a critical lens to find what strategies are the most effective for students to learn the most and also feel very comfortable, and I found that Universally Designed Learning is the best teaching strategy and a focus on community is the most important aspect of the classroom environment as a whole. With this information, I will structure my class in a way that promotes collaboration and scientifically-backed instruction methods. Overall, my main goal would be to help my students learn valuable skills in an environment where they would be comfortable and accepted for who they truly are.

In my process to transition to university, I have become aware of how imperative it will be for me to focus on my health. I struggle with anxiety and depression that often get exacerbated by the day-to-day stresses of school. During my sophomore year of high school, my grades started to get lower as my health took a turn for the worse. I was fighting to keep my 4.0 GPA harder than I was fighting to advocate for myself. Over the summer, I convinced myself that I needed to start going to therapy. While this did not immediately help me, I knew that I would eventually start to feel better, so I continued to go until recently, where I have learned how to keep myself healthy. Despite my focus on my mental health, I am still so busy that I sometimes have trouble maintaining my physical health. To change that, I have started riding my bike with my sibling. It might not be the most strenuous activity, but this has helped all aspects of my health because I get to spend uninterrupted time with them and also do physical exercise. As they are four years younger than I am, we have limited opportunities to talk to each other after school and all of our various activities, but we have found a solution to that problem by finding an activity that we both enjoy and that allows us to catch up on each others' lives. This has been unimaginably beneficial to me because I know I will not be able to see them much once I go off to college next year. I do not know if they understand how devastated I will be when I will no longer be able to see them grow and hit milestones. There is no way for me to see all of those major life events before I leave for university, but I am currently here for the small things. I can ask about swim meets and friends and books they are reading. That has kept my sadness at bay and my soul soothed. While I originally started to go on bike rides with them for the benefits of exercise, I have gained so much more than that; I know that my life is going to change immensely, but I have time now to truly appreciate my family and how far I have come to reach this new opportunity.

One year ago, I thought that debilitating anxiety and depression would be the crux of my struggle with mental illness. I could have never imagined that position would belong to the therapist who I thought would protect me in my most vulnerable state. I spent months begging for help. I researched the process extensively. I thought I was prepared for anything. Little did I know that my desperate trust would be weaponized against me. Although there were numerous warning signs, I convinced myself that I needed to stay in therapy; I likely would have attempted suicide if I had stopped going. Reflecting upon the situation, I recall the terrifying level of inappropriate behavior that she subjected me to. The comments began with the typical "you're so mature for your age" and progressed into "I can’t stop thinking about you." On their own, these statements were uncomfortable but could have been well-intentioned. However, her true colors started to become apparent shortly after she pressured my family into sending me to a mental hospital. I was given a psychiatric evaluation, and the doctors at the hospital agreed that I was at a point in my treatment where spending time in a mental hospital would be more detrimental than staying with my support system and continuing therapy. She did not agree. In reaction, she told me about her suicide attempt in excruciating detail and said that if I felt the need to go back to the hospital, she would find me and take me to get admitted, effectively kidnapping me. Sadly, I was not convinced to tell my parents what was happening, even after she expressed her desire to kidnap me. I still trusted her more than I trusted my ability to keep myself alive. Only after my parents were made aware of the clinic’s illegal violation of confidentiality did I finally escape her. I was terrified to go back to therapy, but, again, I knew that the only way I would stay alive would be to go through intensive group therapy. I hated it, but after nearly 100 hours of the program, I felt confident that I could keep myself safe. However, despite progressing tremendously with my symptoms, I felt terrible. I began to question the underlying motives of everyone’s actions. I had nightmares. I feared that she would find me. I became incapacitated by fear and unable to live my life as I had before she abused me, and I did not want to do anything that could potentially subject me to more pain. More than anything, I wanted to isolate myself and ignore the flashbacks, but I knew that I would have to fight against comfort if I wanted a chance to become who I was again. So I am battling my way through my pain and fear–I am reporting her to the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners in order to prevent her from harming another child. Most days, I am not strong enough to defeat the trauma by myself, but when I remember that she still has the ability to do this to another kid, I know that I need to muster up enough strength to keep this from happening to anybody else. Now, I have regained the power that she weaponized against me, and I will do all that I can to make sure she does not have the authority to abuse anyone else. I trusted her more than I could trust myself, but now I know that I can rely on myself to fight back when I or others are being taken advantage of.

One year ago, I thought that debilitating anxiety and depression would be the crux of my struggle with mental illness. I could have never imagined that position would belong to the therapist who I thought would protect me in my most vulnerable state. I spent months begging for help. I researched the process extensively. I thought I was prepared for anything. Little did I know that my desperate trust would be weaponized against me. Although there were numerous warning signs, I convinced myself that I needed to stay in therapy; I likely would have attempted suicide if I had stopped going. Reflecting upon the situation, I recall the terrifying level of inappropriate behavior that she subjected me to. The comments began with the typical "you're so mature for your age" and progressed into "I can’t stop thinking about you." On their own, these statements were uncomfortable but could have been well-intentioned. However, her true colors started to become apparent shortly after she pressured my family into sending me to a mental hospital. I was given a psychiatric evaluation, and the doctors at the hospital agreed that I was at a point in my treatment where spending time in a mental hospital would be more detrimental than staying with my support system and continuing therapy. She did not agree. In reaction, she told me about her suicide attempt in excruciating detail and said that if I felt the need to go back to the hospital, she would find me and take me to get admitted, effectively kidnapping me. Sadly, I was not convinced to tell my parents what was happening, even after she expressed her desire to kidnap me. I still trusted her more than I trusted my ability to keep myself alive. Only after my parents were made aware of the clinic’s illegal violation of confidentiality did I finally escape her. I was terrified to go back to therapy, but, again, I knew that the only way I would stay alive would be to go through intensive outpatient therapy. I hated it, but after nearly 100 hours of the program, I felt confident that I could keep myself safe. However, despite progressing tremendously with my symptoms, I felt terrible. I began to question the underlying motives of everyone’s actions. I had nightmares. I feared that she would find me. I became incapacitated by fear and unable to live my life as I had before she abused me, and I did not want to do anything that could potentially subject me to more pain. More than anything, I wanted to isolate myself and ignore the flashbacks, but I knew that I would have to fight against comfort if I wanted a chance to become who I was again. So I am battling my way through my pain and fear–I am reporting her to the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners in order to prevent her from harming another child. Most days, I am not strong enough to defeat the trauma by myself, but when I remember that she still has the ability to do this to another kid, I know that I need to muster up enough strength to keep this from happening to anybody else. Now, I have regained the power that she weaponized against me, and I will do all that I can to make sure she does not have the authority to abuse anyone else. I trusted her more than I could trust myself, but now I know that I can rely on myself to fight back when I or others are being taken advantage of.

When I was younger, my parents told me that I could be anything I want--except a teacher. Both of my parents are teachers and are extraordinarily passionate about their jobs, but they understand that teaching is not a job for the faint of heart. They knew that if I followed in their footsteps, I would face increasing class sizes combined with decreasing funding, parent complaints combined with a lack of mental health support, and straining workloads combined with financial insecurity. For years, I never had any thought that I would go into education. I wanted to be an occupational therapist in middle school then shifted my focus to psychology in high school before I realized that neither of those jobs suited me nearly as well as being a teacher, even if it meant that I would have to give up the flexibility that comes with working at an outpatient office and the financial security that medical professionals earn. As the oldest cousin on my mom's side, I have found joy in teaching the younger ones new things. I would read to them when they were toddlers and point out the letters in their names. One of my favorite games was "swim teacher," where I would take my cousin and teach her the strokes I was learning at swim team. This led to me becoming a swim instructor at my local pool, and my love of seeing children grow and find enjoyment in their new skills has only increased. After the summer season ended, I found myself filling in as a tutor for some of the younger students at my school, and that is how I knew for certain that music education was the field I was born to go into. Throughout my life, music has been stable and comforting. I struggle with anxiety and depression, and songs have helped me through my hardest times. Even more importantly, the community aspect of my school choir has helped me immeasurably. I was timid when I went to my audition the summer before my freshman year, but I was immediately greeted by an upperclassman who made sure I felt as confident as I could be and wished me luck before I met the director. Even though she has since graduated, I know I can always call her, and she will be there for me. This sense of community may seem miraculous, but I know that it would have never happened without my choir teacher. She promotes a sense of community that I have not found in any other class. This is what I will strive to bring to my own classroom. I have looked at my education through a critical lens to find what strategies are the most effective for students to learn the most and also feel very comfortable, and I found that Universally Designed Learning is the best teaching strategy and a focus on community is the most important aspect of the classroom environment as a whole. With this information, I will structure my class in a way that promotes collaboration and scientifically-backed instruction methods. Overall, my main goal would be to help my students learn valuable skills in an environment where they would be comfortable and accepted for who they truly are.

As the oldest cousin on my mom's side, I have found joy in teaching the younger ones new things. I would read to them when they were toddlers and point out the letters in their names. One of my favorite games was "swim teacher," where I would take my cousin and teach her the strokes I was learning at swim team. This led to me becoming a swim instructor at my local pool, and my love of seeing children grow and find enjoyment in their new skills has only increased. After the summer season ended, I found myself filling in as a tutor for some of the younger students at my school, and that is how I knew for certain that music education was the field I was born to go into. Throughout my life, music has been stable and comforting. I struggle with anxiety and depression, and songs have helped me through my hardest times. Even more importantly, the community aspect of my school choir has helped me immeasurably. I was timid when I went to my audition the summer before my freshman year, but I was immediately greeted by an upperclassman who made sure I felt as confident as I could be and wished me luck before I met the director. Even though she has since graduated, I know I can always call her, and she will be there for me. This sense of community may seem miraculous, but I know that it would have never happened without my choir teacher. She promotes a sense of community that I have not found in any other class. This is what I will strive to bring to my own classroom. I have looked at my education through a critical lens to find what strategies are the most effective for students to learn the most and also feel very comfortable, and I found that Universally Designed Learning is the best teaching strategy and a focus on community is the most important aspect of the classroom environment as a whole. With this information, I will structure my class in a way that promotes collaboration and scientifically-backed instruction methods. Overall, my main goal would be to help my students learn valuable skills in an environment where they would be comfortable and accepted for who they truly are.

When I was in seventh grade, my whole grade went through a series of financial literacy lessons culminating in a field trip to Junior Achievement Biztown. While we were there, we were assigned jobs, bank accounts, and families to support. Throughout the day, we had to make decisions about how we would spend our money, find ways to survive setbacks, and invest for the future. While this was a very simplistic view of the financial world, I learned an immeasurable amount from it. To this day, I remember small tips that I learned from the courses, such as paying credit card payments on time from the first payment to keep a good credit score or having an emergency fund with enough money to survive for six months. I have learned much more from getting a job and paying for some of my own expenses, but I like to think that it all started with one school field trip. I am so grateful for the financial kick-start I received from the program, but I am even more appreciative of having a supportive family that helps me handle my finances currently. I have been working as a lifeguard for the past two summers, and I work about forty hours a week so that I do not have to hold a part-time job during the year and I can focus on my schoolwork. I initially wanted to push through the stress that having a job in addition to being a student, leading multiple school clubs, applying to colleges, and searching for scholarships, but my parents convinced me that it would be more responsible for me to not spread myself too thin. Although I wish I still had a steady source of income, I make more money taking babysitting jobs than I would if I worked two four-hour shifts a week at a minimum-wage job. I am glad that I listened to my family's advice. Additionally, my family is helping me set up a joint bank account in my name so they can help me navigate the process and upkeep necessary while allowing me to maintain my independence. This will allow me to learn how to be financially healthy before I graduate college. They have already helped me create a savings account, and in my two years of working, I have saved $15,000. I know that I am very privileged that I could save that money for my college expenses rather than use it by helping my parents pay for food or rent, but I also acknowledge the fact that I worked very hard to have this money that I can use to go to my dream college. With this in mind, I have advised my friends to be cautious with their finances. Many of my friends do not understand how I have saved so much more money than they have when they have been working all year and I only work over the summer. I advise them to look at where they spend their money and how they choose how much money to spend each month. Personally, I only use money that I make from babysitting during the year and put the money that I make while lifeguarding in my savings account for college next year. When my friends ask for advice on how to save money, I explain to them how this system has worked for me. I hope to continue to be personally financially healthy and help others next year starting college and in the years beyond that.

One year ago, the stigma around mental health was the only obstacle perverting my trust with my parents. I could have never imagined that would have been further exploited by the therapist who I thought would protect me in my most vulnerable state. Although I was afraid of baring my soul, I pushed through the fear. I was not confident that I could keep myself alive, so I turned to a professional I was told would be trustworthy and “do no harm.” However, my desperate trust was weaponized against me. Reflecting upon the situation, I recall the terrifying level of inappropriate behavior that she subjected me to. The comments began with the typical "you're so mature for your age" and progressed into "I can’t stop thinking about you." On their own, these statements were uncomfortable, but I convinced myself that they were well-intentioned. However, her abusive nature started to become apparent shortly after she pressured my family into sending me to a mental hospital. I was given a psychiatric evaluation, and the doctors agreed that I was at a point in my treatment where spending time in a mental hospital would be more detrimental than trusting my support system and continuing therapy. She did not agree. In reaction, she told me about her suicide attempt in excruciating detail and said that if I felt the need to go back to the hospital, she would drive across the state to take me to get admitted, effectively kidnapping me. Sadly, I still trusted her more than the doctors and my parents. Despite her history, I continued to believe that she had my best interests in mind more than I trusted my ability to keep myself alive. Thankfully, the clinic broke their legal obligation to keep my records confidential–in violating that policy, my mom was able to learn about the abuse, and I was able to escape. I was terrified to go back to therapy, but, as before, I knew that the only way I would stay alive would be to go through intensive group therapy. I hated it, but after nearly 100 hours of the program, I felt confident that I could keep myself safe. However, despite taking control of my medication and learning strategies for emotional regulation, I felt terrible. I began to question the underlying motives of everyone’s actions. I had nightmares. I feared that she would find me. I became incapacitated by fear and unable to live my life as I had before she abused me, and I did not want to do anything that could potentially subject me to more pain. More than anything, I wanted to isolate myself and ignore the flashbacks, but I knew that I would have to fight through the discomfort if I wanted a chance to become who I was again. Now, I spend every day battling my way through my pain and fear–I am reporting her to the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners in order to prevent her from harming another child. Most days, I am not strong enough to defeat the trauma by myself, but when I remember that she still has the ability to do this to another kid, I know that I need to muster up enough strength to keep this from happening. Through this experience, I have learned that my strength does not rely upon anyone else. As long as I trust myself, I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. I will always struggle with this trauma, but it became the catalyst for my transformation from a scared, naive child into an observant, cautious adult. I now understand that there is no way to be protected from everything, so the most important skill for me to learn was to fight and advocate for what I need. Moving forward, I will need to fight to keep myself from being hurt again, but I am confident that after this experience, I will be able to overcome all obstacles I will face.

No. When I was younger, my parents told me that I could be anything I want--except a teacher. Both of my parents are teachers and are extraordinarily passionate about their jobs, but they understand that teaching is not a job for the faint of heart. They knew that if I followed in their footsteps, I would face increasing class sizes combined with decreasing funding, parent complaints combined with a lack of mental health support, and straining workloads combined with financial insecurity. For years, I never had the thought that I would go into education. I wanted to be an occupational therapist in middle school then shifted my focus to psychology in high school before I realized that neither of those jobs suited me nearly as well as being a teacher, even if it meant that I would have to give up the flexibility that comes with working at an outpatient office and the financial security that medical professionals earn. As the oldest cousin on my mom's side, I have found joy in teaching the younger ones new things. I would read to them when they were toddlers and point out the letters in their names. One of my favorite games was "swim teacher," where I would take my cousin and teach her the strokes I was learning at swim team. This led to me becoming a swim instructor at my local pool, and my love of seeing children grow and find enjoyment in their new skills has only increased. After the summer season ended, I found myself filling in as a tutor for some of the younger students in my school choir, and that is how I knew for certain that music education was the field I was born to go into. Throughout my life, music has been stable and comforting. I struggle with anxiety and depression, and songs have helped me through my hardest times. Even more importantly, the community aspect of my choir has helped me immeasurably. I was timid when I went to my audition the summer before my freshman year, but I was immediately greeted by an upperclassman who made sure I felt as confident as I could be and wished me luck before I met the director. Even though she has since graduated, I know I can always call her, and she will be there for me. This sense of community may seem miraculous, but I know that it would have never happened without my choir teacher. She promotes a sense of community that I have not found in any other class. This is what I will strive to bring to my own classroom. I have looked at my education through a critical lens to find what strategies are the most effective for students to learn the most and also feel very comfortable, and I found that Universally Designed Learning is the best teaching strategy and a focus on community is the most important aspect of the classroom environment as a whole. With this information, I will structure my class in a way that promotes collaboration and scientifically-backed instruction methods. Overall, my main goal would be to help my students learn valuable skills in an environment where they would be comfortable and accepted for who they truly are.

When I was in seventh grade, my whole grade went through a series of financial literacy lessons culminating in a field trip to Junior Achievement Biztown. While we were there, we were assigned jobs, bank accounts, and families to support. Throughout the day, we had to make decisions about how we would spend our money, find ways to survive setbacks, and invest for the future. While this was a very simplistic view of the financial world, I learned an immeasurable amount from it. To this day, I remember small tips that I learned from the courses, such as paying credit card payments on time from the first payment to keep a good credit score or having an emergency fund with enough money to survive for six months. I have learned much more from getting a job and paying for some of my own expenses, but I like to think that it all started with one school field trip. I am so grateful for the financial kick-start I received from the program, but I am even more appreciative of having a supportive family that helps me handle my finances currently. I have been working as a lifeguard for the past two summers, and I work about forty hours a week so that I do not have to hold a part-time job during the year and I can focus on my schoolwork. I initially wanted to push through the stress that having a job in addition to being a student, leading multiple school clubs, applying to colleges, and searching for scholarships, but my parents convinced me that it would be more responsible for me to not spread myself too thin. Although I wish I still had a steady source of income, I make more money taking babysitting jobs than I would if I worked two four-hour shifts a week at a minimum-wage job. I am glad that I listened to my family's advice. Additionally, my family is helping me set up a joint bank account in my name so they can help me navigate the process and upkeep necessary while allowing me to maintain my independence. This will allow me to learn how to be financially healthy before I graduate college. They have already helped me create a savings account, and in my two years of working, I have saved $15,000. I know that I am very privileged that I could save that money for my college expenses rather than use it by helping my parents pay for food or rent, but I also acknowledge the fact that I worked very hard to have this money that I can use to go to my dream college. With this in mind, I have advised my friends to be cautious with their finances. Many of my friends do not understand how I have saved so much more money than they have when they have been working all year and I only work over the summer. I advise them to look at where they spend their money and how they choose how much money to spend each month. Personally, I only use money that I make from babysitting during the year and put the money that I make while lifeguarding in my savings account for college next year. When my friends ask for advice on how to save money, I explain to them how this system has worked for me. I hope to continue to be personally financially healthy and help others next year starting college and in the years beyond that.

In my process to transition to university, I have become aware how imperative it will be for me to focus on my health. I struggle with anxiety and depression that often gets exacerbated by the day-to-day stresses of school. During my sophomore year of high school, my grades started to get lower as my health took a turn for the worse. I was fighting to keep my 4.0 GPA harder than I was fighting to advocate for myself. Over the summer, I convinced myself that I needed to start going to therapy. While this did not immediately help me, I knew that I would eventually start to feel better, so I continued to go until recently, where I have learned how to keep myself healthy. Despite my focus on my mental health, I am still so busy that I sometimes have trouble maintaining my physical health. To change that, I have started riding my bike with my sibling. It might not be the most strenuous activity, but this has helped all aspects of my health because I get to spend uninterrupted time with them and also do physical exercise. As they are four years younger than I am, we have limited opportunities to talk to each other after school and all of our various activities, but we have found a solution to that problem by finding an activity that we both enjoy and that allows us to catch up on each others' lives. This has been unimaginably beneficial to me because I know I will not be able to see them much once I go off to college next year. I do not know if they understand how devastated I will be when I will no longer be able to see them grow and hit milestones. There is no way for me to see all of those major life events before I leave for university, but I am currently here for the small things. I can ask about swim meets and friends and books they are reading. That has kept my sadness at bay and my soul soothed. While I originally started to go on bike rides with them for the exercise, I have gained so much more than that; I know that my life is going to change immensely, but I have time now to truly appreciate my family and how far I have come to reach this new opportunity.

Education has been a driving force all my life, but I now realize how I learn the most effectively and with the most enjoyment when I am teaching others. When I was younger, my parents told me that I could be anything I want--except a teacher. Both of my parents are teachers and are extraordinarily passionate about their jobs, but they understand that teaching is not a job for the faint of heart. They knew that if I followed in their footsteps, I would face increasing class sizes combined with decreasing funding, parent complaints combined with a lack of mental health support, and straining workloads combined with financial insecurity. For years, I never had the thought that I would go into education. I wanted to be an occupational therapist in middle school then shifted my focus to psychology in high school before I realized that neither of those jobs suited me nearly as well as being a teacher, even if it meant that I would have to give up the flexibility that comes with working at an outpatient office and the financial security that medical professionals earn. As the oldest cousin on my mom's side, I have found joy in teaching the younger ones new things. I would read to them when they were toddlers and point out the letters in their names. One of my favorite games was "swim teacher," where I would take my cousin and teach her the strokes I was learning at swim team. This led to me becoming a swim instructor at my local pool, and my love of seeing children grow and find enjoyment in their new skills has only increased. After the summer season ended, I found myself filling in as a tutor for some of the younger students at my school, and that is how I knew for certain that music education was the field I was born to go into. Throughout my life, music has been stable and comforting. I struggle with anxiety and depression, and songs have helped me through my hardest times. Even more importantly, the community aspect of my school choir has helped me immeasurably. I was timid when I went to my audition the summer before my freshman year, but I was immediately greeted by an upperclassman who made sure I felt as confident as I could be and wished me luck before I met the director. Even though she has since graduated, I know I can always call her, and she will be there for me. This sense of community may seem miraculous, but I know that it would have never happened without my choir teacher. She promotes a sense of community that I have not found in any other class. This is what I will strive to bring to my own classroom. I have looked at my education through a critical lens to find what strategies are the most effective for students to learn the most and also feel very comfortable, and I found that Universally Designed Learning is the best teaching strategy and a focus on community is the most important aspect of the classroom environment as a whole. With this information, I want to create an environment where my students learn to love learning in all forms, the way I do.

I have never doubted that I would go to college, but it took me until this year to realize the full importance of that decision; with some hard choices and an inordinate amount of money, I would send myself on a path toward the rest of my life. Education has been a driving force in my life, and I want to continue that for myself and for others. When I was younger, my parents told me that I could be anything I want--except a teacher. Both of my parents are teachers and are extraordinarily passionate about their jobs, but they understand that teaching is not a job for the faint of heart. They knew that if I followed in their footsteps, I would face increasing class sizes combined with decreasing funding, parent complaints combined with a lack of mental health support, and straining workloads combined with financial insecurity. For years, I never had the thought that I would go into education. I wanted to be an occupational therapist in middle school then shifted my focus to psychology in high school before I realized that neither of those jobs suited me nearly as well as being a teacher, even if it meant that I would have to give up the flexibility that comes with working at an outpatient office and the financial security that medical professionals earn. As the oldest cousin on my mom's side, I have found joy in teaching the younger ones new things. I would read to them when they were toddlers and point out the letters in their names. One of my favorite games was "swim teacher," where I would take my cousin and teach her the strokes I was learning at swim team. This led to me becoming a swim instructor at my local pool, and my love of seeing children grow and find enjoyment in their new skills has only increased. After the summer season ended, I found myself filling in as a tutor for some of the younger students at my school, and that is how I knew for certain that music education was the field I was born to go into. Throughout my life, music has been stable and comforting. I struggle with anxiety and depression, and songs have helped me through my hardest times. Even more importantly, the community aspect of my school choir has helped me immeasurably. I was timid when I went to my audition the summer before my freshman year, but I was immediately greeted by an upperclassman who made sure I felt as confident as I could be and wished me luck before I met the director. Even though she has since graduated, I know I can always call her, and she will be there for me. This sense of community may seem miraculous, but I know that it would have never happened without my choir teacher. She promotes a sense of community that I have not found in any other class. This is what I will strive to bring to my own classroom. I have looked at my education through a critical lens to find what strategies are the most effective for students to learn the most and also feel very comfortable, and I found that Universally Designed Learning is the best teaching strategy and a focus on community is the most important aspect of the classroom environment as a whole. With this information, I want to create an environment where my students learn to love learning in all forms, the way I do.

In my process to transition to university, I have become aware how imperative it will be for me to focus on my health. I struggle with anxiety and depression that often gets exacerbated by the day-to-day stresses of school. During my sophomore year of high school, my grades started to get lower as my health took a turn for the worse. I was fighting to keep my 4.0 GPA harder than I was fighting to advocate for myself. Over the summer, I convinced myself that I needed to start going to therapy. While this did not immediately help me, I knew that I would eventually start to feel better, so I continued to go until recently, where I have learned how to keep myself healthy. Despite my focus on my mental health, I am still so busy that I sometimes have trouble maintaining my physical health. To change that, I have started riding my bike with my sibling. It might not be the most strenuous activity, but this has helped all aspects of my health because I get to spend uninterrupted time with them and also do physical exercise. As they are four years younger than I am, we have limited opportunities to talk to each other after school and all of our various activities, but we have found a solution to that problem by finding an activity that we both enjoy and that allows us to catch up on each others' lives. This has been unimaginably beneficial to me because I know I will not be able to see them much once I go off to college next year. I do not know if they understand how devastated I will be when I will no longer be able to see them grow and hit milestones. There is no way for me to see all of those major life events before I leave for university, but I am currently here for the small things. I can ask about swim meets and friends and books they are reading. That has kept my sadness at bay and my soul soothed. While I originally started to go on bike rides with them for the exercise, I have gained so much more than that; I know that my life is going to change immensely, but I have time now to truly appreciate my family and how far I have come to reach this new opportunity.

The most exciting aspect of college in my opinion is the specificity. I am going to major in Music Education, which means that I will need some atypical classes and opportunities. This has been the top priority for me while I have been looking for universities because I know some schools have wonderful programs that blend music and education together in a way that prepares students for their specific careers while others only offer seperate majors that can be combined for students to become music teachers. I have decided that I will only go to a university that offers Music Education as a specific major because I value the opportunities I will have to learn as much as I can about my specific field. While I am ecstatic to start university, I understand that it will be imperative that I focus on my health. I struggle with anxiety and depression that often gets exacerbated by the day-to-day stresses of school. During my sophomore year of high school, my grades started to get lower as my health took a turn for the worse. I was fighting to keep my 4.0 GPA harder than I was fighting to advocate for myself. Over the summer, I convinced myself that I needed to start going to therapy. While this did not immediately help me, I knew that I would eventually start to feel better, so I continued to go until recently, where I have learned how to keep myself healthy. Despite my focus on my health, I am still so busy that I sometimes have trouble maintaining my physical health. To change that, I have started riding my bike with my sibling. This has helped all aspects of my health because I get to spend uninterrupted time with them and also do physical exercise. As they are four years younger than I am, we have limited opportunities to talk to each other after school and all of our various activities, but we have found a solution to that problem by finding an activity that we both enjoy and that allows us to catch up on each others' lives. This has been unimaginably beneficial to me because I know I will not be able to see them much once I go off to college next year. I do not know if they understand how devastated I will be when I will no longer be able to see them grow and hit milestones. There is no way for me to see all of those major life events before I leave for university, but I am currently here for the small things. I can ask about swim meets and friends and books they are reading. That has kept my sadness at bay and my soul soothed. I know that my life is going to change immensely, but I have time now to truly appreciate my family and how far I have come to reach this new opportunity.

No. When I was younger, my parents told me that I could be anything I want--except a teacher. Both of my parents are teachers and are extraordinarily passionate about their jobs, but they understand that teaching is not a job for the faint of heart. They knew that if I followed in their footsteps, I would face increasing class sizes combined with decreasing funding, parent complaints combined with a lack of mental health support, and straining workloads combined with financial insecurity. For years, I never had the thought that I would go into education. I wanted to be an occupational therapist in middle school then shifted my focus to psychology in high school before I realized that neither of those jobs suited me nearly as well as being a teacher, even if it meant that I would have to give up the flexibility that comes with working at an outpatient office and the financial security that medical professionals earn. As the oldest cousin on my mom's side, I have found joy in teaching the younger ones new things. I would read to them when they were toddlers and point out the letters in their names. One of my favorite games was "swim teacher," where I would take my cousin and teach her the strokes I was learning at swim team. This led to me becoming a swim instructor at my local pool, and my love of seeing children grow and find enjoyment in their new skills has only increased. After the summer season ended, I found myself filling in as a tutor for some of the younger students in my school choir, and that is how I knew for certain that music education was the field I was born to go into. Throughout my life, music has been stable and comforting. I struggle with anxiety and depression, and songs have helped me through my hardest times. Even more importantly, the community aspect of my choir has helped me immeasurably. I was timid when I went to my audition the summer before my freshman year, but I was immediately greeted by an upperclassman who made sure I felt as confident as I could be and wished me luck before I met the director. Even though she has since graduated, I know I can always call her, and she will be there for me. This sense of community may seem miraculous, but I know that it would have never happened without my choir teacher. She promotes a sense of community that I have not found in any other class. This is what I will strive to bring to my own classroom. I have looked at my education through a critical lens to find what strategies are the most effective for students to learn the most and also feel very comfortable, and I found that Universally Designed Learning is the best teaching strategy and a focus on community is the most important aspect of the classroom environment as a whole. With this information, I will structure my class in a way that promotes collaboration and scientifically-backed instruction methods. Overall, my main goal would be to help my students learn valuable skills in an environment where they would be comfortable and accepted for who they truly are.

"Why do you write like you're running out of time?" - Hamilton I do not believe that there is a more fitting quote for students desperately applying for scholarships. I believe that the answer varies wildly among my peers. Some would reply by explaining that their parents would struggle to send another child to college without financial aid. Others would say that it is an assignment from a teacher encouraging their students to apply for specific scholarships for a grade. Even more students would say that they want to save up for a good dorm room or some spending money freed up by financial assistance. My answer is that I write like I'm running out of time because I feel like I am. Every day I do not write, I am missing out on scholarships I could have qualified for. Every second I spend at a doctor's appointment or eating lunch is a second less of the limited time I have of being a high schooler. If I do not write like I am running out of time, I will. I recognize that this is not a healthy mindset. Senior year is for yelling the loudest at assemblies without wishing you were back in class, working on a big presentation. It is for going to football games and cheering on new friends instead of turning down invitations in order to babysit for some cash. It is for being the ones to look up to on campus instead of the scared, stressed kids like we were freshman year. Still, I write like I'm runnning out of time because I truly am. I know that sounds bleak, but I have a finite amount of time before I am thrust into post-secondary life. Ever since I was a child, I have waited for that moment, not understanding the gravity surrounding it. After graduation, I am not guranteed an education. As a perspective teacher who believes that education is the keystone of civilization, that scares me. I know that the deciding factor of my education could be another health flare-up or a loss of income. Although I am terrified of the unknowns of the near future, this fear drives me. While higher education is not ascertained, I know that I have led my educational career down a path that sets me up for success. My anxiety about not being "college ready" has possibly made me more prepared than necessary. I already work with the choral department at my local university in order to learn as much as I can about music conducting and theory before I start my major in Music Education. This has become a wonderful experience where I am encouraged to push my abilities and connect with a community of people who share my love of choral performance. Similarly, I enrolled in an independent study program where I teach myself AP Music Theory. I knew that the content of the program would prepare me for the classes I will take next year, so I adamantly advocated for my atypical course request. Most urgently, I have submitted over 50 scholarship applications in the past year because I know that the only way I would be able to attend a university with a world-renowned music education department would be to diligently apply for scholarships. I understand that each application faces the dichotomy of being able to receive education that will make me the most prepared for my career or needing to continually scour my university for specified programs. This situation scares me, but I am willing to fight through fear to improve my education.

When I was younger, my parents told me that I could be anything I want--except a teacher. Both of my parents are teachers and are extraordinarily passionate about their jobs, but they understand that teaching is not a job for the faint of heart. They knew that if I followed in their footsteps, I would face increasing class sizes combined with decreasing funding, parent complaints combined with a lack of mental health support, and straining workloads combined with financial insecurity. For years, I never had the thought that I would go into education. I wanted to be an occupational therapist in middle school then shifted my focus to psychology in high school before I realized that neither of those jobs suited me nearly as well as being a teacher, even if it meant that I would have to give up the flexibility that comes with working at an outpatient office and the financial security that medical professionals earn. As the oldest cousin on my mom's side, I have found joy in teaching the younger ones new things. I would read to them when they were toddlers and point out the letters in their names. One of my favorite games was "swim teacher," where I would take my cousin and teach her the strokes I was learning at swim team. This led to me becoming a swim instructor at my local pool, and my love of seeing children grow and find enjoyment in their new skills has only increased. After the summer season ended, I found myself filling in as a tutor for some of the younger students in my choir class, and that is how I knew for certain that music education was the field I was born to go into. Throughout my life, music has been stable and comforting. I struggle with anxiety and depression, and songs have helped me through my hardest times. Even more importantly, the community aspect of my school choir has helped me immeasurably. I was timid when I went to my audition the summer before my freshman year, but I was immediately greeted by an upperclassman who made sure I felt as confident as I could be and wished me luck before I met the director. Even though she has since graduated, I know I can always call her, and she will be there for me. This sense of community may seem miraculous, but I know that it would have never happened without my choir teacher. She promotes a sense of community that I have not found in any other class. This is what I will strive to bring to my own classroom. I have looked at my education through a critical lens to find what strategies are the most effective for students to learn the most and also feel very comfortable, and I found that Universally Designed Learning is the best teaching strategy and a focus on community is the most important aspect of the classroom environment as a whole. With this information, I will structure my class in a way that promotes collaboration and scientifically-backed instruction methods. Overall, my main goal would be to help my students learn valuable skills in an environment where they would be comfortable and accepted for who they truly are.

When I was younger, my parents told me that I could be anything I want--except a teacher. Both of my parents are teachers and are extraordinarily passionate about their jobs, but they understand that teaching is not a job for the faint of heart. They knew that if I followed in their footsteps, I would face increasing class sizes combined with decreasing funding, parent complaints combined with a lack of mental health support, and straining workloads combined with financial insecurity. For years, I never had the thought that I would go into education. I wanted to be an occupational therapist in middle school then shifted my focus to psychology in high school before I realized that neither of those jobs suited me nearly as well as being a teacher, even if it meant that I would have to give up the flexibility that comes with working at an outpatient office and the financial security that medical professionals earn. As the oldest cousin on my mom's side, I have found joy in teaching the younger ones new things. I would read to them when they were toddlers and point out the letters in their names. One of my favorite games was "swim teacher," where I would take my cousin and teach her the strokes I was learning at swim team. This led to me becoming a swim instructor at my local pool, and my love of seeing children grow and find enjoyment in their new skills has only increased. After the summer season ended, I found myself filling in as a tutor for some of the younger students in my choir class, and that is how I knew for certain that music education was the field I was born to go into. Throughout my life, music has been stable and comforting. I struggle with anxiety and depression, and songs have helped me through my hardest times. Even more importantly, the community aspect of my school choir has helped me immeasurably. I was timid when I went to my audition the summer before my freshman year, but I was immediately greeted by an upperclassman who made sure I felt as confident as I could be and wished me luck before I met the director. Even though she has since graduated, I know I can always call her, and she will be there for me. This sense of community may seem miraculous, but I know that it would have never happened without my choir teacher. She promotes a sense of community that I have not found in any other class. This is what I will strive to bring to my own classroom. I have looked at my education through a critical lens to find what strategies are the most effective for students to learn the most and also feel very comfortable, and I found that Universally Designed Learning is the best teaching strategy and a focus on community is the most important aspect of the classroom environment as a whole. With this information, I will structure my class in a way that promotes collaboration and scientifically-backed instruction methods. Overall, I would miss out on the experiences I yearn for in being an educator and the opportunities I would have to improve the educational system if I were not able to get a college degree.

I hope to major in Music Learning and Teaching in order to become a high school choir teacher. I feel that the classroom is the place where I will be able to make the most impact because I know that being in choir has changed my life immeasurably. Throughout my life, music has been stable and comforting. I struggle with anxiety and depression, and music has helped me through my hardest times. Even more importantly, the community aspect of my school choir has helped me immensely. I was timid when I went to my audition the summer before my freshman year, but I was immediately greeted by an upperclassman who made sure I felt as confident as I could be and wished me luck before I met the director. Even though she has since graduated, I know I can always call her, and she will be there for me. This sense of community may seem miraculous, but I know that it would have never happened without my choir teacher. She promotes a sense of community that I have not found in any other class. This is what I will strive to bring to my own classroom. I have looked at my education through a critical lens to find what strategies are the most effective for students to learn the most while also feeling comfortable, and I found that Universally Designed Learning is the best teaching strategy and a focus on community is the most important aspect of the classroom environment as a whole. I understand that music is often viewed only as the final product, but I believe the most important part of it is its creation. The pride one feels when they master a difficult piece cannot be compared, and I want my students to experience that and learn that the most meaningful things in life are difficult, but they pay off. It is not easy to bring people together to create artwork, but that is the purpose of choir. The skills I have learned as a student will be extraordinarily beneficial to me throughout life; I learned that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and if any of those parts do not work together, it hurts the entire group.

When I was younger, my parents told me that I could be anything I want--except a teacher. Both of my parents are teachers and are extraordinarily passionate about their jobs, but they understand that teaching is not a job for the faint of heart. They knew that if I followed in their footsteps, I would face increasing class sizes combined with decreasing funding, parent complaints combined with a lack of mental health support, and straining workloads combined with financial insecurity. For years, I never had the thought that I would go into education. I wanted to be an occupational therapist in middle school then shifted my focus to psychology in high school before I realized that neither of those jobs suited me nearly as well as being a teacher, even if it meant that I would have to give up the flexibility that comes with working at an outpatient office and the financial security that medical professionals earn. As the oldest cousin on my mom's side, I have found joy in teaching the younger ones new things. I would read to them when they were toddlers and point out the letters in their names. One of my favorite games was "swim teacher," where I would take my cousin and teach her the strokes I was learning at swim team. This led to me becoming a swim instructor at my local pool, and my love of seeing children grow and find enjoyment in their new skills has only increased. After the summer season ended, I found myself filling in as a tutor for some of the younger students in my choir class, and that is how I knew for certain that music education was the field I was born to go into. Throughout my life, music has been stable and comforting. I struggle with anxiety and depression, and songs have helped me through my hardest times. Even more importantly, the community aspect of my school choir has helped me immeasurably. I was timid when I went to my audition the summer before my freshman year, but I was immediately greeted by an upperclassman who made sure I felt as confident as I could be and wished me luck before I met the director. Even though she has since graduated, I know I can always call her, and she will be there for me. This sense of community may seem miraculous, but I know that it would have never happened without the support of my choir teacher. She promotes a sense of community that I have not found in any other class. This is what I will strive to bring to my own classroom. I have looked at my education through a critical lens to find what strategies are the most effective for students to learn the most and also feel very comfortable, and I found that Universally Designed Learning is the best teaching strategy and a focus on community is the most important aspect of the classroom environment as a whole. With this information, I will structure my class in a way that promotes collaboration and scientifically-supported instruction methods. Overall, my main goal would be to help my students learn valuable skills in an environment where they would be comfortable and accepted for who they truly are.