I want to become a Lutheran teacher because I know that education, especially a Christian education, is an immense gift that can be overlooked. I attend Lutheran High School South, and my time there has been invaluable in shaping who I am today. I have had the opportunity to lead a small group Bible study, a task which increased my confidence and helped me experience the role of a teacher. As well, a field trip led me to volunteer at Christian Friends of New Americans, which further opened my eyes to the needs of my community. Christian Friends of New Americans is a non-profit organization that serves immigrants and refugees. It equips new Americans through driver’s education, sewing classes, swim lessons, and other programs meant to help them adapt to American life. I am part of CFNA’s tutoring program. After school, children come to CFNA to have dinner, play, and receive additional instruction in English and mathematics. It is not always easy work. Some students do not speak much English, while others are altogether disinterested in being tutored. I became upset after my first few visits to CFNA by students who didn’t seem willing to learn and by feeling unprepared for my new role. I spoke with the director of the program about the struggles I was having, and she put my experiences in a new light. She told me the stories of the children I was tutoring. The little girl who had given me a hug was raised by her older sister while their mother worked. The twins I had read with had a sister my age who had just been married and had moved back to Afghanistan. The girl I had become frustrated with wasn’t enthusiastic about learning to read because she didn’t see the importance of it. She came from a family where she and her education were undervalued because she was a girl. I later met her sister, who was lucky enough to have been allowed by her parents to finish high school. These stories put my frustrations in perspective. I realized how blessed I am to come from a loving family, to live in America, to have the opportunity to go to college. Why was I complaining about my problems? I was working alongside children who had fled from genocides, who had spent their childhoods in refugee camps, who even now were struggling to make sense of the new world in which they found themselves. Understanding more about where my students came from and who they were helped me serve more patiently. Even when the work was demanding and it felt like my efforts weren’t having any effect, I reminded myself why I was volunteering. Someone needs to know these kids. Someone needs to walk alongside them, help them learn, and let them know that they are loved. Someone needs to know their stories. That’s why I want to be a teacher. I want to learn my students’ stories. I want to help them be a part of the same community to which I belong. I want to invest in them, love them, and inspire them. So I will continue to teach and love. I will make a little difference in the world by helping others, and through it all I will point to the hope that is found in Jesus.

I want to become a Lutheran teacher because I know that education, especially a Christian education, is an immense gift that can be overlooked. I attend Lutheran High School South, and my time there has been invaluable in shaping who I am today. I have had the opportunity to lead a small group Bible study, a task which increased my confidence and helped me experience the role of a teacher. As well, a field trip led me to volunteer at Christian Friends of New Americans, which further opened my eyes to the needs of my community. Christian Friends of New Americans is a non-profit organization that serves immigrants and refugees. It equips new Americans through driver’s education, sewing classes, swim lessons, and other programs meant to help them adapt to American life. I am part of CFNA’s tutoring program. After school, children come to CFNA to have dinner, play, and receive additional instruction in English and mathematics. It is not always easy work. Some students do not speak much English, while others are altogether disinterested in being tutored. I became upset after my first few visits to CFNA by students who didn’t seem willing to learn and by feeling unprepared for my new role. I spoke with the director of the program about the struggles I was having, and she put my experiences in a new light. She told me the stories of the children I was tutoring. The little girl who had given me a hug was raised by her older sister while their mother worked. The twins I had read with had a sister my age who had just been married and had moved back to Afghanistan. The girl I had become frustrated with wasn’t enthusiastic about learning to read because she didn’t see the importance of it. She came from a family where she and her education were undervalued because she was a girl. I later met her sister, who was lucky enough to have been allowed by her parents to finish high school. These stories put my frustrations in perspective. I realized how blessed I am to come from a loving family, to live in America, to have the opportunity to go to college. Why was I complaining about my problems? I was working alongside children who had fled from genocides, who had spent their childhoods in refugee camps, who even now were struggling to make sense of the new world in which they found themselves. Understanding more about where my students came from and who they were helped me serve more patiently. Even when the work was demanding and it felt like my efforts weren’t having any effect, I reminded myself why I was volunteering. Someone needs to know these kids. Someone needs to walk alongside them, help them learn, and let them know that they are loved. Someone needs to know their stories. That’s why I want to be a teacher. I want to learn my students’ stories. I want to help them be a part of the same community to which I belong. I want to invest in them, love them, and inspire them. So I will continue to teach and love. I will make a little difference in the world by helping others, and through it all I will point to the hope that is found in Jesus.

I am a storyteller. For years I have crafted stories with which to occupy myself and entertain my sisters, but it was only when I began volunteering at Christian Friends of New Americans that I realized just how many stories there are that need to be told. Christian Friends of New Americans is a non-profit organization that walks alongside immigrants and refugees new to Saint Louis. It equips new Americans through driver’s education, sewing classes, swim lessons, and other programs meant to help them adapt to American life. I am part of CFNA’s tutoring program. After school, children come to CFNA to have dinner, play, and receive additional instruction in English and mathematics. It is not always easy work. Some of the children do not speak much English, while others are altogether disinterested in being tutored. I became upset after my first few visits to CFNA by students who didn’t seem willing to learn and by not feeling at all prepared for my new role. I spoke with the director of the program about the struggles I was having, and she put my experiences in a new light. She told me the stories of the children I was tutoring. The little girl who had given me a hug was raised by her older sister while their mother worked. The twins I had read with had a sister my age who had just been married and had moved back to Afghanistan. The girl I had become frustrated with wasn’t enthusiastic about learning to read because she didn’t see the importance of it. She came from a family where she and her education were undervalued because she was a girl. I later met her sister, who was lucky enough to have been allowed by her parents to finish high school. These stories put my frustrations in perspective. I realized how blessed I am to come from a loving family, to live in America, to have the opportunity to go to college. Why was I complaining about my problems? I was working alongside children who had fled from genocides, who had spent their childhoods in refugee camps, who even now were struggling to make sense of the new world in which they found themselves. Understanding more about where my students came from and who they were helped me serve more patiently. When words couldn’t suffice, hugs connected me with kids better than any shared language could. When studying felt too exhausting, games allowed my students and I a much-needed break. When the work was still demanding, when it felt like my efforts weren’t having any effect, I reminded myself why I was volunteering. Someone needs to know these kids. Someone needs to walk alongside them, help them learn, and let them know that they are loved. Someone needs to play with them, to talk to them, to tell them that everything will be okay. Someone needs to tell their stories. Because I know and love these children, I will be their storyteller. We are all living stories, which continue to unfold every day. I want to know my neighbors’ stories. When I do, I can help them from a place of understanding. By knowing what someone needs, I can give it to them. The only way one is able to truly help and fully love another person is by knowing who they are. I plan to become a teacher, where I will continue to learn my students’ stories. I will also be an author, continuing to speak and write so I can share the stories of the people I have known. Then more people can understand. Then the world will be more compassionate, and our relationships with one another will be more meaningful and complete.

I am a storyteller. For years I have crafted stories with which to occupy myself and entertain my sisters, but it was only when I began volunteering at Christian Friends of New Americans that I realized just how many stories there are that need to be told. Christian Friends of New Americans is a non-profit organization that walks alongside immigrants and refugees new to Saint Louis. It equips new Americans through driver’s education, sewing classes, swim lessons, and other programs meant to help them adapt to American life. I am part of CFNA’s tutoring program. After school, children come to CFNA to have dinner, play, and receive additional instruction in English and mathematics. It is not always easy work. Some of the children do not speak much English, while others are altogether disinterested in being tutored. I became upset after my first few visits to CFNA by students who didn’t seem willing to learn and by not feeling at all prepared for my new role. I spoke with the director of the program about the struggles I was having, and she put my experiences in a new light. She told me the stories of the children I was tutoring. The little girl who had given me a hug was raised by her older sister while their mother worked. The twins I had read with had a sister my age who had just been married and had moved back to Afghanistan. The girl I had become frustrated with wasn’t enthusiastic about learning to read because she didn’t see the importance of it. She came from a family where she and her education were undervalued because she was a girl. I later met her sister, who was lucky enough to have been allowed by her parents to finish high school. These stories put my frustrations in perspective. I realized how blessed I am to come from a loving family, to live in America, to have the opportunity to go to college. Why was I complaining about my problems? I was working alongside children who had fled from genocides, who had spent their childhoods in refugee camps, who even now were struggling to make sense of the new world in which they found themselves. Understanding more about where my students came from and who they were helped me serve more patiently. When words couldn’t suffice, hugs connected me with kids better than any shared language could. When studying felt too exhausting, games allowed my students and I a much-needed break. When the work was still demanding, when it felt like my efforts weren’t having any effect, I reminded myself why I was volunteering. Someone needs to know these kids. Someone needs to walk alongside them, help them learn, and let them know that they are loved. Someone needs to play with them, to talk to them, to tell them that everything will be okay. Someone needs to tell their stories, so I will change the world as a storyteller. We are all living stories, which continue to unfold every day. I want to know my neighbors’ stories. When I do, I can help them from a place of understanding. By knowing what someone needs, I can give it to them. The only way one is able to truly help and fully love another person is by knowing who they are. I will continue to teach and love. I will continue to speak and write so that, knowing others’ stories, I can share them. Then more people can understand. Then the world will be more compassionate, and our relationships will be more complete.