Young men who reside in the small cities of north New Jersey bear arms, and some have unfortunately taken the lives of innocent people. Many friends of mine spend more time on their streets to neglect their education and academic goals than to hang out with high school students who are gunmen by night which are strickening thoughts and a disappointing matter for me to know that there is only so much I could do to keep them away from it all. More importantly, I wanted both my friends and our community of boys and girls, whether they are adolescents or in early adulthood, to find a passion for a skill or trade that is a greater investment to their future than any gang or hood. Too many resources, schools, and community outreach groups are available for a juvenile or family of one to believe that they don’t “have a way out” of poverty or isolation from society. I will attend Spelman College in the fall, majoring in elementary education and doing 140 hours of community service each semester. I plan to take initiatives in the community focused on not only being an asset through volunteer work, but with considerable research methods, data, and hands-on projects to educate Atlanta’s children and families core values such as health and safety. Lifelong practices and lessons to prevent the long-term effects of gun violence are essential elements to include in how I consider giving back to the city and what the entire state of Georgia could emphasize as an external, educational pipeline to classrooms. I aim to develop facilitation workshops for students and their guardians to discuss and share their concerns, and potential experiences and solutions regarding gun violence to reduce the amount of incidents that occur, as well as the chances of their children or others who may fall under similar peer pressure situations. They can learn how to journal, ask questions, and physical decompression habits to positively relieve everyday stresses and ultimately avoid joining unsafe groups whom follow unlawful actions. The impact of a first- or second-grade teacher can have an equal effect on the minds of sixteen to eighteen-year-old males and females who are not aware of the financial, academic, and personal consequences of carrying arms. Despite these early experiences, which have established me as an educator, I know that in my undergraduate studies, there is more volunteer work to be done that will ultimately define the educator I have worked incessantly to become. The children I currently teach and many others throughout the years have played a significant role in how I model and act to pay it forward. I hope to educate, support, and give back in these ways upon my time becoming an educator with an academic, personal, and moral impact on their livelihood. I want other anticipated teachers to feel inspired by these festivities to bring change and joy to undercapitalized school districts that deters students from gun violence. Because of my drive and commitment to the field, I reach the hearts of young scholars by bringing learning to life and acting authentically passionate, in word and action.

Teaching is not hard work. It is "heart" work. The career epitomizes every opportunity and experience I have had to enjoy working with young children and making a difference in their lives. I am a graduating senior in the education and human services vocational program at the Passaic County Technical Institute. I am pursuing my undergraduate studies this fall at the illustrious Spelman College, majoring in elementary education. Since June 2022, I have been an assistant teacher at an Early Head Start program, working with children ages 0 to 3. This position has changed my life forever. By becoming fully invested in all nine of the children in my classroom, I not only became a part of their growth, but they had the most significant impact on my own. I love the field of education because it is my craft and has become a part of my identity and, evidently, of the community. These endeavors have grounded me into an emerging leader who actively seeks to serve and solve problems connected to my role as an educator. Because of these children, I also took an interest in doing more with the youth in my community through organizations like the March of Dimes, the New Jersey Community Development Center (NJCDC), and the Center for Future Educators at the College of New Jersey. On a hot day in April, I thought about my students as I stood on the Meadowlands racetrack cheering on parents and their children who supported the health of mothers and premature babies. Even so, on several occasions that I was able to help the NJCDC in December 2022, families were thankful to receive gifts during the holidays, boxes of nonperishable food items to feed their young ones, and a fun day of face painting and bouncy inflatable houses. During my junior year, I spent several months between December and May creating a virtual platform for children to watch storytelling videos read by high school students in the School of Education and Human Services at my vocational institution; including higher-level thinking questions and context words for teachers and guardians to ask the little ones. Targeting to improve their literacy skills and delivering quality reading content was a means for me to develop my niche in progressing educational resources and my love of contributing to their developmental growth. Involving myself further into the field of education has exposed me to many avenues which foster my passion for teaching and the more significant impact I can have on these children's lives aside from what we do in the classroom by providing inexpensive to no-cost services, local contacts for family support, and educational resources that are available to the children's needs. Despite these early experiences, which have established me as an educator, I know that in my undergraduate studies, there is more volunteer work to be done that will ultimately define the educator I have worked incessantly to become. The children I currently teach and many others throughout the years have played a significant role in how I model and act to pay it forward. I hope to educate, support, and give back in these ways upon my time becoming an educator with an academic, personal, and moral impact on their livelihood. I want other anticipated teachers to feel inspired by these festivities to bring change and joy to undercapitalized school districts. Because of my drive and commitment to the field, I reach the hearts of young scholars by bringing learning to life and acting authentically passionate, in word and action.

Born in 1979, Monette Santos, my mother, was brought up in this world. She has always been my greatest inspiration and the core reason for my efforts and dedication leading me to where I am today. I often take time to reflect on my mom's past and think about all the things she wished to have done in her earlier years that have made her even more proud to see me accomplish it on my own. No one has a closer relationship to me than my bond with her and as much faith, she puts in me as any person has ever believed in my dreams. Despite our less fortunate circumstances, my mom managed to be the breadwinner of the house, support our emotional needs, and consider what decisions would best impact her children before herself. Qualities like selflessness, humility, respect, and persistence are all components that envelope merely a fraction of her nature and much more to state that embodies her character. At this point in my high school career, I am fully committed to attending Spelman College in the Fall of 2023; my mom has supported every endeavor leading up to me. With any of her spare time, she willingly sacrificed for me to attend to my responsibilities as she knows how important they are for my health, happiness, and future. I recognized her habits of sacrifice at a young age and appreciated those moments every step of the way, impacting how altruistic I became growing up. Occasionally on school nights, when my brother wanted to play basketball, my mom and I would join in on a quick game to ten in the living room of our small apartment, despite how exhausted she was from the day. When working two part-time jobs for a few months, I gave everything I could to alleviate some of the financial burdens my mom was facing. I would do anything to make her life as easy as she has made for me and overcome challenges in my education and professional life that ultimately affect how I could provide for her on a greater scale. Considering my mother's commitments, I look forward to making them for my future family and applying myself to her ways of motherhood. Some folks in the community on both sides of the city have approached me with the warmest smiles to extend their gratitude for my mom, whom many of them have said is an "amazing woman." I esteem the kind of respect other people have for her besides me- the kind of people who value good people in the world. Because of my mother's sense of humanitarianism and acting on her moral principles, she reciprocates the world's joy. I am attached to the nature, thoughts, and ideas that challenge my mother to become her best self which positively encourages those around her to grow and learn for the betterment of themselves.

I foresee the challenges I will face as an out-of-state resident attending a private institution. These expenses include but are not limited to transportation fees, books, room and board, and other personal and miscellaneous items I may need during semesters at the illustrious Spelman College. My family also has depended on me to pay for our household needs as I’ve worked as a Dunkin’ barista, Five Below sales associate, and infant and toddler assistant teacher for the past two years. I saved a deserving amount of my finances in consideration of how much I would need to pay in part to all of the expenditures mentioned above and the student loans I anticipate taking out after the four years. As I am pursuing a major in elementary education, it is perpetually difficult to balance student teaching and getting experience in the classroom, hence why I look forward to obtaining this scholarship in an attempt to overcome the challenge of trying to financially support myself under these circumstances. Teaching is the best approach for me to overcome integral problems in our nation's education programs by reshaping the objectives, learning strategies, and developmental expectations to meet the individual's needs appropriately. On a grander scale, I want to emphasize my passion in this endeavor on the undergraduate level of which I am set on the track to becoming a professional in the field: teaching is the best approach for me to overcome integral problems in our nation's education programs by reshaping the objectives, learning strategies, and developmental expectations to meet the individual's needs appropriately. I am confident that through my career, I would make the biggest impact in my community and as a result, feasibly accomplish this without the financial burdens to follow. My choice of fieldwork merges my love of developing the greater intellectual minority of students and giving back to the less fortunate families due to systemic problems in contemporary colored culture. I see myself becoming an asset to the larger community of colored educators worldwide who inspire students to pursue their dreams. My college success depends on how thoroughly I master the craft of constructing effective classroom curriculums and establishing a safe, scholarly classroom environment for children within my care and beyond. In consideration of these efforts and aspirations, having the monetary compensation to accomplish my goals in the field is unique to what other degree could change the humanity and education of our future students.

My name is Olivia Gray and I am a senior in the education and human services department at my technical-vocational school. In the fall, I will pursue my studies as an elementary education major at the illustrious Spelman College where I pursue a degree in teaching. Teaching is the best approach for me to overcome integral problems in our nation's education programs by reshaping the objectives, learning strategies, and developmental expectations to meet the individual's needs appropriately. On a grander scale, I want to emphasize my passion in this endeavor on the undergraduate level of which I am set on the track to becoming a professional in the field: teaching is the best approach for me to overcome integral problems in our nation's education programs by reshaping the objectives, learning strategies, and developmental expectations to meet the individual's needs appropriately. Throughout my college journey, I expect to unpack destructive issues in early childhood education, all of which are solvable by child advocates like me who are actively involved in student government, volunteer work, and student teaching experiences aside from the work we put into centers' principles. In this sequence of events, finishing college will give me the foundation to successfully develop long-lasting and combative educational reform changes. My philosophies regarding education are framed through my identity as an African American, Filipino educator in one of few working in the nation’s field. I want my students to have a foundation rooted in cultural diversity, social adversity, and inclusive practices that prepare them for the real world. Beyond my role as a teacher, I actively engage with people in the community to coordinate events and researched local support services to help families with children enrolled in federal programs like Head Start and other early childhood centers in the county and state of New Jersey. Values are connected to improving areas of the American education system that integrate new learning tools, strategies, and curriculums for a diverse set of students. I hope to educate, support, and give back in these ways upon my time becoming an educator that has an academic, personal and moral impact on their livelihood. I want other anticipated teachers to as well feel inspired by these festivities to bring about change and joy to undercapitalized school districts. Understanding the problems that families culturally and economically face unlocks my skills in civic leadership to procure those dreams for them and have become equally important goals of my own. My choice of fieldwork merges my love of developing the greater intellectual minority of students and giving back to the less fortunate families due to systemic problems in contemporary colored culture. I see myself becoming an asset to the larger community of colored educators worldwide who inspire students to pursue their dreams. My college success depends on how thoroughly I master the craft of constructing effective classroom curriculums and establishing a safe, scholarly classroom environment for children within my care and beyond. As a prospective educator, a college degree would prove that my higher education intuitively made me want to inspire peer teachers, community developers, and principalships into traditionalizing multiculturalism and ethical pedagogies within the fieldwork that will then influence the growth and leadership of underprivileged youth.

I am a senior student in my vocational institute's Education and Human Services career program. I anticipate succeeding as an early childhood educator by pursuing a major in early childhood or elementary education integrated with special education. My choice of fieldwork merges my love of developing the greater intellectual minority of students and giving back to the less fortunate families due to systemic problems in the New Jersey education system. With the youth and families in local school districts, I focused on career-oriented initiatives to provide educational resources for federal preschool programs in Passaic County. Early in my junior year, two freshman girls helped me establish a YouTube channel that allowed high school freshman, sophomore, and junior students to compose storytelling videos for young children between the ages of 0-8 to overcome critical language and literacy drawbacks because of the pandemic. From assessing the necessary tools and provisions, I proactively sought ways to deflect other forms of damage due to the epidemic to redirect minority children on the right track to educational excellence. As a prospective educator, this project brought justice to fulfilling my passion for teaching while making an impactful academic approach to give back to the children and their families needs. I consider how my current and future students can have a foundation rooted in cultural diversity, social adversity, and inclusive practices that prepare them for the real world. Beyond defining my role as a teacher, I have also engaged with people in the community to coordinate events and researched local support services to help families with children enrolled in the federal program Head Start, where I currently work, and local nonprofit organizations. On Saturdays, I volunteered my time organizing events and activities for the children of Paterson, New Jersey, sponsored by the New Jersey Community Development Center. The annual block party, holiday food drives, and "Wrap-A-Thon,” which was our annual holiday gift-wrapping event to prepare presents for families who were residents of the city of Paterson, were occasions where I served mostly minority, BIPOC-identified students in the county. Whether it was at the face paint table at the block party, packaging and loading boxes of nonperishable foods into over two hundred cars, or wrapping nearly three hundred gifts with the help of a few other dedicated service members in the community, I felt accomplished in any of these facets by making myself a dependable member of servant leadership. Enabling child advocacy in these ways is significant to other initiatives to promote children’s developmental growth at no expense. My philosophies are connected to improving areas of the American education system that integrate new learning tools, strategies, and curriculums for a diverse set of students. I hope to educate, support, and give back in these ways upon my time becoming an educator that has an academic, personal and moral impact on their livelihood. I want other anticipated teachers to as well feel inspired by these festivities to bring about change and joy to undercapitalized school districts.

I am a graduating senior studying the education and human services program at my vocational-technical high school. Considering my academic-based leadership positions and as an employed assistant teacher to infants and toddlers, I anticipate succeeding as an early childhood educator. My choice of fieldwork merges my love of developing intellectual African American students and giving back to families less fortunate of the systemic problems in contemporary black culture. Modeling leadership in my school community, I am the president of the history club, Future Educators Association, and student council-interact club, and vice president of my SkillsUSA club and the New Jersey SkillsUSA organization. After three years invested in The Center for Future Educators at The College of New Jersey, I am the current president of the student leadership team. Aside from my membership roles, my volunteer experiences greatly demonstrate how I serve to invest in others' needs. Especially through the New Jersey Community Development Center; our annual block party, holiday food drives, and "Wrap-A-Thon," in addition to the autism awareness month event mental health walk, Superbowl Sunday for the homeless in conjunction with the Passaic Dignity House, were all events that showed me what a community effort could ethically accomplish for people. In acknowledgment of my active participation in clubs and enriched work experience, I hold myself to be a highly dependable factor in all areas and demonstrate excellence in every opportunity for each program to make a difference in the lives of others.

I intend to succeed in my major, studying early childhood education/elementary education integrated with special education. My choice of fieldwork merges my love of developing the greater intellectual minority of students and giving back to the less fortunate families due to systemic problems in contemporary colored culture. I see myself becoming an asset to the larger community of colored educators worldwide who inspire students to pursue their dreams. My college success depends on how thoroughly I master the craft of constructing effective classroom curriculums and establishing a safe, scholarly classroom environment for children within my care and beyond. As a prospective educator, a college degree would prove that my higher education intuitively made me want to inspire peer teachers, community developers, and principalships into traditionalizing multiculturalism and ethical pedagogies within the fieldwork that will then influence the growth and leadership of underprivileged youth. With a degree in this profession, I can have a career in teaching preschool and set goals; one most important to me is to prioritize parental involvement and forming relationships with families. After speaking with upper-level students attending Spelman College on the education track, I realized how my goals align with their mission to promote ethical pedagogies within the fieldwork about seeking community-based services. I hope to gain acceptance into the institution's Bonner Scholars program, which will allow me to see from different civic perspectives how communities can have a greater impact on students' learning. If I were to have the position of being a Bonner Scholar, I would then fulfill exercising my ability as an undergraduate student to do an excessive amount of community service. Getting in the grit to take hands-on action in other school districts and neighborhoods reinforces my philosophy of achieving acts of service like any prospective teacher should tackle to accomplish. I would also better understand how my contribution makes a difference in ensuring a child's general welfare by supplying food, clothes, and federal support systems to recommend to families. A degree in teaching is the best approach for me to overcome integral problems in our nation's education programs by reshaping the objectives, learning strategies, and developmental expectations to meet the individual's needs appropriately. Throughout my college journey, I expect to unpack destructive issues in early childhood education, all of which are solvable by child advocates like me who are actively involved in student government, volunteer work, and student teaching experiences aside from the work we put into centers' principles. In this sequence of events, finishing college will give me the foundation to develop long-lasting and combative educational reform changes successfully.

I possess no greater quality as a teacher's assistant to infants and toddlers than patience. This skill has prepared me to work with young children, including those with challenging behaviors and special needs. As I grew older and spent more time learning the ins and outs of teaching, I realized how difficult it could be for many educators to maintain diligence in a room of fifteen to twenty children who have yet to learn direction or self-control. Adapting myself to this quality early on in my career is a gift as I would not have to experience years of not trying to meet my students' needs because I needed to grasp the concept of patience. Holding each child's hands has shown me how much they rely on me to bear their hardships and the lessons we teach and learn, even for me as a young adult. Like most children in my care, I grew up in some less fortunate conditions that humbled me into the young woman I have become. I knew I had to wait until I could afford the things I wanted and then do what I could to help my mom and dad keep our heads above water. I worked two jobs for nearly a year until I quit being a barista in September 2022 to focus on my classes and being a classroom aid five days a week. I recently got a new job as a sales associate for Five Below on the weekends because I still need more money to support myself in college, even with financial aid and potential grants in mind. I've been patient through all of this, knowing that I put myself through hours of working and time into my extracurriculars, and volunteerism, as a result, would be greater than if I had won any scholarships or none. I am proud of how far I've come in my eighteen years to have my sense of financial stability and faith that my patience further foregrounds my opportunities for a successful, fortuitous future. Teaching is not the profession that teaches you patience, but the quality of it consumes you. It felt natural to expect children to let their curiosity get the best so I could do my job as an educator to model the right way for the best outcome. One child, in particular, is two-years-old with signs of Asperger's Syndrome and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and has recently shown improvement over the past several months from what I've witnessed since I started working for the center. The head teachers and I changed our practices, in due time and effort, to meet the child's developmental needs. I intend on helping every child like him become a better version of themselves by the end of the school year and the next as they move on in the future phases of their education. While this is the goal, the time it will take for the children to grow is more fulfilling towards the overall growth of their character and outlook on life as a toddler. I cherish the resilience to setbacks the children and I face to eventually choose effective decisions and a sense of gratitude to analyze situations at their greatest depth. No matter where life takes me, the essence of patient leadership allows me to mindfully work with others in my environment and encourage others to live peacefully through patience.

As a current early Head Start assistant teacher to infants and toddlers, teaching has given me numerous opportunities to advocate for healthy living practices and mindfulness. I could have never foreseen how much experience I would gain by helping the children identify their feelings and interact with other kids. Since my freshman year, when I was initially introduced to the foundations of becoming an early childhood teacher, I continued to foster my love for the field. The federal program on my high school campus was convenient for my peers and me, who are in the education and human services career and technical, four-year course. I was given early exposure to the fieldwork as a volunteer and learned about the center's goals and mission to promote positive learning experiences for the children enrolled. From the standpoint of a prospective teacher that has already grasped the concepts of taking social and emotional learning initiatives, storytelling, and why building relationships with the families is essential, it developed me into an effective teacher's aide. During the center's school day, I understand each child's choice of action or question and redirect challenging behaviors into constructive ways of conducting oneself. I encourage parents to follow through with this practice to be consciously aware of their child's interests and values and to have conversations that prepare them for the real world. With all of this in mind, I have laid the blueprint for furthering my impact on young children. At a professional development day with my current company, I was one of the few biracial teachers in the entire early childhood educators department. Representation and inclusivity are key reasons why my presence in the classroom matters to my students' wellness. To me, with representation, students feel connected and vulnerable in that type of educational space. This unchangeable and beautiful factor motivates me to attribute more diversity to the education system. I have had less than two identified African American educators and no Pacific Islander educators thus far in my twelve years of student success. My financial hardships were another burden I could not repress, attributed to how I stuck out like a sore thumb among my friends throughout my childhood. Knowing that other students have had a similar experience of the like prompts me to become a part of that change. I, as a teacher, would decrease the number of learners to come across such a circumstance. I aim to model an equal, sociable environment for children of all ethnic backgrounds and cultural milieus. Whether it be five, ten, or twenty years from now, I would plant these same concepts into the minds of my colleagues, school community, and students' families. The children will thus see themselves grow and challenge themselves in their learning journey equal to their social counterparts. While I received numerous letters of acceptance from some of the nation's best universities and acclaimed undergraduate teaching programs, Spelman College is where I intend to major in elementary education. I was given the honorable opportunity to leave an academic legacy with the school and anticipate learning what more I don't know about how to conduct compelling lessons, activities, and discussions with children. Such a prestigious institution offers this major that focuses on asserting black women like me to lead the next generation of fruitful learners rather than the general groundwork of becoming an ordinary teacher. I have earned my seat apace with the class of 2027 Spelmanite educators to teach students of our own in the near future.

I am a senior studying the education and human services career program at my technical high school. Considering my academic-based leadership positions and as an employed assistant teacher to infants and toddlers, I anticipate succeeding as an early childhood educator. I intend to pursue teaching with a major in either early childhood or elementary education integrated with special education. My choice of fieldwork merges my love of developing intellectual African American students and giving back to families less fortunate of the systemic problems in contemporary black culture. In contrast to other universities with quality education programs, HBCUs craft curriculums designed to amplify the impact of a prospective black teacher like myself to initiate progressive changes for colored children and create a safe, scholarly classroom environment. I am more propelled to educate in an environment of diversity by gaining knowledge as a college scholar and developing pedagogies regarding the importance of classroom cultural awareness for preschoolers. As I see myself finishing college with a master’s in early childhood education and studying in other areas of concentration within the field of teaching in the far future, obtaining those additional certifications would present me with more fieldwork opportunities; a step further into my other respective goals. With the youth and families in local school districts, I exercise my ability to teach, help, and work with my community to make my passion as an educator more defined and of character. On Saturdays, I assist with events and activities for the children of Paterson, New Jersey, sponsored by the New Jersey Community Development Center. The annual block party, holiday food drives, and "Wrap-A-Thon" were occasions that I learned about the needs of minority, BIPOC-identified students in the county that I hope to educate and support in other areas of their lives, not counting academically. I want other anticipated teachers to as well to feel inspired by these festivities to bring about change and joy to undercapitalized school districts. In the past year, I have undertaken career-oriented initiatives based on building and providing educational resources for substandard domestic schools in Passaic County. Post-COVID, young students faced critical learning drawbacks, as children lost the time and experiences that hindered their language and literacy skills. By assessing the necessary tools and provisions, I aim to use knowledge in the teaching profession to deflect other forms of damage due to the epidemic to redirect minority children on the right track to educational excellence. As an education student major, I can inspire peer teachers, community developers, and principalships into traditionalizing multiculturalism and ethical pedagogies within the fieldwork that will then influence the growth and leadership of underprivileged youth. Also, to my discovery, the identity of my school and rife community is prevailing, robust, and hopeful. Among all the others, whether seen from any civic perspective, it takes one individual to concrete a significant change. I found myself giving back to others in various circumstances that energized the more approaches I took after that. I am nevertheless a participant in any way I could be of service: Food, toys, clothes, toiletry, and stationary drives are a branch to service. Writing thoughtful cards to the sick and less fortunate is a branch of service. But I always basked in the plans that water the roots of my community- to execute lasting and combative changes in education and interpersonal reforms. Teaching has become an outlet for me to overcome the integral problems in our nation’s education programs by reshaping the objectives, learning strategies, and communities within and downright from classroom delimitations.

Considering several Historically Black College University acceptances I have received, I intend to pursue teaching with a major in either early childhood or elementary education integrated with special education. My choice of fieldwork merges my love of developing intellectual African American students and giving back to families less fortunate of the systemic problems in contemporary black culture. In contrast to other universities with quality education programs, HBCUs craft curriculums designed to amplify the impact of a prospective black teacher like myself to initiate progressive changes for colored children and create a safe, scholarly classroom environment. I am more propelled to educate in an environment of diversity by gaining knowledge as a college scholar and developing pedagogies regarding the importance of classroom cultural awareness for preschoolers. As I see myself finishing college with a master’s in early childhood education and studying in other areas of concentration within the field of teaching in the far future, obtaining those additional certifications would present me with more fieldwork opportunities; a step further into my other respective goals. With the youth and families in local school districts, I exercise my ability to teach, help, and work with my community to make my passion as an educator more defined and of character. On Saturdays, I assist with events and activities for the children of Paterson, New Jersey, sponsored by the New Jersey Community Development Center. The annual block party, holiday food drives, and "Wrap-A-Thon" were occasions that I learned about the needs of minority, BIPOC-identified students in the county that I hope to educate and support in other areas of their lives, not counting academically. I want other anticipated teachers to as well to feel inspired by these festivities to bring about change and joy to undercapitalized school districts. In the past year, I have undertaken career-oriented initiatives based on building and providing educational resources for substandard domestic schools in Passaic County. Post-COVID, young students faced critical learning drawbacks, as children lost the time and experiences that hindered their language and literacy skills. By assessing the necessary tools and provisions, I aim to use knowledge in the teaching profession to deflect other forms of damage due to the epidemic to redirect minority children on the right track to educational excellence. As an education student major, I can inspire peer teachers, community developers, and principalships into traditionalizing multiculturalism and ethical pedagogies within the fieldwork that will then influence the growth and leadership of underprivileged youth. Also, to my discovery, the identity of my school and rife community is prevailing, robust, and hopeful. Among all the others, whether seen from any civic perspective, it takes one individual to concrete a significant change. I found myself giving back to others in various circumstances that energized the more approaches I took after that. I am nevertheless a participant in any way I could be of service: Food, toys, clothes, toiletry, and stationary drives are a branch to service. Writing thoughtful cards to the sick and less fortunate is a branch of service. But I always basked in the plans that water the roots of my community- to execute lasting and combative changes in education and interpersonal reforms. Teaching has become an outlet for me to overcome the integral problems in our nation’s education programs by reshaping the objectives, learning strategies, and communities within and downright from classroom delimitations.

To my discovery, the identity of my school and rife community is prevailing, robust, and hopeful. Among all the others, whether seen from any civic perspective, it takes one individual to concrete a significant change. I found myself giving back to others in various circumstances that energized the more approaches I took after that. I am nevertheless a participant in any way I could be of service: Food, toys, clothes, toiletry, and stationary drives are a branch to service. Writing thoughtful cards to the sick and less fortunate is a branch of service. But I always basked in the plans that water the roots of my community- to execute lasting and combative changes in education and interpersonal reforms. Acting on my dreams now became a corrective way for the mishaps and lacking functions in the past to better benefit contemporary children and families along their life's plight. Throughout high school, the majority of my community-based initiatives were career oriented. I put myself into the mindset of a prospective educator to think about objectives to concrete in the field of education that would better the children's livelihood and the public school system. The post-COVID young students faced the biggest learning obstacles to go down in history, as children lost the time, resources, and primary moments in their education that significantly hindered their language and literacy skills for life. I spent the winter season of my junior year alongside two young freshman ladies establishing a YouTube channel called "PCTVS Storytelling." Based on the feedback I received from the community of our YouTube presence, I truly believe that because of our firm dedication to reforming the future of learning accompanied by the notion and passion for the building blocks, we met a satisfactory level of growth that the pandemic would have further slowed without it. I successfully built a resource that deflected the damage of the epidemic that set youthful minorities in neighboring sectors on the right track to educational excellence. From what servant leadership has installed within me, I have since used my ability to teach, help, and work with my community as the most important experiences to make my passion as an educator more defined and of character. On Saturdays, I assist with events and activities for the children of Paterson, New Jersey, sponsored by the New Jersey Community Development Center. The annual block party, holiday food drives, and "Wrap-A-Thon" were occasions that I learned about the needs of minority, BIPOC-identified students in the county that I hope to educate and support in other areas of their lives, not counting academically. I have already gained acceptance to several HBCU schools, of which I will major in either early childhood or elementary education integrated with special education. My choice of fieldwork merges my love of developing intellectual African American students and giving back to families less fortunate of the systemic problems in contemporary black culture. In contrast to other universities with quality education programs, HBCUs craft curriculums designed to amplify the impact of a prospective black teacher like myself to initiate progressive changes for colored children and create a safe, scholarly classroom environment. As an education student major, I possess the power to inspire peer teachers, community developers, and principalships into traditionalizing multiculturalism and ethical pedagogies within the fieldwork that will then influence the growth and leadership of underprivileged youth.

The children start to take off their shoes, swiftly head to the sink, and wash their hands. The head teacher and teacher assistants like myself scramble around the room to put the infants in their high chairs, get the toddlers in their seats, and prepare for family-style eating, which will go on for the next hour until nap time. The rest of that time is my opportunity for an hour and a half to make their afternoon fun-packed and the best part of their day. Upon their departure, I give each little one a hug goodbye and leave the classroom feeling whole. Every day's classroom experience is why I wholeheartedly love and intend to make my college educational journey based on my love for early childhood teaching. I currently have an opportunity to complete the CDA course through the local county college, taught by my junior high school Child Development teacher, who is still enrolled in my vocational institute. In this class, we are gathering the necessary materials and preparing for our professional performance to obtain the CDA by the end of our second semester. I began to gain experience working with young children in late June because of the halt the pandemic put on high schoolers working in the field for nearly the past two years. Earning my credential is one of my top goals leading up to graduation, as well as more relevant personal objectives connected to make my impact on the young children in the classroom. While still exploring my options for college, several aspects are influencing my decision to get the best education to succeed in my major and thrive in the school's environment and culture. With that, an HBCU-accredited institution is my greatest hope in pursuing the early childhood curriculum and, with my CDA, teaching full-time in a preschool classroom during my college years. From working with the low-income children I have right now, I want to further my endeavor to fill in the gap of teachers in Head Start centers or staff shortage for urban city educators at this field level. Upon obtaining my Associate's and Bachelor's in my desired major, I would also like to earn my Master's to eventually become a Program Director and take the lead of a center. As I have attained leadership and officer roles in several organizations at the peak of my high school career, I am set to apply for collegiate-level positions that tackle the same societal issues and community initiatives based on children's and families needs. I spend most of my time virtually attending meetings, my center’s parent engagement discussions, and community events that plan the next steps to bettering the learning experiences of young children across the state.Because workshops have always been my biggest benefit to learning more about the mission inquiries of very successful associations, I fully intend to host some of my own throughout college; speaking at conferences about different aspects of working in child care that requires the effort of my college and local community to combat like I have been doing for the past three years. I have successfully paved my path to my destined profession and made my stellar moves to the excellence I seek in myself to teach the nation's next generation of minority children- what I've come to think of as my unstoppable movement. I no longer have to wish and hope for changes to happen in the field but put into action the same visions I've procured for the students in my home- the classroom.

Even during my adolescence, I've made the powerful pursuit of finding a path into leadership and social change. There wasn't much of an avenue to be in clubs or youth programs growing up in my city's public school system until late in my middle school era. I competed in a community service category for the Technology Student Association, placed first for two consecutive years, and earned the role of President of my eighth-grade class. I then went on to attend my current vocational high school, aware of the competitive stakes of finding opportunities for success among over eight hundred students in my class at the start of freshman year. I wanted to continue my passion and love for community service, through which I joined clubs advocating servant leadership. Leadership roles eventually blossomed due to my membership in these organizations and presented occasions for me to suggest new projects, participate more, and collaborate with others. But, the one thing I had never been sure of was what profession fit the dynamic of helping others. I grew up also fostering the essential needs of my younger brother, so I naturally became a caregiver. Throughout my technical-vocational experience in high school, child development eventually became a part of my personality that seamlessly elevated several aspects of my character. The Head Start program I situated myself in during my CTE periods of the school day increased my perspiration to become an educator, whether at the collegiate level to teach African American history or the best preschool teacher of the next generation. Although I continue to picture myself guiding the antecedents of Black leaders, my primary goal is to attain my degree at HBCU as an early childhood student major and enter the field where I will continue to tend to the lives of young children. The morality behind my reason to become an early childhood teacher stems from my hope to raise them with the similar values and pragmatic attitudes I inflicted upon myself from previous educators during my education. Despite the rugged environment of an inner city with a number of increasing poverty rates, unmet changes in language barriers, and support for mental health: our world's classroom teachers strive to protect the needs and target differences that can be made to improve their educational experience. Justly, the teaching career is the ultimate service of all the professions that I decided to fit me and my mission to influence. I am proud of my initiatives to inspire other hopeful high schools to pursue teaching with speeches I've delivered for university conferences, hosted workshops on classroom goals, and got to know New Jersey's most honorable educators. Learning the streets of my urban setting was my greatest strength in understanding the needs of the low-income children in my classroom and the racial inequities other minority teachers face in the field. I've known no other black and Filipino teacher. Still, I revel in the idea of how the perspective as a minority navigating my way into the profession will encourage future biracial students to spend their college learning endeavors discovering their love for teaching.

Despite the rain and my shoes and jacket completely damp, I trudged through the cemetery laying down each wreath, card, and prayer for passed veterans. "Wreaths Across America" was our chapter's first co-curricular volunteering event we'd done since COVID cases decreased. Each of us visited different areas of the gravesite with name cards to set on the grave as we stepped through the mud pits, ensuring each soldier received a wreath and prayer in gratitude for their service and commitment to the safety of Americans around the world. Our SkillsUSA team represented my high school's district; later that day, we were thanked by the chief in charge of the event for taking the time to support their traditional holiday mission that enlightened hundreds of families of the fallen soldiers. Entailed to the organization of SkillsUSA, every day after school from December to March, girls in my career and technical program, Child Development, volunteered to display master storytelling skills for my group's competition advocating our project "PCTVS Storytelling." Through SkillsUSA, we created a series of videos on YouTube that is user-friendly for teachers and classroom experiences, home instruction, and accessible anywhere with the Internet of students reading short stories for elementary level students. It gave them a greater context of important vocabulary words, character perspectives, and how to answer the guided questions at the story's end thoughtfully. This gained the attention of preschool centers across the New Jersey metropolitan area and was further discovered by educators in other states. Two freshmen young ladies and I worked together to develop and present this to judges on both the state and national level of SkillsUSA, given 3rd place on the National stage in Atlanta, Georgia against 14 other groups of competitors across the country. Not only did we contribute to the progression of literacy and language skills for young learners, but what will be continually contributed throughout the years through the Child Development vocational program. As my district's Vice President for the chapter SkillsUSA program and Northern Region Vice President of the New Jersey SkillsUSA organization, our purpose is always to demonstrate limitless forms of leadership and make an impact, one step closer to changing the world. My passion for working with young children can transcend to host seasonal donations and charities to support low-income children in Head Start or government-funded centers. In both divisions stated above, officers are collectively seeking out initiatives to support my mission, as well as others that influence other state-wide pioneers and interest SkillsUSA chapters of other states to achieve their goal for service. For the past three years of my high school experience, it has been an incredible honor to ensure the well-being of local children and families home to champions deriving from the SkillsUSA legacy I've graciously embraced.

On November 14, 2004 around 7 o'clock at night, I, Olivia Marie Gray, was welcomed to the world. My mom’s reason for my name is that it wasn’t as popular then, but it has always ranked high in the charts a few years after I was born. My dad simply liked how it fit with my last name when he and my mom went through a random book of names for girls. Before the age 5, I would’ve said I loved my name, but since then, I went by Liv or Livi once the show “Olivia The Pig” became popular in my childhood, and everybody would make fun of me for it. I suppose I could’ve ignored them and didn’t take it as hard as I did, but I let it bother me until I couldn’t informally go up to new friends and introduce myself as Liv or Livi; a nickname my mom and the rest of my family gave to me. The fits I threw when the kids teased me are forever a witless sense of nostalgia to me. Knowing my mother and father just thought my name “sounds nice” is humorous. The truth is I allowed the silliness of my youth to get into my head the way I’ve done for a short period in middle school and high school. I refrained from socialization and kept to myself, thinking no one would bring up my name in a conversation, ask me things, or ask others about who I am. Now I’ve been on the news, worked with national professionals in the field of education, and competed and placed in nationally recognized contests. Still, I remember how it felt to live in my own shadow. Informally I was best known as Liv or Livi, but on hard copy, it’s Olivia, and I’m proud of that. Because the astounding mentors I’ve had not only encouraged the pursuit behind my name, according to Urban Dictionary, but it’s who I truly became once I came upon success. Even when my favorite teachers addressed me as Ms. Olivia or Ms. Gray, it had a nice ring that went along with the thought of becoming an early childhood educator since junior year. I really came to appreciate Olivia Marie Gray; in every future ad, classroom, person, and the world, I’ve changed and can foretell a million lives I will impact in less than some or more years than the kids in my elementary school have always known. Now I’ve been on the news, worked with national professionals in the field of education, and competed and placed in nationally recognized contests. Still, I remember how it felt to live in my own shadow. Informally I am always Liv, Livi, or Lividoo (as my aunt would say), but officially renowned: Olivia, and I’m proud of that.