Growing up as the daughter of a veteran has deeply shaped who I am and the career I aspire to pursue. My father, retired Master Sergeant Eric Mather, dedicated his life to serving our country, and from a young age I understood that his service required sacrifice not only from him, but from our entire family. His commitment to protecting our nation taught me lessons of perseverance, resilience, and selflessness that continue to influence my goals and values today. In 2009, when I was just two years old, my father was deployed to Iraq for a year. While I was too young at the time to fully understand the significance of his absence, the effects of military life became clearer as I grew older. My father returned home safely, but not without lasting challenges, including back problems and tinnitus. Even so, he continued to serve and travel wherever he was needed, placing duty above personal comfort. Watching him push forward despite these difficulties taught me the importance of strength and determination in the face of adversity. As I grew up, I began to experience my own sacrifices as a military child. My father was frequently sent to places such as Germany, Latvia, and Poland, which meant he missed many important moments in my life. Dance recitals, races, games, and special events often took place without him in the audience. While this was difficult, it taught me early on that love and support are not always measured by physical presence. My father made every effort to call, encourage me, and remind me how proud he was, even from thousands of miles away. One moment that stands out to me occurred when my father was stationed in Germany during my Girls on the Run race. The event was designed for daughters to run alongside their fathers, and seeing all the other dads there was especially hard. Although my father could not be physically present, he called me beforehand to wish me luck and encourage me. My uncle ran the race with me that day, stepping in to support me, and it showed me how strong our family bond truly was. That experience taught me that sacrifice does not mean absence of love it means finding ways to show up even when circumstances are difficult. Despite his many deployments, my father made one promise he always kept: he never missed Christmas. No matter where he was stationed or how busy his schedule became, he ensured he was home for that time. This commitment showed me the importance of prioritizing family and maintaining traditions, even in demanding careers. It taught me that dedication to service and dedication to loved ones can coexist. These experiences have shaped my career aspirations by instilling in me a desire to serve others and make a meaningful difference. Growing up in a military family taught me resilience, empathy, and perseverance qualities that directly influence my goal of becoming an educator. I want to support children the way my father supported me: with encouragement, consistency, and understanding. As a future teacher, I hope to create a classroom environment where students feel valued, supported, and capable of overcoming challenges, just as I learned to do as the daughter of a veteran.

Growing up as the daughter of a veteran has deeply shaped who I am and the career I aspire to pursue. My father, retired Master Sergeant Eric Mather, dedicated his life to serving our country, and from a young age I understood that his service required sacrifice not only from him, but from our entire family. His commitment to protecting our nation taught me lessons of perseverance, resilience, and selflessness that continue to influence my goals and values today. In 2009, when I was just two years old, my father was deployed to Iraq for a year. While I was too young at the time to fully understand the significance of his absence, the effects of military life became clearer as I grew older. My father returned home safely, but not without lasting challenges, including back problems and tinnitus. Even so, he continued to serve and travel wherever he was needed, placing duty above personal comfort. Watching him push forward despite these difficulties taught me the importance of strength and determination in the face of adversity. As I grew up, I began to experience my own sacrifices as a military child. My father was frequently sent to places such as Germany, Latvia, and Poland, which meant he missed many important moments in my life. Dance recitals, races, games, and special events often took place without him in the audience. While this was difficult, it taught me early on that love and support are not always measured by physical presence. My father made every effort to call, encourage me, and remind me how proud he was, even from thousands of miles away. One moment that stands out to me occurred when my father was stationed in Germany during my Girls on the Run race. The event was designed for daughters to run alongside their fathers, and seeing all the other dads there was especially hard. Although my father could not be physically present, he called me beforehand to wish me luck and encourage me. My uncle ran the race with me that day, stepping in to support me, and it showed me how strong our family bond truly was. That experience taught me that sacrifice does not mean absence of love it means finding ways to show up even when circumstances are difficult. Despite his many deployments, my father made one promise he always kept: he never missed Christmas. No matter where he was stationed or how busy his schedule became, he ensured he was home for that time. This commitment showed me the importance of prioritizing family and maintaining traditions, even in demanding careers. It taught me that dedication to service and dedication to loved ones can coexist. These experiences have shaped my career aspirations by instilling in me a desire to serve others and make a meaningful difference. Growing up in a military family taught me resilience, empathy, and perseverance qualities that directly influence my goal of becoming an educator. I want to support children the way my father supported me: with encouragement, consistency, and understanding. As a future teacher, I hope to create a classroom environment where students feel valued, supported, and capable of overcoming challenges, just as I learned to do as the daughter of a veteran.

I am interested in pursuing a career in teaching because I have seen firsthand the powerful impact a dedicated, compassionate educator can have on a student’s life. Teaching is not just about delivering lessons; it is about shaping confidence, character, and a sense of belonging. Through my own experiences as a student, mentor, and leader, I have discovered that helping children learn and grow is not only something I enjoy, but something I feel called to do. One of the most influential figures in my journey toward education has been my teacher, Mrs. Barron. As the leader of the Education Academy Teacher Cadet Program, she provided me with more than academic preparation she gave me a true understanding of what it means to be a teacher who genuinely cares. Her program was rigorous, hands-on, and intentionally designed to prepare students for college and real classroom environments. Through her guidance, I learned how to manage responsibilities, communicate professionally, and reflect on my own growth as a learner. Because of Mrs. Barron’s program, I entered college feeling confident, prepared, and motivated to succeed. What made Mrs. Barron truly life changing, however, was the way she cared for her students beyond the classroom. She consistently showed up for us attending recitals, games, and school events to support her students in every aspect of their lives. Seeing her take time out of her own schedule to be present taught me that great teachers do not stop caring when the school day ends. She modeled empathy, dedication, and genuine investment in her students’ success, and she showed me the kind of educator I aspire to become. In addition to being inspired by Mrs. Barron, my hands-on experiences working with children have confirmed my passion for teaching. I had the opportunity to teach at my dance studio, where I learned how to communicate clearly, adapt to different learning styles, and create an encouraging environment. Teaching dance required patience, creativity, and the ability to motivate students while helping them build confidence in themselves. Watching students grow not only in skill, but in self-belief, was incredibly rewarding. I have also worked as a camp counselor, where I was responsible for supervising, mentoring, and supporting children in a fast-paced environment. This role strengthened my leadership skills and taught me how to handle challenges with compassion and professionalism. Additionally, completing classroom observations allowed me to see the daily responsibilities of teachers firsthand and reinforced my desire to work in education. Observing teachers build relationships, manage classrooms, and positively influence students’ lives showed me the meaningful impact educators have every day. I love working with children and helping them discover their potential. Teaching allows me to combine my passion for learning, leadership, and service while positively shaping future generations. I want to be the kind of teacher who makes students feel supported, capable, and valued just as Mrs. Barron did for me. By pursuing a career in teaching, I hope to inspire students, support their growth, and create a classroom environment where every child feels seen, encouraged, and empowered to succeed.

Dance is more than a hobby to me, it has been my outlet, my motivation and the driving force that has helped me become successful from a young age. Through dancing, I found a way to express my emotions and experiences in a way that didn't need words just movements. Dance has given me a sense of belonging, shown me discipline and given me a purpose during difficult times where it has saved me from falling into a deep depression. Dance and the community around it has pushed me to set and achieve my goals. It has helped me work through challenges and has helped me grow into the person I am and I am becoming. All of this ultimately helped push me to seek higher education and in doing so continue to find the love and passion I have for this sport! Dance has helped shape me into a stronger and more capable individual by teaching me skills I can use in the real world. I also have learned good time management skills from balancing practices with academics, teamwork through collaborating with others and perseverance through many practices and improvements made. Dance has strengthened my confidence , leadership and work ethic and with these qualities I feel that I can bring it to a future career and have a positive effect on my work skills. The lessons I have learned from dance have shown me how important being involved in an extra curricular is. Here I am 13 years later still dancing. I am thrilled to share that it has brought me to higher education at Aquinas college and that not only do I get to go to school for a passion of mine but I get to dance. It has always been a dream of mine to dance in college and although our plans and dreams don't always work out I am happy to have made this team and be able to compete and perform like I used to. Dance has given me so many opportunities that I do not take for granted and as a future teacher I can't wait to see what extra curricular do for my future students. Personally I think dance is the best sport but that would be biased. I am so happy to have dance and to have chances like this scholarship that showcase my love for dance and award hard working students who are passionate about their sports and careers. Thank you !