Receiving this scholarship will benefit me and my future because it will help my family pay for my collage. While my parents both work collage is expensive. Im planning on going to school to become a future educator. I was to teach kids the skills they will need when advancing through the school system. While my parents will be helping pay for my collage I feel like im inconvensing them. Collage is crazy expensive and I want them to be able to retire someday. So by applying to all these scholarships im hoping to pay for a good portion of my education. My parents are my biggest supporters and I would like to help them in every way I can. My dad works for ford motor company. He works 4 days a week for 12 hours every day plus the occasional overtime. He is constantly tired and is in pain. He's been working there for over 20 years and while no one likes to work he never complains because it keeps a roof over our heads, food on the table, and clothes on our back. all while working he hasn't missed one of my school events. He came to every swim meet, every polo game, and even every concert. He was always there regardless of his work schedule. So by winning the scholarship im hoping he can do the same for my sister. While me mom dosent work a physically Deming job she works from home for a company based in Georgia. Meaning she needs to travel. While her work pays for some of it she needs to pay for certain things not included. By winning this scholarship I can help ensure that she can continue to go to work and be able to fly down to work with her colleges. I want to go to collage to become a teacher. But becoming a teacher is not that high paying of a job. so my plan is to win enough scholarships so that I can have minimal dept when I come out of school. Since teachers are so underpaid for the work that they do I feel like coming out with set and a lower paying job that I would be putting not only myself but also the students that I am teaching at a disadvantage. Since I would have dept it wouldn't be a comfortable and cozy classroom it would more than likely be a scary classroom with harsh lights and no colour. I want to be able to put myself at an advantage but its not all for me its for my mom, dad, and my future students.

I am passionate about becoming a special education teacher because I believe every child deserves a learning environment where they feel valued, capable, and empowered. Special education calls for empathy, patience, and creativity—qualities that allow teachers to truly see students for who they are, not just the challenges they face. I am drawn to this profession because each child’s progress, no matter how small, is meaningful and powerful. These moments of growth remind me why supporting diverse learners is not only important, but transformative. Harold Bloom wrote, *“the purpose of teaching is to bring the student to his or her sense of his or her own presence.”* To me, this means that teaching is more than delivering lessons; it is helping students understand their worth, their voice, and their potential. A sense of presence is the realization that *I matter. I can learn. I can contribute.* For many students with special needs—who may have felt overlooked, underestimated, or misunderstood—this realization can change the course of their lives. My mission as a future special education teacher is to guide students toward that self-awareness. I will honor each student’s individuality by recognizing their strengths, interests, and learning styles. I will create a classroom culture where effort is celebrated, mistakes are seen as steps toward growth, and students feel safe to take risks. By encouraging choice-making and teaching self-advocacy, I will help students understand their needs and trust their abilities. Most importantly, I will foster belonging—because when students feel supported and seen, they begin to believe in themselves. To illustrate the heart behind my mission, I often think of a small fairy tale that reflects the journey of discovering one’s own presence: Once upon a time, in a quiet valley surrounded by silver mountains, lived a girl named **Sam**. She carried an old compass with no needle, yet she kept it close, hoping one day it would guide her. One stormy night, Sam found shelter in a hidden cave where a silent, shimmering river flowed. Beside it stood a stone guardian who asked, “What do you seek?” “Direction,” Sam replied. The guardian pointed to the water. When Sam gazed into it, she did not see her reflection but a glowing path of stones stretching forward. “Your direction was never lost,” the guardian said. “You simply needed the courage to see it.” As Sam stepped onto the first stone, her compass sparked with light, its missing needle forming before her eyes. The path did not lead her to a destination—it led her to herself. Like Sam, I want my students to discover that their guidance, strength, and potential already exist within them. This scholarship will help me become the teacher who supports them in finding their own path—and their own presence.

My Great grandma was always my inspiration. She watched me when my father worked through all hours of the night just to be able to support us. She was always the most supportive woman in the world. She hated my swimming but when I started swimming competivly she made the 45 minute drive to saline to watch me. She screamed everytime I got in the water thinking I was going to drown. But its the fact that she was there. She worked in the more country farmers market selling apples for what she called it ice cream money. She was the kindest woman you would have ever meet. people would all say she would never hurt a fly. Everyone called her Johnny like Johnny apple seed. she was loved by her whole community and I couldn't be prouder to be recognised as her great granddaughter. But soon enough all good things have to come to an end. She was diagnosed with cancer but wouldn't tell anyone. She always said that there was no reason to worry about her and she was fine. She continued to work in the cold making her ice cream money despite the pain. she kept supporting me and helping me with my homework that neither of us could understand. (the quadratic formula is hard). Coming to her final weeks she finally told people. she couldn't keep it hidden anymore. I saw her almost everyday we kept doing my homework and playing card games. She even sat on the golf cart while I set traps for woodchucks and fox. her last few days I got told I couldnt see her. Her condition had went south and she didn't even look like herself. She passed away March 3rd 2022. That day will always be burned in my memory. Getting home form school and having to sit down with my dad and sister was the worst moment of my life. I couldn't stand to see my dad cry. So I pushed it down because I knew my sister and dad needed me. I didn't cry in the following days it felt wrong to. That drive ti the funeral was the longest drive I've ever had. It went as most do. I got the "Im sorry for your loss" and "she was a great woman". But those words didn't phase me. I still didn't cry because my family needed me. after the funeral that drive wasn't long it was comfortable silence. Her memory lives on through me. I still swim and work to help the community (and earn some ice cream money) even when im at my lowest I know she wouldn't want me to give up. I feel as if she is with me everyday. no one ever knew she was gone no one around me. I pushed through. I still swim but im a little more scared of drowning. Eveytime I see a random apple tree or a red robin I know she's there. Due to this her cancer has impacted my education so I would like to help students who have a challenging education path. Im passionate about special education because I believe all people should be able to have a good education, regardless of their ability or situation. Going into special education is a dream of mine that I don't think I will be complete without.

My Great grandma was always my inspiration. She watched me when my father worked through all hours of the night just to be able to support us. She was always the most supportive woman in the world. She hated my swimming but when I started swimming competivly she made the 45 minute drive to saline to watch me. She screamed everytime I got in the water thinking I was going to drown. But its the fact that she was there. She worked in the more country farmers market selling apples for what she called it ice cream money. She was the kindest woman you would have ever meet. people would all say she would never hurt a fly. Everyone called her Johnny like Johnny apple seed. she was loved by her whole community and I couldn't be prouder to be recognised as her great granddaughter. But soon enough all good things have to come to an end. She was diagnosed with cancer but wouldn't tell anyone. She always said that there was no reason to worry about her and she was fine. She continued to work in the cold making her ice cream money despite the pain. she kept supporting me and helping me with my homework that neither of us could understand. (the quadratic formula is hard). Coming to her final weeks she finally told people. she couldn't keep it hidden anymore. I saw her almost everyday we kept doing my homework and playing card games. She even sat on the golf cart while I set traps for woodchucks and fox. her last few days I got told I couldnt see her. Her condition had went south and she didn't even look like herself. She passed away March 3rd 2022. That day will always be burned in my memory. Getting home form school and having to sit down with my dad and sister was the worst moment of my life. I couldn't stand to see my dad cry. So I pushed it down because I knew my sister and dad needed me. I didn't cry in the following days it felt wrong to. That drive ti the funeral was the longest drive I've ever had. It went as most do. I got the "Im sorry for your loss" and "she was a great woman". But those words didn't phase me. I still didn't cry because my family needed me. after the funeral that drive wasn't long it was comfortable silence. Her memory lives on through me. I still swim and work to help the community (and earn some ice cream money) even when im at my lowest I know she wouldn't want me to give up. I feel as if she is with me everyday. no one ever knew she was gone no one around me. I pushed through. I still swim but im a little more scared of drowning. Eveytime I see a random apple tree or a red robin I know she's there.

Why do I want to be a teacher? I want to be a teacher because of the influences school and teachers have had on me. I want to be able to be that teacher that students look back on and think highly about. I want to make kids like school like I did. My earliest school influence was freshman year English class. My teacher was a funny old guy who loved to joke around. Since I already loved English having one of the best teachers I've ever had teach me English was amazing. After freshman year my academics took a turn I didn't want to do my assigmanets I would rather review my game from last night. Through out my junior and senior year I became an athlete student not a student athlete. But the person who smacked sense into me was my coaches. She did a grade check and saw that I was barely eligible. So she pulled me aside and we had a conversation about what was going on. I said that school dosent interest me and I would rather just do sports. But the next words out of her mouth I will never forget "Samantha James, I will pull you from the team if all the assignments that you didn't do are not turned in in the next week" When she said this reality really snapped in and I realised what I was doing. I said yes coach and went to change. The rest of practice went as normal. Game review, skills, drills, and conditioning. when I thought I was finally done I saw we had 5 minuets left my coach sent everyone to the locker room but me. She told me to get in the pool ad I was doing a lunge for every missing assignment. I ended up doing 24 lunges. She then reminded me a I had a week and she would be personally contacting my teachers. Through out that week she turned off my game review app called huddle and I was forced to do my assignments. I finished all but 4 of them and It was because she had locked the assignment. She let me stay. Since then my coach has always been my biggest supporter in and out of the pool. She helped me become not just a better athlete but a person. A few things I jhav learned about myself through sports was how I can dedicate myself to something. I dedicate my whole like to whatever sport im doing that season. I practice for 24 hours every week so showing up for all the 24 hours shows how dedicated I can be. Ive also learned I can be a very compassionate person. People commonly come to me when they need to feel heard and understood. So through my sports I have learned that I am a dedicated and compassionate person.

For as long as I can recall, I've aspired to be the type of adult I lacked in school—someone who really gets students, looks beyond the exterior and recognizes them for what they are, and leads them to start believing in themselves. That's the reason I'm becoming a teacher: so that I can have a lasting impact on the life of a child, particularly one who feels invisible or not quite understood, as I once did. I never really bonded with any of my teachers when I was growing up. I frequently felt as though I was one of a crowd of faces—just another body to manage, not a person to invest in. It was not until I started volunteering with children that I realized the impact that a dedicated, compassionate adult can have. I now volunteer on a regular basis with special-needs kids, and it has been the most rewarding thing in my life. One does not do it for trophies and accolades—one does it for that smile on their face when they feel capable, included, and proud. There is a touch of magic when a child grasps an idea at last. I've witnessed it firsthand—the sparkle in their eye, the grin that creeps onto their face, the self-assurance that grows from the knowledge, "I can do this." That moment, however fleeting it is, is everything. It isn't always about learning math or reading more; it's about believing in themselves. That is the magic of education, and that is the sort of experience I wish to give my future students. What attracts me to teaching is not academics by themselves—it is the potential for a direct, human effect. I wish to be a steady presence in a child's life, a person who appears, hears, and cares. I wish to be that educator who notices the reserved pupil in the rear row who may be having a tough time, the one who praises small victories and makes available a secure space to develop. To me, being a good teacher is about building trust, guiding with empathy, and always showing students that they matter. It's not lost on me that teaching is difficult. It requires patience, imagination, effort, and a whole lot of heart. But I think that every obstacle is worth it when you're helping to shape a child's life. That's why I'm so set on following this path—not because it's simple, but because it's worth it. At the end of the day, I wish for children to be heard, seen, and empowered. I want to be that person who tells them they're capable when they don't even believe so themselves. Education can transform lives, and I'm willing to be that transformation.

Every student has a teacher like that—a teacher who makes all the difference—a teacher who sees your potential before you do and will not allow you to settle for less. Mine was Mrs. Fair. Mrs. Fair taught "Connecting," a course aimed at providing students with hands-on experience in working with students with special needs. I enrolled not quite sure what to anticipate, but soon the class—and Mrs. Fair—altered the direction of my life. What was initially just another elective quickly turned into the door through which I found my passion for special education. Right from the very first day, Mrs. Fair informed us that she required much from us—not effort, but heart. She invested her entire being in teaching disabled students, and she required the same from us. She never gave up on me when I gave up on myself or when I erred. That was what made her exceptional—she noticed something about me that I had not observed about myself yet. There were days I struggled. Days that I didn't feel like I was good enough, or that I didn't know what I was doing, or that maybe I didn't have the patience or the strength to actually do some good. But Mrs. Fair was always there to tell me to keep going. She'd say things like, "You have a gift, Sam. Don't let it go because things are hard right now." And eventually, I started to listen to her. What made her such a great mentor wasn't always her encouragement, though—it was candor. She spoke to me in ways that I did not always want to hear but that I needed to hear. If I was lazy, she called me out on it. If I could have done something differently, she taught me how. She never gave me any BS with her criticism but always framed it in a loving way. Her instruction wasn't of a critical nature—it was to make me better. Above all, Mrs. Fair taught me how to be present for other individuals. To be dependable. To show up. To advocate for those who might not always be able to speak up for themselves. She helped me realize that this work I do with individuals with special needs isn't just something I enjoy doing—it's something I was called to do. Because of her, I've volunteered countless hours with disabled students, and I'm going to get a degree in special education. Mrs. Fair helped me discover my passion, my confidence, and my calling. She pushed me to be better—not in the classroom, but in life. I can only hope to someday be to someone else what she was to me: a mentor, a coach, and a constant reminder that the best version of yourself is always worth fighting for.

When I initially became a member of the swim team, I figured it would be an excellent way to stay in shape. I did not realize how much it would define me—not only as an athlete but as a student, friend, and individual. Swimming has accomplished a lot more than keep me physically in shape; it has assisted me in making friends, building discipline, learning time management skills, and becoming patient. It is in the pool that I have made some of my closest friends. There is something that happens through early morning practice and late night meets that joins people in a special way. We encouraged each other through difficult sets, cheered each other on at meets, and nursed each other through injury. These were not the kind of friendships that dissolved when we left the pool—but formed the basis of my social life and a most significant support network in and out of school. Swimming provided me with a team, but it provided me with a family as well. Aside from friendship, swimming also taught me the value of discipline. Waking up before the sun, training until I was exhausted, and following the practice routine even when I felt like giving up—these were new for me in swimming. But the sport does not reward a half effort. You must be present every day, body and mind, if you are going to get better. That level of dedication has carried over into the way I tackle each area of life, from school to personal aspirations. Time management is yet another skill that I have swimming to thank for. With practices, meets, schoolwork, volunteering, and playing a second varsity sport, there is always something on my plate. Initially, I had trouble keeping up, but swimming compelled me to be organized. I figured out how to prioritize, plan, and make the most of the time that I had. These habits didn't only help me in sports—you improved my grades, my stress level, and my confidence in being able to manage responsibility. Finally, swimming has instilled in me patience. Improvement in this sport is not always fast or apparent. Sometimes you work for months to cut a few seconds from a time. There are injuries, plateaus, and plenty of times when you're convinced you're getting nowhere. But through the years, I learned to trust the process and simply keep at it—even when progress was slow. That patience has enabled me to remain calm and concentrated not only in the pool, but in life. Whether I am teaching special needs children, overcoming academic hurdles, or simply attempting to achieve personal goals, I now realize that good things come with time. Swimming began as yet another extracurricular activity beyond the school, but it has become one of the defining aspects of my personality. The friends I have made, lessons I have learned, and skills I have acquired have all helped shape me into a stronger, more well-adjusted individual. I will take with me long after I graduate from the pool the discipline, time management skills, patience, and friendships I have acquired.