During my freshman year, Mrs Nichols came into my school as an art substitute and after a brief moment, she indicated interest in my art due to my art pieces being more personal and reflected many suppressed childhood emotions. She could tell there was something about me different from my peers, but also knew when I was having a bad day. I preferred to blend in and not draw much attention to myself, even in my friend group I was the most introverted. I did not grow up in a traditional home and I was guarded around people. Before I had her as my teacher, I never trusted many of my teachers completely. It felt like most of my teachers didn't care that I was a person, I was seen as another student in the back of the room. Mrs. Nichols tried to draw me out of my shell through my art and it worked. Not only did I start opening up more to her and my friends, but I also started speaking up during classes and talking more to my teachers. I am still an introvert, but I learned to stand out and be myself. The next year she became my high school English teacher. I had Mrs. Nichols sophomore year when my best friend had moved away due to a tragic circumstance and it caused me to pull back into myself. Since she knew I was artistically inclined and enjoyed writing stories, she encouraged me to put my emotions into my writing. Mrs. Nichols helped me more than my own school counselor through tough times and being someone I could confide in. At the end of my sophomore year my niece died in a car crash and I lost all determination to do anything. I came into my junior year sad but I had grown to be more confident in who my true self was. I expressed myself more openly. However, I became an easy target for bullying in my class. It started slowly in English 3 with Mrs. Nichols and escalated by the same people in my other classes. The ringleader was in my Debate class with Mrs. Nichols and I withdrew again. She noticed immediately and tried to squash the problems, but she could only control what was done in her classroom. Nobody but her really knew what else was going on in my life during that time, grief from the loss of my niece, my mother living in her car and her suicidal thoughts, my home was bombarded by family members who needed a place to go until they got on their feet, and feeling alone even in my own friend circle. I never once wanted to change who I was, however, I was frustrated because it was causing physical pain and the stress was almost unbearable. The bullying made me creep back and go quiet, but Mrs. Nichols saw it. She continued to encourage me to just be who I was guiding through the pain. She may not have understood how badly it hurt, but she was still there which allowed me to keep going. Unlike many people who left me, Mrs. Nichols stayed. I entered my final year eager and full of transformation. Prior to meeting Mrs. Nichols, I didn’t think I could have offered anyone anything when I couldn’t even express myself. Mrs. Nichols taught me that using my lived experiences and being who I truly am, I can connect and empathize with others like me, and without her support, I can’t imagine where I would be today.

My name is Sara King, and I will be graduating from Wheatland R-2 School District this May. I plan on going into Clinical Social Work and I really want to work with kids from abusive homes, but also young kids who are victims of sexual assault. From my own experience and listening to others’ child abuse stories, this is a big problem in this world.. From physical to sexual abuse, it’s horrible to see how many monsters are in the world- people who would hurt their own children over something as simple as dishes that weren’t clean. I was lucky enough to never be physically abused, however, emotional abuse has a history of being overlooked in my family- leaving it untreated. I hope my role as a Social Worker can soon break this vicious cycle. Growing up I watched my parents struggle with basic co-parenting skills, poverty, and projection that caused emotional instability for me at a young age. Not to mention, my siblings grew up to make the same mistakes as our parents, like becoming teen parents themselves and dropping out of high school in order to take care of their children. I had siblings who realized that my upbringing was unorthodox and testified in court for me to be removed from my father’s home and during that time he signed his right away. At nine years old I was placed in my grandparents' care but was given visitations with my mother which, looking back now, was for my own good. I didn't have anyone to help me when everything was going and I felt so alone. I struggle to find energy to do anything because of my depression. If I had a social worker to help me maybe I wouldn’t have had to choose to sacrifice being with my family for my education. I love my family with my mom, dad, and siblings, but when I was a child, I hardly knew any of them due to living with my grandma since I was born. I wanted to know who they were, create a bond with my sisters, to see the positives of my mother and father. However, my parents weren’t in the best living conditions. The school I was going to didn’t help support me through my ADHD or understanding of the schoolwork. As I watched my sisters becoming young mothers, I knew I didn’t want to go down the same path. So at nine years old I chose to leave the city and them for my education . This sacrifice hurt me to make and I wish I could have had both but I knew that I would not get the help I needed. I will become a social worker so adults don't rely on a child's decision that would permanently alter their life and limit interactions with family. I don't regret going with my grandma because it did help me academically but it made me struggle socially around people that don't understand the city life. From all the reasons I gave you above, I am extremely excited to go into social work due to my own life experience and if I had someone like myself to talk to I wouldn't have felt like the world was on my shoulders and I wouldn't have had to make so many sacrifices to better my life. I can make a difference to others who have been through similar situations.

My name is Sara King and I will be graduating from Wheatland R-2 School District this May. My childhood wasn’t a “normal” childhood. I grew up being raised by my grandparents and suffered from both ADHD and anxiety. I plan on going into clinical social work, and I really want to work with kids from abusive or neglectful homes but also young kids who are victims of sexual assault. No matter where I go, I can find someone who was abused physically, mentally, psychologically, and even sexually by a family member or friend. I even have a small story of my own, and though it was nothing drastic, I wish I would have known what was happening. Thankfully, nothing more happened, unlike my mother’s and friends’ experiences. Between my personal experiences and the experiences of loved ones, I have been inspired to become a clinical social worker. My mother faced immense challenges after being assaulted at twelve, leading to early motherhood. Lacking support and guidance, she struggled to raise my sister and cope with depression. Even now, she holds herself responsible for not raising my sisters and me. If only someone had reached out to her, offered support, and given her sound advice—rather than just saying, "You’re a mom now, figure it out.” My mom might have been able to raise us well, move on, and become a better mother had she had support from a therapist, a clinical social worker, or someone who supported her. I care deeply for my mother, and it pains me to witness her battle with her depression. My mother isn't the sole person in my life with a rather difficult past or sexual assault experiences. A close friend of mine was also attacked by her cousin at the age of six and was profoundly affected mentally. This incident, which occurred when she was very young, still terrifies her, but she expresses a desire not to be seen as a victim. She hopes to inspire others to feel better about their own experiences. I totally concur with this. If I can help a child with knowledge from my experiences, I believe I can make a difference. I want to go into social work to help children that have gone through this and help them keep living fulfilling lives. I want to go into a profession where I can look these children in their eyes, support them, and encourage them to be proud of themselves for being survivors and diagnose the psychological trauma that comes with being in an abusive or neglectful home. As I age, I increasingly notice individuals wounded by family, friends, partners, or even strangers, and it disgusts me, but it allows me to also comfort, support, and listen to their stories. I aspire to be someone who assists those who have been hurt and continue to suffer; it's unjust that girls are made to pause their lives due to a decision beyond their control. I believe that boys shouldn’t be overlooked in cases of abuse, neglect, or sexual assault since it affects them as well. Certain individuals remain unaware of the situation until it concludes, leaving them traumatized by the experience. Becoming a clinical social worker is my approach to assisting people by providing the support, resources, and confidence they need to lead fulfilling lives after their experiences. This is why I feel so strongly about being a social worker. I want to help them, ensuring they are not alone. Everyone I’m familiar with has experienced something terrible, and I will be the one who cares if no one else does.

As a student that has participated in the Wheatland Special Education program, I can say with confidence that they have done a lot for me over the past 8 years, not only academically, but in many other ways that affect me outside of my Sped math class and outside of school. The WHS Special Education teachers have helped open doors for me and encouraged me to be successful even after high school. My name is Sara King and I have taken part in the Wheatland High School Special Education program since 2018. I have an IEP for math and problem-solving, and since going into this program, I've been able to keep up with the average class at my pace. By being in the Special Education program, I can have one-on-one time with a teacher, and I understand and break down the problem in simpler ways. In my family, it is rare for anyone to graduate high school in my family , so I never thought it would be possible. My Special Education program has been working on getting me the resources I need to succeed and make my way out of a family that has generations of poverty. Through my program at Wheatland I have the opportunity to participate in a pre-employment program with Mrs. Janice Schubert. Mrs. Schubert has shown me skills I will need in the working field, but also has offered me help with any problem that might occur in college. If I need transportation, technological details, or just advice, Mrs. Schubert is always willing to help. Mrs. Kathy Newman, my Special Education director, has helped me the most, especially with college. She has helped me research the perfect college that would work with me and wouldn’t overwhelm me with the big classes. She accompanied me on college trips to the State Fair community college in order to make sure I understood what I was being told, would have my questions answered, and had my voice heard. Mrs. Newman knows I have social anxiety and that this experience is a big change for me. If it wasn’t for Mrs. Newman, I would never have known of Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation counselor Marty Southard, which helps students who have disabilities, whether it’s physical or a learning disability, or financial problems, different class requirements, and even finding the perfect job for the student. Being able to have the advantage to meet with these people has given me confidence in my journey to college. Living with ADHD is very difficult, and trying to learn and make friends has always been hard because of my odd behavior. One of the biggest challenges is my sensory issues. I struggle with too much noise, bright lights, textures, and even smells that cause me to withdraw from people. This has pushed people away because few people know, and it is hard to control my emotions when I become overstimulated. This made me feel awkward and stunted my social interactions because I didn't want to upset anyone for just being me. My ADHD also made me hyper-fixated on certain things, such as TV shows, movies, and stories. Although my ADHD has made it difficult, it has also allowed me to learn how to tell people's tone, and pay attention to details. A big challenge I have is discerning people's emotions and the meaning of what they are saying; not being able to read social cues can be very problematic in high school. I feel my ADHD played a significant role in my life because, without it, I don’t think I would have overcome all my odds. Before, I used to look down on it, but with the help of Mrs. Kathy Newman, Mrs. Janice Schubert, Mr. Marty Southard, and peers in the special ed class, I don’t feel like it's a liability that will stop me from succeeding beyond high school graduation. I believe these challenges have made me a better student, a better person, and that I will continue to be successful in college. My special education program has inspired me to go to college by supporting me, providing resources to look into, and providing me with avenues to pay for college. They help me accept my disability as a part of who I am, and not a hindrance or limit to what I can do in life. They understand my challenges and have instilled the knowledge that they don’t hold me down. Without my special education program, I’m not sure college would have been an option for me. I have been given confidence, opportunities, and encouragement to continue growing as a student and attending college, something I didn’t think would be possible for me. I am happy with how many options I have because of the Wheatland High School Special Education program and the people who have opened doors for me. I am more than willing to fight through my learning disabilities to make my dream come true because I know I can and I have the support from my teachers and our Special Education director.