In my life I have been inspired by two great educators, influencing my decision about becoming an educator when I became older. I have tried living my life to be an honest and kind person, and that was also how my parents raised me. My first positive influence was my kindergarten teacher. She was the first teacher I had when I got into grade school. My kindergarten teacher was a wonderfully kind and positive woman, who I always felt safe with. I remember many fond memories of kindergarten and my time spent in her classroom. I thought she was the kind of woman I wanted to grow up to be. I wanted to help others, and be a positive and safe space for others. I spent my elementary school into my high school career still wanting to hold true to the fact that I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher. I had been bullied quite extensively during my grade school years and that solidified my want to be a teacher even more. I didn’t have any teacher or adult in my middle or even my high school years that I felt safe enough to go to. If there had been someone that I could have gone to, or felt safe enough to go to, maybe my school years could have been different. I wanted to be the teacher that students would feel safe to talk to about any issues that the may have. I started to have doubts about what grade level of students I wanted to teach once I hit college. I wanted to help others and be a safe space, which I felt like might not be the right fit with smaller humans. During my second year of college, I had no confidence, no money, and an abusive ex-partner, so I thought it would be best to drop out. I ended up suffering a lot of domestic and drug abuse at the hand of that ex-partner. I ended up being addicted to opioids. After a lot of trauma and rehab, I was able to break away and start fresh and sober. I ended up working in food service and working at the bottom of the barrel as a dishwasher. With a lot of hard work and determination, I ended up being head line cook and being night shift closing manager after about 5 years. I put myself back through cosmetology school in the morning and working full time still in my food service job. I loved it and got a job after graduating top of my class with over a 100 GPA. I got therapy finally for all my unresolved trauma and to try helping me figure out what to do for a long time job. After a while of working on myself, I have decided that I wanted to start working with students and finally fill the want to make my inner and younger self happy. I took a job at a middle school as a paraeducator, and I got put into a program that is designed for students that have trauma, have an IEP and need extra support in classes. That is when I also got paired up with my second teacher that has inspired me. She was the head Special Ed. teacher of the program I was put in. She was a very kind and passionate teacher. She cared about all her students, regardless of race, religion or special need they had. She worked hard for the equal rights of all her students, and was able to be the voice that some of the students needed. She was most of the program students' safe space and was the trusted adult of them as well. I was very lucky to have her as my first head teacher when I went to work in a school. After working with her for a couple years, she has inspired me to go back to get my degree in Special Education for middle school grades. I want to have the kindness and gentleness as my kindergarten teacher and to be as strong and bold as my Special education teacher to be the safe, kind and trusted adult that students need. I feel that I am in the grade levels that I can truly help. I have the trauma to understand the patience needed for these students. I have the understanding of how ugly middle school can get. I am going back to school for the tools to equip my tool belt with all the necessary skills to help future students have a more positive and successful school experience. I feel like I am truly at a place in my life where I am ready to go back to college and have a successful school. I want to do good so that I can be there for anyone that needs someone.