I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat wellness issues and social barriers. Nonetheless, having graduate goals has affected my health. It goes without saying, my graduate studies and long-term goals require me to take care of my mind. To maintain a healthy mindset, I read 3-4 books monthly. I prefer self-help books because it keeps me intrinsically motivated. I also write in my journal and on my vision wall. My vision wall includes scriptures, goals, pictures and quotes. Most importantly, I talk to my therapist on a weekly basis. I utilize Talkspace and text my therapist on a weekly basis. She is available to text any time/day of the week. Talkspace was my third attempt at therapy. To my understanding, everyone learns differently. Some people learn best through visuals, auditory or kinesthetics. I learned that I am not a face-to-face client. I share more information by texting. Being able to text my therapist has truly saved my life and has helped me progress throughout my doctoral program. In addition to taking care of my mental health. I also workout 3-5 days a week. As a former athlete, taking care of my physical is extremely important. For this reason, I lift weights at LA fitness for two days a week and I complete cardio activities for the other days. Also, I do online fitness coaching for family and friends. Helping others staying fit, intrinsically motivates me to maintain my physical health. Lastly, I personally think I am a chef. I enjoy cooking for family and friends. During the week, I meal prep healthy meals. There are so many quick and healthy recipes for working students. Every week, I try to incorporate something new. For example, last week I made quinoa casserole with brown rice, delicious! However, on the weekend, I'm allowed to have two cheat meals, not a cheat day. Overall, taking care of my mental, physical, and nutritional health has had a positive impact on my way of living. To enumerate, I have more energy throughout the day, which has helped me become a better graduate student. I am determined to continue to take my mental, physical, and nutritional health serious. Life is too short, so while I'm alive I am going to continue to take care of myself.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. student at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Furthermore, I have embodied the essential leadership qualities and determination to excel in the educational field. In 2021, I wrote over 200 pages for my prospectus exams. I was advised to revisit my prospectus and make several adjustments. During that time, I was also a full-time elementary teacher. Due to poor working conditions, the pandemic and health concerns, I resigned from teaching. Furthermore, I spent three months rewriting my prospectus. It took countless hours, sacrifices and several motivating talks with my therapist to focus. Most importantly, I never gave up. In February 2022, I passed my oral and written prospectus exams. I was so excited that I overcame one of the hardest phases in my doctoral program. Unfortunately, resigning from teaching had a negative impact on my monthly expenses. Currently, I am drowning in medical bills, tuition, rent and utilities. For this reason, I am now applying for scholarships and looking for a new career. Overall, resigning from teaching was necessary, hence to pass my exams. Yet, I would have never passed if I didn't use persistence to overcome obstacles. Most importantly, that experience made me a stronger person and a wise Ph.D. candidate.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat wellness issues and social barriers. Nonetheless, having graduate goals has affected my mental health. It goes without saying, my graduate studies and long-term goals require me to take care of my mind. To maintain a healthy mindset, I read 3-4 books monthly. I prefer self-help books because it keeps me intrinsically motivated. I also write in my journal and on my vision wall. My vision wall includes scriptures, goals, pictures and quotes. I also meditate, workout, eat healthy foods and talk to my therapist. I utilize Talkspace and text my therapist on a weekly basis. She is available to text any time/day of the week. Talkspace was my third attempt at therapy. To my understanding, everyone learns differently. Some people learn best through visuals, auditory or kinesthetics. I learned that I am not a face-to-face client. I share more information by texting. Being able to text my therapist has truly saved my life and has helped me progress throughout my doctoral program. My experience with mental health has had a significant impact on my beliefs, relationships, and career aspirations. Growing up in the inner city, mental awareness was not a priority. The word "therapist" was always used in a negative light. As an adult, I now understand that mental awareness should be a priority and getting help can have a positive impact on ones' life. Next, as a young adult I didn't know how to express my feelings. When I was upset, I would shut down or argue with my peers. Yet, therapy has helped me understand how to navigate through my feelings and how to communicate with others. Lastly, therapy has helped me become a better educator and graduate student. The education field can be extremely stressful, yet with therapy I now have the tools and strategies to become a successful educator. Overall, one practical solution for helping more people with mental health is by providing more inexpensive therapy apps. The world is constantly evolving with technology. In my opinion, younger generations may prefer to text their therapist. As I stated earlier, texting my therapist has truly helped me become the person I am today.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Furthermore, I have embodied the essential leadership qualities and determination to excel in the educational field. In 2021, I was advised to revisit my prospectus and make several adjustments. During that time, I was also a full-time elementary teacher. Due to poor working conditions, the pandemic and health concerns, I resigned from teaching. I spent three months rewriting my prospectus. It took countless hours, sacrifices and several motivating talks with my therapist to focus. Most importantly, I never gave up. In February 2022, I passed my oral and written prospectus exams. I was so excited that I overcame one of the hardest phases in my doctoral program. Currently, I am more determined to further my knowledge in educational leadership. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat social barriers. In three years, I will be a member of the Board of Education taking programmatic strides to change the face of the American education system. Overall, I hope my educational background and work experiences will have a positive impact on the next generation.

Confidence means believing that you can achieve anything. Additionally, confidence requires you to replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. To illustrate this point, in 2021, I wrote over 200 pages for my prospectus exams. I was advised to revisit my prospectus and make several adjustments. During that time, I was also a full-time elementary teacher. Due to poor working conditions, the pandemic and health concerns, I resigned from teaching. Not surprisingly, I listened to the negative voices in my mind. For example, I kept thinking "I will never pass my prospectus exams". After being depressed for weeks, I changed my mindset. I kept telling myself, "I can do this and I will pass my prospectus". I spent three months rewriting my prospectus. It took countless hours, sacrifices and several motivating talks with my therapist to focus. Most importantly, I never gave up. It's important to note that I had to have confidence to overcome this obstacle. In February 2022, I passed my oral and written prospectus exams. I was so excited that I overcame one of the hardest phases in my doctoral program. Unfortunately, resigning from teaching had a negative impact on my monthly expenses. Currently, I am drowning in medical bills, tuition, rent and utilities. For this reason, I am now applying for scholarships and looking for a new career. Overall, resigning from teaching was necessary, hence to pass my exams. Yet, I would have never passed my exams if I wasn't confident. My prospectus experience made me a a more confident person and a wise Ph.D. student. Moving forward, I will continue to be aware of my thoughts and practice saying positive affirmations out loud. Most importantly, I believe confidence is the key factor to being the best version of yourself and overcoming challenges in life.

Selfless means putting the needs of others before your own. Personally, my passion is helping others. It's important to note, that one does not have to be financially wealthy to be selfless. To illustrate this point, being selfless could include volunteering at a homeless center or donating used clothes to Salvation army. As a mentor, I always put the needs of students before my own. For example, in the course of my undergraduate studies, I was inspired to go beyond the school walls in order to help college students overcome social barriers. I participated in two important mentoring groups; The Advantage and Break the Cycle. Both organizations were designed to help increase the college retention rate and help break negative cycles within inner-cities. I was selfless by helping college freshmen students with their homework and essays. As an educator, I show selflessness to my students by purchasing emergency clothes, offering lunches and requesting donations from local community members. Additionally, I show selflessness by attending students' basketball and football games. Other forms of selflessness includes reaching out to professional sports teams and asking athletes to make public service announcements for my students. Overall, it's important to put the needs of others before our own. As stated earlier, selflessness doesn't always require one to spend money. One can be selfless by devoting his/her time or by simply helping another person. In my opinion, it's important to display selflessness on a daily basis. As a current educator, I will continue to make a conscious effort to be selfless, thus to make a world a better place.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat wellness issues and social barriers. Nonetheless, having graduate goals has affected my mental health. It goes without saying, my graduate studies and long-term goals require me to take care of my mind. To maintain a healthy mindset, I read three to four books monthly. I prefer self-help books because it keeps me intrinsically motivated. I also write in my journal and on my vision wall. My vision wall includes scriptures, goals, pictures and quotes. I also meditate, workout, eat healthy foods and talk to my therapist. I utilize Talkspace and text my therapist on a weekly basis. She is available to text any time/day of the week. Talkspace was my third attempt at therapy. To my understanding, everyone learns differently. Some people learn best through visuals, auditory or kinesthetics. I learned that I am not a face-to-face client. I share more information by texting. Overall, being able to text my therapist has truly saved my life and has helped me progress throughout my doctoral program.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. student at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Furthermore, I have embodied the essential leadership qualities and determination to excel in the educational field. As a former elementary teacher, I strove to create a school climate hospitable to education. Instead of focusing on educational gaps, I centered my classroom on student learning and building trust. I started the school year off getting to know my students and their families on a personal and cultural level. In addition to this new climate, more than 50% of my students grew in math and reading. Creating a school climate friendly for education, is not expeditious, instead it takes a dedicated leader that is willing to go above and beyond. Excellence in leadership will lead schools into the twenty-first century. I am dedicated to helping evolve what that excellence looks like. Experiencing ten years inside and outside the classroom, I am more determined to further my knowledge in educational leadership. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat social barriers. In three years, I will be a member of the Board of Education taking programmatic strides to change the face of the American education system. Overall, I hope my educational background and work experiences will have a positive impact on the next generation.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. student at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Furthermore, I have embodied the essential leadership qualities and determination to excel in the educational field. As a former elementary teacher, I strove to create a school climate hospitable to education. Instead of focusing on educational gaps, I centered my classroom on student learning and building trust. I started the school year off getting to know my students and their families on a personal and cultural level. In addition to this new climate, more than 50% of my students grew in math and reading. Creating a school climate friendly for education, is not expeditious, instead it takes a dedicated leader that is willing to go above and beyond. Excellence in leadership will lead schools into the twenty-first century. I am dedicated to helping evolve what that excellence looks like. Experiencing ten years inside and outside the classroom, I am more determined to further my knowledge in educational leadership. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat social barriers. In three years, I will be a member of the Board of Education taking programmatic strides to change the face of the American education system. Overall, I hope my educational background and work experiences will have a positive impact on the next generation.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Furthermore, I have embodied the essential leadership qualities and determination to excel in the educational field. As a former elementary teacher, I strove to create a school climate hospitable to education. Instead of focusing on educational gaps, I centered my classroom on student learning and building trust. I started the school year off getting to know my students and their families on a personal and cultural level. In addition to this new climate, more than 50% of my students grew in math and reading. Creating a school climate friendly for education, is not expeditious, instead it takes a dedicated leader that is willing to go above and beyond. Excellence in leadership will lead schools into the twenty-first century. I am dedicated to helping evolve what that excellence looks like. Experiencing ten years inside and outside the classroom, I am more determined to further my knowledge in educational leadership. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat social barriers. In three years, I will be a member of the Board of Education taking programmatic strides to change the face of the American education system. Overall, I hope my educational background and work experiences will have a positive impact on the next generation.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. student at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Throughout my research, I have utilized Microsoft Office, Adobe, WordPress and NVivo Software to achieve academic access. WordPress has been the most beneficial technology in my graduate studies. Platforms like Microsoft PowerPoint is a great resource. However, I prefer WordPress when I am giving presentations. I realized WordPress really engages the audience. It makes the presentation meaningful, relatable, engaging and user-friendly. During my undergraduate students, I would prepare long PowerPoint presentations. In 2006, you had to encounter several technological issues. For example, uploading your presentation on a USB drive. Next, hoping that the presentation would display on the class board. After five minutes of trying to display your presentation, you notice that your classmates are bored. Lastly, there was the issue of trying to click through 40 slides. I'm happy to say, technology in the classroom has truly improved. Most recently, I gave a presentation on teacher turnover in my doctoral class. I provided my professor and classmates with my WordPress link. During the presentation, students were able to access my website via phone, iPad and laptop. I recall one student saying, "Oh wow, you made a website that I can access through my phone, so cool!" Overall, technology is constantly evolving and improving. I highly recommend graduate students to use WordPress to achieve academic success. It's a fun and creative way to study and get your ideas out to the world. WordPress has definitely made the world a better place, especially for graduate students.

Generosity means putting the needs of others before your own. Personally, my passion is helping others. It's important to note, that one does not have to be financially wealthy to be generous. To illustrate this point, being generous could include volunteering at a homeless center or donating used clothes to Salvation army. As a mentor, I always put the needs of students before my own. For example, in the course of my undergraduate studies, I was inspired to go beyond the school walls in order to help college students overcome social barriers. I participated in two important mentoring groups; The Advantage and Break the Cycle. Both organizations were designed to help increase the college retention rate and help break negative cycles within inner-cities. I was generous by helping college freshmen students with their homework and essays. As an educator, I show generosity to my students by purchasing emergency clothes, offering lunches and requesting donations from local community members. Additionally, I show generosity by attending students' basketball and football games. Other forms of generosity includes reaching out to professional sports teams and asking athletes to make public service announcements for my students. Overall, it's important to put the needs of others before our own. Being generous doesn't always require one to spend money. One can be generous by devoting his/her time or by simply helping another person. In my opinion, it's important to display generosity on a daily basis. As a current educator, I will continue to make a conscious effort to be generous, thus to make a world a better place.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. student at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Furthermore, I have embodied the essential leadership qualities and determination to excel in the educational field. In 2021, I wrote over 200 pages for my prospectus exams. I was advised to revisit my prospectus and make several adjustments. During that time, I was also a full-time elementary teacher. Due to poor working conditions, the pandemic and health concerns, I resigned from teaching. Furthermore, I spent three months rewriting my prospectus. It took countless hours, sacrifices and several motivating talks with my therapist to focus. Most importantly, I never gave up. It's important to note that I used persistence to overcome this obstacle. In February 2022, I passed my oral and written prospectus exams. I was so excited that I overcame one of the hardest phases in my doctoral program. Unfortunately, resigning from teaching had a negative impact on my monthly expenses. Currently, I am drowning in medical bills, tuition, rent and utilities. For this reason, I am now applying for scholarships and looking for a new career. Overall, resigning from teaching was necessary, hence to pass my exams. Yet, I would have never passed if I didn't use persistence to overcome obstacles. Most importantly, that experience made me a stronger person and a wise Ph.D. candidate.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Furthermore, I have embodied the essential leadership qualities and determination to excel in the educational field. In the course of my undergraduate studies, I was inspired to go beyond the school walls in order to help students overcome social barriers. I participated in two important mentoring groups; The Advantage and Break the Cycle. Both organizations were designed to help increase the college retention rate and help break negative cycles within inner-cities. In order to reach students in the classroom, it was vital to reach them outside of the classroom. Building relationships and trust is not a rapid process. Leaders must be patient, understanding, and have great communication skills when taking on these endeavors. During my postgraduate studies, I participated in a discussion group that addressed social inequality issues in K-12 classrooms. Our Winter 2013 focus question was centered on teacher-to-student racial gaps. The population of minority students is steadily increasing in today’s urban schools. Consequently, many minority students are not college ready after completing a K-12 program. Many factors contribute to this disparity, but there’s one leading factor, teacher-to-student racial gaps. I discovered that in addition to being well educated and capable of effectively teaching the curriculum, teachers must be prepared to confront race and racism personally, in society, and especially in our schools. With this research in hand, as I progressed in my own career and began teaching fourth grade, I strove to create a school climate hospitable to education. Instead of focusing on educational gaps, I centered my classroom on student learning and building trust. I started the school year off getting to know my students and their families on a personal and cultural level. In addition to this new climate, more than 50% of my students grew in math and reading. Creating a school climate friendly for education, is not expeditious, instead it takes a dedicated leader that is willing to go above and beyond. Excellence in leadership will lead schools into the twenty-first century. I am dedicated to helping evolve what that excellence looks like. Experiencing ten years inside and outside the classroom, I am more determined to further my knowledge in educational leadership. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat social barriers. In three years, I will be a member of the Board of Education taking programmatic strides to change the face of the American education system. Overall, I hope my educational background and work experiences will have a positive impact on the next generation.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat wellness issues and social barriers. Nonetheless, having graduate goals has affected my mental health. It goes without saying, my graduate studies and long-term goals require me to take care of my mental. To maintain a healthy mindset, I read 3-4 books monthly. I prefer self-help books because it keeps me intrinsically motivated. I also write in my journal and on my vision wall. My vision wall includes scriptures, goals, pictures and quotes. I also meditate, workout, eat healthy foods and talk to my therapist. I utilize Talkspace and text my therapist on a weekly basis. She is available to text any time/day of the week. Talkspace was my third attempt to therapy. To my understanding, everyone learns differently. Some people learn best through visuals, auditory or kinesthetics. I learned that I am not a face-to-face client. I share more information by texting. Being able to text my therapist has truly saved my life and has helped me progress throughout my doctoral program. Overall, one practical solution for helping more people with mental health is by providing more inexpensive therapy apps. The world is constantly evolving with technology. In my opinion, younger generations may prefer to text their therapist. As I stated earlier, texting my therapist has truly helped me.

The U.S. labor market has received much attention since the COVID-19 pandemic (Geisler, 2021). According to the Bureau Labor of Statistics (2021), between February and June 2020, employment dropped from 152.5 million to 137.8 million, a loss of 14.7 million jobs. Employee turnover rates have increased in sectors such as retail, business, transportation, manufacturing (Leonhardt, 2021), and the field of education (Simon & Johnson, 2015). For this reason, teacher shortage is the biggest problem facing the world right now. Since the late 1980s, teacher turnover has increased throughout U.S. schools, especially those serving low-income students (Simon & Johnson, 2015). Teacher turnover is roughly 50 percent higher in high-poverty schools, compared to wealthier schools (Ingersoll, 2001). Additionally, approximately one-third of America’s teachers leave the teaching field within the first three years of teaching (NCTAF, 2002) and half leave within 5 years (Owens, 2015). This increase in teacher turnover is costing the nation approximately $7.3 billion a year (Carroll, 2015). This new estimate is $2.4 billion higher than the estimate reported by the Alliance for Excellent Education in 2005 (Carroll, 2015). Teacher turnover is not just a financial concern, but it is a national crisis because of its effects on teachers, students, and the education system at large. I believe one way we can work on this problem is by improving teacher recruitment strategies, increasing teacher pay, improving working conditions, increasing teacher autonomy and developing intrinsically motivated mindsets. To speed up recruitment and retention of elementary teachers, this critical issue must be brought to the forefront of research and especially in educational forums. My goal is to increase teacher retention rates in elementary schools. All things considered, teacher retention research will not alter the face of education immediately, yet it is a necessary step in educational reform.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention, for teachers of color in elementary schools. Furthermore, I have embodied the essential leadership qualities and determination to excel in the educational field. In the course of my undergraduate studies, I was inspired to go beyond the school walls in order to help students overcome social barriers. I participated in two important mentoring groups; The Advantage and Break the Cycle. Both organizations were designed to help increase the college retention rate and help break negative cycles within inner-cities. In order to reach students in the classroom, it was vital to reach them outside of the classroom. Building relationships and trust is not a rapid process. Leaders must be patient, understanding, and have great communication skills when taking on these endeavors. During my postgraduate studies, I participated in a discussion group that addressed social inequality issues in K-12 classrooms. Our Winter 2013 focus question was centered on teacher-to-student racial gaps. The population of minority students is steadily increasing in today’s urban schools. Consequently, many minority students are not college ready after completing a K-12 program. Many factors contribute to this disparity, but there’s one leading factor, teacher-to-student racial gaps. I discovered that in addition to being well educated and capable of effectively teaching the curriculum, teachers must be prepared to confront race and racism personally, in society, and especially in our schools. With this research in hand, as I progressed in my own career and began teaching fourth grade, I strove to create a school climate hospitable to education. Instead of focusing on educational gaps, I centered my classroom on student learning and building trust. I started the school year off getting to know my students and their families on a personal and cultural level. In addition to this new climate, more than 50% of my students grew in math and reading. Creating a school climate friendly for education, is not expeditious, instead it takes a dedicated leader that is willing to go above and beyond. Excellence in leadership will lead schools into the twenty-first century. I am dedicated to helping evolve what that excellence looks like. Experiencing ten years inside and outside the classroom, I am more determined to continue advocating for social justice within/outside of the classroom. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on multicultural issues in K-12 education. Also, I will continue to help students and teachers combat social barriers. In three years, I will be a member of the Board of Education taking programmatic strides to change the face of the American education system. Overall, I am prepared to continue helping students and teachers overcome social inequalities and challenges.

For the past ten years, I have faced financial hardships as an elementary teacher and doctoral student. My teacher salary is used for classroom materials, rent, utilities, medical expenses and student loans. Even with my educational background, I make less than $45,000 a year. For this reason, I had to learn how to budget my finances early in my career. The best financial advice I have ever received is to create a montly budget and utlize the Fudget app. I utilize excel spreadsheets, expense reports and the Fudget app when creating monthly budgets. Fudget allows consumers to write down their expenses and income. At the bottom of the app, consumers can view their monthly balance. This app has changed my life tremendously. For example, if my balance is less than $200 after paying my monthly bills, I have to decide if I can purchase additional classroom materials or extra groceries. Overall, seeing a visual monthly balance after paying bills is quite beneficial. To make sure I have a bright financial future, I create a monthly budget and schedule meetings with my financial advisor. In addition to budgeting, I make sacrifices. I refuse to spend my money on fast food, vacations and online shopping. Overall, we are living in unprecedented times. Yet, I am constantly striving to better myself academically, spiritually, mentally and financially. I could truly benefit from this scholarship. If granted the scholarship, I will use it for monthly expenses and my doctoral tuition. Thank you for the consideration. I truly appreciate it.

The U.S. labor market has received much attention since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Bureau Labor of Statistics (2021), between February and June 2020, employment dropped from 152.5 million to 137.8 million, a loss of 14.7 million jobs. Employee turnover rates have increased in sectors such as retail, business, transportation, manufacturing and the field of education. For this reason, teacher shortage is the biggest problem facing the world right now. Since the late 1980s, teacher turnover has increased throughout U.S. schools, especially those serving low-income students (Simon & Johnson, 2015). Teacher turnover is roughly 50 percent higher in high-poverty schools, compared to wealthier schools (Ingersoll, 2001). Additionally, approximately one-third of America’s teachers leave the teaching field within the first three years of teaching (NCTAF, 2002) and half leave within 5 years (Owens, 2015). This increase in teacher turnover is costing the nation approximately $7.3 billion a year (Carroll, 2015). This new estimate is $2.4 billion higher than the estimate reported by the Alliance for Excellent Education in 2005 (Carroll, 2015). Teacher turnover is not just a financial concern, but it is a national crisis because of its effects on teachers, students, and the education system at large. I believe one way we can work on this problem is by improving teacher recruitment strategies, increasing teacher pay, improving working conditions, increasing teacher autonomy and developing intrinsically motivated mindsets. To speed up recruitment and retention of elementary teachers, this critical issue must be brought to the forefront of research and especially in educational forums. My goal is to increase teacher retention rates in elementary schools. All things considered, teacher retention research will not alter the face of education immediately, yet it is a necessary step in educational reform.

My favorite book is The Mastery of Self, written by Don Miguel Ruiz Jr. This book is based on ancient Toltecs beliefs. The toltecs were people that saw themselves as artists of life. As a current Ph.D. student, I make a continuous effort to become the best version of myself. The Mastery of Self is a phenomenal book for anyone who wants to grow mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Throughout the book, the author offers specific steps to develop a better mind, body and spirit. First, you must identify your domestications and attachments. Domestication is defined as a "reward or a punishment for adopting the beliefs and behaviors of what others find acceptable" (Ruiz, 2016, p.xvi). For example, I was taught that you must always finish your food before leaving the table. Whereas, attachment is defined as "the action of taking something that is not a part of you and making it a part of you through an emotional or energetic investment" (Ruiz, 2016, p.xv). To illustrate this point, as a child, I would feel guilty if I couldn't finish my food. I was also afraid that I would get in trouble if I didn't eat all of my food. However, as an adult I learned the importance of not overeating. Overall, releasing old domestications and attachments is a difficult and necessary task. Many of my attachments were developed at an early age. I have carried these attachments for twenty-eight years. As I stated earlier, I want to develop a growth mindset in all aspects. In order to do this, I must continue identifying and releasing negative domestications and attachments. Most importantly, The Mastery of Self gave the initial steps to becoming the best version of myself.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Furthermore, I have embodied the essential leadership qualities and determination to excel in the educational field. In 2021, I wrote over 200 pages for my prospectus exams. I was advised to revisit my prospectus and make several adjustments. During that time, I was also a full-time elementary teacher. Due to poor working conditions, the pandemic and health concerns, I resigned from teaching. I spent more than three months rewriting my prospectus. In 2022, I passed my oral and written prospectus exams. Unfortunately, resigning from teaching had a negative impact on my monthly expenses. Currently, I am drowning in medical bills, tuition, rent and utilities. For this reason, I am now applying for scholarships and looking for a new career. Overall, resigning from teaching was necessary, hence to pass my exams. Most importantly, that experience made me a stronger person and a wise Ph.D. candidate.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat social barriers. In three years, I will be a member of the Board of Education taking programmatic strides to change the face of the American education system. It goes without saying, my graduate studies and long-term goals require me to remain optimistic. I have stayed optimistic through times by reading three to four books monthly. I prefer self-help books because it keeps me intrinsically motivated. I also write in my journal and on my vision wall. My vision wall includes scriptures, goals, pictures and quotes. I also meditate, workout, eat healthy foods and talk to my therapist on a weekly basis. Overall, the activities mentioned above has helped me remain optimistic during tough times. Most importantly, I have learned that tough times are necessary and it makes an individual stronger. I believe tough times and my experiences has made me a wise Ph.D. candidate.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat social barriers. In three years, I will be a member of the Board of Education taking programmatic strides to change the face of the American education system. It goes without saying, my graduate studies and long-term goals require me to maintain a growth mindset. In order to keep a growth mindset, I read 3-4 books monthly. I prefer self-help books because it keeps me intrinsically motivated. I also write in my journal and on my vision wall. My vision wall includes scriptures, goals, pictures and quotes. I also meditate, workout, eat healthy foods and talk to my therapist on a weekly basis. Overall, the activities mentioned above has helped me develop a growth mindset.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Throughout my research, I have utilized Microsoft Office, Adobe, WordPress and NVivo Software. WordPress has been the most beneficial technology in my graduate studies. Platforms like Microsoft PowerPoint is a great resource. However, I prefer WordPress when I am giving presentations. I realized WordPress really engages the audience. It makes the presentation meaningful, relatable, engaging and user-friendly. During my undergraduate students, I would prepare long PowerPoint presentations. In 2006, you had to encounter several technological issues. For example, uploading your presentation on a USB drive. Next, hoping that the presentation would display on the class board. After five minutes of trying to display your presentation, you notice that the class is bored. Lastly, there was the issue of trying to click through 40 slides. I'm happy to say, technology in the classroom has truly improved. Most recently, I gave a presentation on teacher turnover in my doctoral class. I provided my professor and classmates with my WordPress link. During the presentation, students were able to access my website via phone, iPad and laptop. I recall one student saying, "Oh wow, you made a website that I can access through my phone, so cool!" Overall, technology is constantly evolving and improving. I highly recommend graduate students to use WordPress when giving presentations. It's a fun and creative way to get your ideas out to the world. WordPress has definitely made the world a better place, especially for graduate students.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Furthermore, I have embodied the essential leadership qualities and determination to excel in the educational field. In the course of my undergraduate studies, I was inspired to go beyond the school walls in order to help students overcome social barriers. I participated in two important mentoring groups; The Advantage and Break the Cycle. Both organizations were designed to help increase the college retention rate and help break negative cycles within inner-cities. In order to reach students in the classroom, it was vital to reach them outside of the classroom. Building relationships and trust is not a rapid process. Leaders must be patient, understanding, and have great communication skills when taking on these endeavors. During my postgraduate studies, I participated in a discussion group that addressed social inequality issues in K-12 classrooms. Our Winter 2013 focus question was centered on teacher-to-student racial gaps. The population of minority students is steadily increasing in today’s urban schools. Consequently, many minority students are not college ready after completing a K-12 program. Many factors contribute to this disparity, but there’s one leading factor, teacher-to-student racial gaps. I discovered that in addition to being well educated and capable of effectively teaching the curriculum, teachers must be prepared to confront race and racism personally, in society, and especially in our schools. With this research in hand, as I progressed in my own career and began teaching fourth grade, I strove to create a school climate hospitable to education. Instead of focusing on educational gaps, I centered my classroom on student learning and building trust. I started the school year off getting to know my students and their families on a personal and cultural level. In addition to this new climate, more than 50% of my students grew in math and reading. Creating a school climate friendly for education, is not expeditious, instead it takes a dedicated leader that is willing to go above and beyond. Excellence in leadership will lead schools into the twenty-first century. I am dedicated to helping evolve what that excellence looks like. Experiencing ten years inside and outside the classroom, I am more determined to further my knowledge in educational leadership. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat social barriers. In three years, I will be a member of the Board of Education taking programmatic strides to change the face of the American education system. Overall, I hope my educational background and work experiences will have a positive impact on the next generation.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Throughout my research, I have utilized Microsoft Office, Adobe, WordPress and NVivo Software. WordPress has been the most beneficial technology in my graduate studies. Platforms like Microsoft PowerPoint is a great resource. However, I prefer WordPress when I am giving presentations. I realized WordPress really engages the audience. It makes the presentation meaningful, relatable, engaging and user-friendly. During my undergraduate students, I would prepare long PowerPoint presentations. In 2006, you had to encounter several technological issues. For example, uploading your presentation on a USB drive. Next, hoping that the presentation would display on the class board. After five minutes of trying to display your presentation, you notice that the class is bored. Lastly, there was the issue of trying to click through 40 slides. I'm happy to say, technology in the classroom has truly improved. Most recently, I gave a presentation on teacher turnover in my doctoral class. I provided my professor and classmates with my WordPress link. During the presentation, students were able to access my website via phone, iPad and laptop. I recall one student saying, "Oh wow, you made a website that I can access through my phone, so cool!" Overall, technology is constantly evolving and improving. I highly recommend graduate students to use WordPress when giving presentations. It's a fun and creative way to get your ideas out to the world. WordPress has definitely made the world a better place, especially for graduate students.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Furthermore, I have embodied the essential leadership qualities and determination to excel in the educational field. In the course of my undergraduate studies, I was inspired to go beyond the school walls in order to help students overcome social barriers. I participated in two important mentoring groups; The Advantage and Break the Cycle. Both organizations were designed to help increase the college retention rate and help break negative cycles within inner-cities. In order to reach students in the classroom, it was vital to reach them outside of the classroom. Building relationships and trust is not a rapid process. Leaders must be patient, understanding, and have great communication skills when taking on these endeavors. During my postgraduate studies, I participated in a discussion group that addressed social inequality issues in K-12 classrooms. Our Winter 2013 focus question was centered on teacher-to-student racial gaps. The population of minority students is steadily increasing in today’s urban schools. Consequently, many minority students are not college ready after completing a K-12 program. Many factors contribute to this disparity, but there’s one leading factor, teacher-to-student racial gaps. I discovered that in addition to being well educated and capable of effectively teaching the curriculum, teachers must be prepared to confront race and racism personally, in society, and especially in our schools. With this research in hand, as I progressed in my own career and began teaching fourth grade, I strove to create a school climate hospitable to education. Instead of focusing on educational gaps, I centered my classroom on student learning and building trust. I started the school year off getting to know my students and their families on a personal and cultural level. In addition to this new climate, more than 50% of my students grew in math and reading. Creating a school climate friendly for education, is not expeditious, instead it takes a dedicated leader that is willing to go above and beyond. Excellence in leadership will lead schools into the twenty-first century. I am dedicated to helping evolve what that excellence looks like. For the past ten years, I have faced financial hardships as an elementary teacher and doctoral student. My teacher salary is used for classroom materials, rent, utilities, medical expenses and student loans. Even with my educational background, I make less than $45,000 a year. For this reason, I had to learn how to budget my finances early in my career. Overall, we are living in unprecedented times. Yet, I am constantly striving to better myself academically, spiritually, mentally and financially. Experiencing ten years inside and outside the classroom, I am more determined to further my knowledge in educational leadership. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat social barriers. In three years, I will be a member of the Board of Education taking programmatic strides to change the face of the American education system. Overall, I hope my educational background and work experiences will have a positive impact on the next generation. I could truly benefit from this scholarship. If granted the scholarship, I will use it for monthly expenses and doctoral tuition. Thank you for the consideration. I truly appreciate it.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Furthermore, I have embodied the essential leadership qualities and determination to excel in the educational field. With this research in hand, as I progressed in my own career and began teaching fourth grade, I strove to create a school climate hospitable to education. Instead of focusing on educational gaps, I centered my classroom on student learning and building trust. I started the school year off getting to know my students and their families on a personal and cultural level. In addition to this new climate, more than 50% of my students grew in math and reading. Creating a school climate friendly for education, is not expeditious, instead it takes a dedicated leader that is willing to go above and beyond. Excellence in leadership will lead schools into the twenty-first century. I am dedicated to helping evolve what that excellence looks like. Experiencing ten years inside and outside the classroom, I am more determined to further my knowledge in educational leadership. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat social barriers. In three years, I will be a member of the Board of Education taking programmatic strides to change the face of the American education system. Overall, I hope my educational background and work experiences will have a positive impact on the next generation.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Furthermore, I have embodied the essential leadership qualities and determination to excel in the educational field. In the course of my undergraduate studies, I was inspired to go beyond the school walls in order to help students overcome social barriers. I participated in two important mentoring groups; The Advantage and Break the Cycle. Both organizations were designed to help increase the college retention rate and help break negative cycles within inner-cities. In order to reach students in the classroom, it was vital to reach them outside of the classroom. Building relationships and trust is not a rapid process. Leaders must be patient, understanding, and have great communication skills when taking on these endeavors. During my postgraduate studies, I participated in a discussion group that addressed social inequality issues in K-12 classrooms. Our Winter 2013 focus question was centered on teacher-to-student racial gaps. The population of minority students is steadily increasing in today’s urban schools. Consequently, many minority students are not college ready after completing a K-12 program. Many factors contribute to this disparity, but there’s one leading factor, teacher-to-student racial gaps. I discovered that in addition to being well educated and capable of effectively teaching the curriculum, teachers must be prepared to confront race and racism personally, in society, and especially in our schools. With this research in hand, as I progressed in my own career and began teaching fourth grade, I strove to create a school climate hospitable to education. Instead of focusing on educational gaps, I centered my classroom on student learning and building trust. I started the school year off getting to know my students and their families on a personal and cultural level. In addition to this new climate, more than 50% of my students grew in math and reading. Creating a school climate friendly for education, is not expeditious, instead it takes a dedicated leader that is willing to go above and beyond. Excellence in leadership will lead schools into the twenty-first century. I am dedicated to helping evolve what that excellence looks like. Experiencing ten years inside and outside the classroom, I am more determined to further my knowledge in educational leadership. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat social barriers. In three years, I will be a member of the Board of Education taking programmatic strides to change the face of the American education system. Overall, I hope my educational background and work experiences will have a positive impact on the next generation.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Furthermore, I have embodied the essential leadership qualities and determination to excel in the educational field. In the course of my undergraduate studies, I was inspired to go beyond the school walls in order to help students overcome social barriers. I participated in two important mentoring groups; The Advantage and Break the Cycle. Both organizations were designed to help increase the college retention rate and help break negative cycles within inner-cities. In order to reach students in the classroom, it was vital to reach them outside of the classroom. Building relationships and trust is not a rapid process. Leaders must be patient, understanding, and have great communication skills when taking on these endeavors. During my postgraduate studies, I participated in a discussion group that addressed social inequality issues in K-12 classrooms. Our Winter 2013 focus question was centered on teacher-to-student racial gaps. The population of minority students is steadily increasing in today’s urban schools. Consequently, many minority students are not college ready after completing a K-12 program. Many factors contribute to this disparity, but there’s one leading factor, teacher-to-student racial gaps. I discovered that in addition to being well educated and capable of effectively teaching the curriculum, teachers must be prepared to confront race and racism personally, in society, and especially in our schools. With this research in hand, as I progressed in my own career and began teaching fourth grade, I strove to create a school climate hospitable to education. Instead of focusing on educational gaps, I centered my classroom on student learning and building trust. I started the school year off getting to know my students and their families on a personal and cultural level. In addition to this new climate, more than 50% of my students grew in math and reading. Creating a school climate friendly for education, is not expeditious, instead it takes a dedicated leader that is willing to go above and beyond. Excellence in leadership will lead schools into the twenty-first century. I am dedicated to helping evolve what that excellence looks like. Experiencing ten years inside and outside the classroom, I am more determined to further my knowledge in educational leadership. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat social barriers. In three years, I will be a member of the Board of Education taking programmatic strides to change the face of the American education system. Overall, I hope my educational background and work experiences will have a positive impact on the next generation.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Furthermore, I have embodied the essential leadership qualities and determination to excel in the educational field. Experiencing ten years inside and outside the classroom, I am more determined to further my knowledge in educational leadership. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat social barriers. In three years, I will be a member of the Board of Education taking programmatic strides to change the face of the American education system. I hope my educational background and work experiences will have a positive impact on the next generation. In December 2021, I resigned from K-5 teaching to focus on my graduate studies. Currently, I am drowning in bills. I would use $1,000 to pay for my medical expenses, student loans and groceries. Thank you for your consideration. I truly appreciate it.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Furthermore, I have embodied the essential leadership qualities and determination to excel in the educational field. In the course of my undergraduate studies, I was inspired to go beyond the school walls in order to help students overcome social barriers. I participated in two important mentoring groups; The Advantage and Break the Cycle. Both organizations were designed to help increase the college retention rate and help break negative cycles within inner-cities. In order to reach students in the classroom, it was vital to reach them outside of the classroom. Building relationships and trust is not a rapid process. Leaders must be patient, understanding, and have great communication skills when taking on these endeavors. During my postgraduate studies, I participated in a discussion group that addressed social inequality issues in K-12 classrooms. Our Winter 2013 focus question was centered on teacher-to-student racial gaps. The population of minority students is steadily increasing in today’s urban schools. Consequently, many minority students are not college ready after completing a K-12 program. Many factors contribute to this disparity, but there’s one leading factor, teacher-to-student racial gaps. I discovered that in addition to being well educated and capable of effectively teaching the curriculum, teachers must be prepared to confront race and racism personally, in society, and especially in our schools. With this research in hand, as I progressed in my own career and began teaching fourth grade, I strove to create a school climate hospitable to education. Instead of focusing on educational gaps, I centered my classroom on student learning and building trust. I started the school year off getting to know my students and their families on a personal and cultural level. In addition to this new climate, more than 50% of my students grew in math and reading. Creating a school climate friendly for education, is not expeditious, instead it takes a dedicated leader that is willing to go above and beyond. Excellence in leadership will lead schools into the twenty-first century. I am dedicated to helping evolve what that excellence looks like. Experiencing ten years inside and outside the classroom, I am more determined to further my knowledge in educational leadership. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat social barriers. In three years, I will be a member of the Board of Education taking programmatic strides to change the face of the American education system. Overall, I hope my educational background and work experiences will have a positive impact on the next generation.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Furthermore, I have embodied the essential leadership qualities and determination to excel in the educational field. In the course of my undergraduate studies, I was inspired to go beyond the school walls in order to help students overcome social barriers. I participated in two important mentoring groups; The Advantage and Break the Cycle. Both organizations were designed to help increase the college retention rate and help break negative cycles within inner-cities. In order to reach students in the classroom, it was vital to reach them outside of the classroom. Building relationships and trust is not a rapid process. Leaders must be patient, understanding, and have great communication skills when taking on these endeavors. During my postgraduate studies, I participated in a discussion group that addressed social inequality issues in K-12 classrooms. Our Winter 2013 focus question was centered on teacher-to-student racial gaps. The population of minority students is steadily increasing in today’s urban schools. Consequently, many minority students are not college ready after completing a K-12 program. Many factors contribute to this disparity, but there’s one leading factor, teacher-to-student racial gaps. I discovered that in addition to being well educated and capable of effectively teaching the curriculum, teachers must be prepared to confront race and racism personally, in society, and especially in our schools. With this research in hand, as I progressed in my own career and began teaching fourth grade, I strove to create a school climate hospitable to education. Instead of focusing on educational gaps, I centered my classroom on student learning and building trust. I started the school year off getting to know my students and their families on a personal and cultural level. In addition to this new climate, more than 50% of my students grew in math and reading. Creating a school climate friendly for education, is not expeditious, instead it takes a dedicated leader that is willing to go above and beyond. Excellence in leadership will lead schools into the twenty-first century. I am dedicated to helping evolve what that excellence looks like. Experiencing ten years inside and outside the classroom, I am more determined to further my knowledge in educational leadership. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat social barriers. In three years, I will be a member of the Board of Education taking programmatic strides to change the face of the American education system. Overall, I hope my educational background and work experiences will have a positive impact on the next generation.

I have dedicated my education to Educational Administration, most recently earning a Master of Arts in K-12 Educational Administration. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia. My research is focused on improving teacher retention in elementary schools. Furthermore, I have embodied the essential leadership qualities and determination to excel in the educational field. In the course of my undergraduate studies, I was inspired to go beyond the school walls in order to help students overcome social barriers. I participated in two important mentoring groups; The Advantage and Break the Cycle. Both organizations were designed to help increase the college retention rate and help break negative cycles within inner-cities. In order to reach students in the classroom, it was vital to reach them outside of the classroom. Building relationships and trust is not a rapid process. Leaders must be patient, understanding, and have great communication skills when taking on these endeavors. During my postgraduate studies, I participated in a discussion group that addressed social inequality issues in K-12 classrooms. Our Winter 2013 focus question was centered on teacher-to-student racial gaps. The population of minority students is steadily increasing in today’s urban schools. Consequently, many minority students are not college ready after completing a K-12 program. Many factors contribute to this disparity, but there’s one leading factor, teacher-to-student racial gaps. I discovered that in addition to being well educated and capable of effectively teaching the curriculum, teachers must be prepared to confront race and racism personally, in society, and especially in our schools. With this research in hand, as I progressed in my own career and began teaching fourth grade, I strove to create a school climate hospitable to education. Instead of focusing on educational gaps, I centered my classroom on student learning and building trust. I started the school year off getting to know my students and their families on a personal and cultural level. In addition to this new climate, more than 50% of my students grew in math and reading. Creating a school climate friendly for education, is not expeditious, instead it takes a dedicated leader that is willing to go above and beyond. Excellence in leadership will lead schools into the twenty-first century. I am dedicated to helping evolve what that excellence looks like. Experiencing ten years inside and outside the classroom, I am more determined to further my knowledge in educational leadership. I declare in 1 year I will be a professor, focusing on effective educational leadership practices that will help students and teachers combat social barriers. In three years, I will be a member of the Board of Education taking programmatic strides to change the face of the American education system. Overall, I hope my educational background and work experiences will have a positive impact on the next generation.