I was born on February 27th, weighing only 1 pound 11 ounces, and my life began in a NICU surrounded by machines, uncertainty, and fragile hope. The first 97 days of my life were a fight for survival. As a micro preemie, I was intubated for 65 days while my lungs learned to breathe. I faced serious medical complications, including a heart condition, vision issues, and a brain bleed that left doctors unsure about my future abilities. At one point, my parents were asked if they wanted a priest to baptize me and deliver my final rites. There were no guarantees I would walk, talk, or develop typically. But slowly, I improved. My body grew stronger, and I eventually left the hospital and went home. That beginning shaped everything about how I face challenges today. Why I Am Applying I am applying for the No Limits Athletic Scholarship because sports have played a major role in shaping my confidence, resilience, and identity. I have participated in flag football, track, and cheerleading, and each sport has taught me discipline, teamwork, and perseverance. I also live with ADHD, anxiety, and depression. These challenges are not always visible, but they affect focus, confidence, and pressure. Sports gave me structure when my mind felt scattered and helped me turn struggle into motivation instead of defeat. This scholarship represents more than financial support. It represents the belief that athletes with challenges still belong in sports and still have no limits. How I Will Use This Scholarship If I receive this scholarship, I will use it to continue pursuing both my academic and athletic goals. Academically, I plan to study education and become a special education teacher. I want to support students who learn differently or struggle quietly, because I understand what that feels like firsthand. I want to be the teacher who sees potential in students even when they do not see it in themselves. Athletically, I want to stay involved in sports for as long as possible. Whether through school teams or recreational play, sports keep me focused, grounded, and motivated. How Sports Have Impacted My Life Flag football taught me confidence and quick thinking under pressure. Track taught me discipline and mental strength, especially when I felt like stopping but kept going anyway. Cheerleading taught me teamwork, trust, and accountability, where every role matters. Across all three sports, I learned that showing up matters just as much as performance. Challenges I Have Overcome Living with ADHD, anxiety, and depression has made sports both challenging and meaningful. Some days are harder than others, but sports gave me structure and helped me learn how to reset after setbacks and keep going. It also taught me empathy because many people are fighting battles you cannot see. My Dreams On the field, I want to keep growing as an athlete and teammate in any way I can. In the classroom, I want to become a special education teacher who supports students who learn differently and need someone to believe in them early on. My goal is to help students feel seen, capable, and valued. My life began with limits placed on me before I had a voice, but sports and education have shown me something powerful: Limits are not final. This scholarship would help me continue proving that there truly are no limits to what I can achieve.

Name: Sydney Calabrese Scholarship: Ronran Glee Special Education Needs Literacy Scholarship Essay Title: Learning to See Every Child Essay Before I ever took my first steps or spoke my first words, I had already fought for my life. I was born on February 27th weighing only 1 pound 11 ounces. The first 97 days of my life were spent in the NICU fighting battles that most people never have to face. As a micro preemie, I was intubated for 65 days while my lungs learned to breathe with the help of machines. I battled Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), a heart condition that put extreme strain on my heart and lungs. I also developed Stage 3 Retinopathy of Prematurity, which threatened my vision, and suffered a Grade 3 brain bleed that left doctors unsure about my future abilities. At one point, my parents were asked if they wanted a priest to baptize me and deliver my final rites. There were no guarantees I would walk, talk, or develop typical cognitive abilities. My life began surrounded by uncertainty, machines, and fragile hope. Slowly, things started to change. My body grew stronger. The PDA began to close. The retinopathy stopped progressing. The brain bleeds began to heal. After 97 days, I finally left the hospital in my parents’ arms. That moment marked survival, but also the beginning of everything that came after. Because I was born so early, I spent years in early intervention services. I worked with feeding therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and a special education teacher who helped guide my development. They taught me how to eat, how to move, how to build strength, and how to learn. But more than anything, they showed me I was capable. They didn’t just treat delays. They saw me. Those experiences are the reason I want to become a special education teacher. Why I Am Passionate About Special Education My passion for special education comes from understanding what it feels like to need support in ways people don’t always see. I live with ADHD, anxiety, and depression, and those experiences have shaped how I learn, focus, and handle pressure. There are days when I try my best but still struggle in ways others cannot see. Because of that, I understand students who are trying, but struggling quietly. Special education teachers do more than teach academics. They notice what others miss. They celebrate small progress. They create structure when things feel overwhelming and confidence when a student has lost it. That is the kind of teacher I want to be. I believe every child deserves to be seen for more than a diagnosis or label. Every student has strengths, even when they don’t show up in traditional ways. My goal is to help bring those strengths forward. Defining Professor Bloom’s Statement Professor Harold Bloom’s idea “the purpose of teaching is to bring the student to his or her sense of his or her own presence” is about helping a student become aware of themselves as capable and real in a learning space. To me, it means a student realizing: I am here. I matter. I can learn. For many students in special education, that feeling must be built slowly through trust, patience, and consistency. Some students enter school already feeling behind or unsure. My job is to help them feel safe enough to believe in themselves again. That begins with relationship first always. My Mission as a Special Education Teacher I want to create a classroom where students are understood before they are corrected, supported before they are pushed, and valued before they are measured. I will learn each student deeply, how they communicate, what helps them feel safe, and what helps them learn best. I will focus on small wins, because progress is not always big. Sometimes it is staying regulated, completing one task, or trying again after frustration. Structure will also be key. Predictability creates safety, and safety creates learning. Most importantly, every student will feel like they belong exactly as they are. Helping Students Find Their Presence Helping a student find their “presence” means helping them realize: I exist here. I matter. I can learn. It is when a quiet student begins to participate. When a struggling student finds a way to communicate. When a child begins to believe in themselves. That only happens through trust, patience, and consistency. Fairy Tale: The Teacher of Light Once, there was a child born into uncertainty. She survived. As she grew, she saw children who felt unseen. So she became a teacher, not perfect, but patient. She noticed the quiet ones, the struggling ones, the overlooked ones. She gave them time instead of pressure. And slowly, the children changed not because they became different, but because they finally felt seen. They began to say, “I can.” And she understood that was the whole purpose. Conclusion My passion for special education comes from lived experience, personal challenges, and deep gratitude for the educators who shaped me. Helping students find their “own presence” is not just teaching it is helping a child feel seen, capable, and valued. That is what I want to dedicate my life to.

Before I ever took my first steps or spoke my first words, I had already fought for my life. I was born on February 27th, weighing only 1 pound 11 ounces. The first 97 days of my life were spent in the NICU fighting battles that most people never have to face. As a micro preemie, I was intubated for 65 days while my lungs learned to breathe with the help of machines. I battled Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), a heart condition that put extra strain on my heart and lungs. I also developed Stage 3 Retinopathy of Prematurity, which threatened my vision, and suffered a Grade 3 brain bleed that left doctors uncertain about my future abilities. At one point, my parents were asked if they wanted a priest to baptize me and deliver my final rites. Doctors could not promise whether I would walk, talk, or what my cognitive abilities might be. My parents lived each day hoping for small signs of progress while facing constant uncertainty. Slowly, my condition began to improve. My body grew stronger, the PDA began to close, the retinopathy stopped progressing, and the brain bleeds began to heal. After 97 days in the hospital, my parents were finally able to bring me home. It was the beginning of hope, but also the start of a long journey forward. Because I was born so early, I spent much of my childhood in early intervention programs. Feeding therapists helped me learn how to eat. Physical and occupational therapists worked with me to build strength, coordination, and balance. I also worked closely with a special education teacher who supported me as I developed my learning skills. These professionals became some of the most important people in my life. They were patient when progress was slow, encouraging when things felt overwhelming, and they celebrated every milestone with me, no matter how small. Most importantly, they believed in me even when my future was uncertain. Looking back, I realize those moments were when my drive to become a teacher truly began. The teachers and therapists who helped me did more than teach me skills. They built my confidence and showed me that challenges do not define what someone can achieve. They created an environment where I felt seen, supported, and capable, and that belief made a lasting impact on my life. This experience taught me that teaching is not just about academics, but about seeing each child fully, meeting them where they are, and helping them believe in themselves even when they cannot yet see their own potential. Their dedication inspired me to become a teacher who supports, encourages, and builds students' confidence in their abilities. I especially want to work with young children because those early years can shape a child’s confidence and love of learning for the rest of their life. My experiences have also taught me that every child learns differently, and that some students face challenges others cannot see. Because of my own journey, I understand how essential patience, encouragement, and understanding truly are. My drive to become a teacher comes from the people who guided me through my earliest challenges. They changed the course of my life simply by believing in me and helping me grow. Now, I hope to do the same for others. I want to create a classroom where students feel safe, valued, and capable of achieving more than they ever thought possible. Just as my teachers once helped me find my strength, I hope to help my future students discover theirs.