My name is Vanessa and I'm an undergraduate student at the University of La Verne in California. My major is in Child Development with a concentration in early childhood teaching. I am currently in my last year at the university and I am scheduled to be graduating by Spring 2024. A little bit about me is that I am the youngest of two daughters and I currently live with my parents. My father is a retired elevator mechanic and my mom is still working as a rehab nurse. I am also working part-time as a head preschool teacher and have been teaching for almost 3 years now. I work at a preschool that is play-based and is a Reggio-Emilia-inspired school. I love working with the younger kids and I am so thankful to have the opportunity of being able to teach the little minds of two and three-year-olds. By working with students at such a young age. I need to be able to connect with them and show how I am a positive outlet that they can trust and feel comfortable with. The first step when working with children is to always build a strong relationship first. This allows the child to not be so anxious, scared, sad, or upset when they are to be left alone for the first time. It also helps me to better understand the students and know their interests, dislikes, comforts and more. While I am getting to know the students and parents that I meet, I make sure to have a positive attitude and outlook on how I am going to be connecting with them and how I can provide the best education and care to the child. I am a person who likes to accept differences and challenges first before I shut them out right away. I like to take a look at how things are going to play out and then if they end up not working for the best, I am content with finishing because I know that I at least tried to work it out first. I would say that this is a way of how I have a positive impact on those around me and is something that I will continue to use in the future. I like to accept a challenge if I know that I will be helping someone else out because the joy I get from accomplishing something on my own and helping out a person in need is one of the greater feelings I get. It also helps me to step out of my comfort zone at times and I can try something new or I get the chance of doing something that I did not think I was capable of doing before. Having a positive attitude and impact on other people is a core value I have for myself and I know how powerful of a tool it can be when you use it around others and in your career. This scholarship will personally help me to be less stressed financially and have a positive outlook on finishing my undergraduate degree knowing that I won't have any student loans or financial burdens once I am done. The university I go to is a private university with higher tuition, so by getting this scholarship. I will be able to pay off my tuition debt free. Thank you so much for reading my response!

In 2022, I left an old job to start a new one. At my old job I was working full time and going to school full time. I was at a place in my life where the only thing that mattered was getting my hours at work and completing all of my assignments for school. It was definitely draining and felt like I was doing the same thing daily. I was working in an environment that was very stressful, toxic, and only mattered about the numbers. There was not much care for the employees and I would get caught up in the amount of work I had to do and with so many different priorities my head was spinning. Until one day in the spring, I got a message from a preschool director who asked if I would be interested in working with her. I ended up going in for an interview and instantly felt the connection and that this next step would be the right one for me. After a couple interviews and going in person to see the preschool, I was offered the job of being a teacher. Once I left my old job of working full time and started this new one that was part time. Everything felt calmer, happier, and that I was in a place where I can feel accomplished with the things that I am doing. During this time, I was still going to school full time and was focusing on starting a new school due to me finishing my associate degree and transferring to a four year for my bachelor’s degree. Everything was starting fresh and new for me, I was so excited to be having a clean start with a new job and starting a new school. I was feeling like I am growing into the adult that I was supposed to be and that there is nothing that is going to stop me from completing my degree and working hard in this new job. Ever since I started working at my new job. I have made so many connections with my coworkers, the parents, students, and my director. I have been blessed with the fact that my director is also a professor and adjunct advisor at the school I am attending for my bachelor’s degree. She has been so helpful and understanding when I have any issues with school and has been there to make me feel better. By leaving an old job that had nothing in store for me and starting a new one where I would be able to grow. It has taught me how working in an environment that is uplifting, connecting, and rewarding. Will help me be successful, happy, and more hardworking. I have learned that this new journey in my life is exactly what I needed to be successful in my work and school and that I am able to accomplish all of my goals.

I have always been inspired by kids when working with them at a young age. I started working with kids when I was in middle school and have loved it since. Although I was still young and working with kids; it taught me how to be caring, professional, and respectful to them and the people around me. I am grateful to still be working in early childhood education today because it is what brings me joy and I have been able to learn so much about children due to the different ages and developmental factors. Working with kids at this age has shown me how important it is for them to have love, care, openness, respect, and close relationships with the people in their lives. I have learned how being a teacher to two years olds is a lot of work but has so many benefits. By working with this young age, my students have allowed me to grow into a person and teacher that I did not know I was capable of. They are the ones who have allowed me to be there for them, build relationships, find new ideas, and learn different ways to handle the same conflicts. I have also learned how diversity, inclusion, and acceptance is very important when it comes to working in early childhood education. I have worked with children that are on different learning levels, are autistic, have ADHD or ADD, speak a different language, or may have separation anxiety. All of these components that one person may find hard, troubling, or too much to deal with. I actually think it is rewarding and allowing me to grow and learn how to deal with the challenges that comes when working with children. All children are unique and so by going through the challenges with them, it makes me feels closer and more connected to the student because I am the one who is there when their parents are not. I am the one who is there to help them feel better through the hard times. It is my responsibility as an educated and care taker to always make sure that my students feel safe, comfortable, and respected when they are with me. This is why I am passionate about early childhood education. I have been so grateful to have a place of work where I am able to learn, grow, and help the students do the same.

I currently work as a early childhood preschool teacher and I am in charge of the 2 years old class. My students are usually there at school for the very first time and I am the one in charge of helping them through the transitions and encouraging them to learn, play, and interact with new people. While working with children at such a young age. I feel that it is very important for them to feel safe, cared for, and of course inspired by me and their peers. I am able to help these students feel inspired by providing open ended activities, materials, and questions so they are able to explore and have the opportunities to do more. I also want to be able to build close relationship’s with each of my students so they are comfortable to be themselves and are wanting to explore topics with me and their friends.

The most helpful piece of financial advice I have ever received is, “Even if you have money, act like you do not”. This quote is explaining how we should not go out and spend all of our money on expensive items or items that we do not need. The main focus of this quote is about learning how to save your money by acting like you actually do not have a lot of money in your account. I feel that this tip has helped me a lot and has actually worked on me saving my money. It can be very hard for some people to save their money and want to spend it on anything they see or like. But when you have the mindset of not having enough money to buy things when you actually do. Than you will eventually have enough money in the future to purchase those items and not feel regret for wasting your money or even purchase something that may be more expensive. This piece of advice is also helpful because it allows you to have discipline on your views on items and spending. By having discipline on spending and my money, I am able to have control and focus on what I am buying and what important items I use. I feel that all of these points are very helpful for someone who wants to have control and not have to worry about their finances. This piece of advice is what has been the best one that has helped change my view and help me.

As I got older and realized what I want to do in the future. I saw that I have a huge love and care for children. I grew up babysitting my cousins and helping my mom in the children's ministry at our church. So from the previous years of working with children, it made me grow a love from them and showed me how I want to work with kids in the future. As I do get older, my dreams for the future would be to eventually get a bachelors from University of La Verne and hopefully a masters degree in child development. Once I am done with school, I hope to have a career where it is focused on children. Whether it be in a classroom, office, or hospital building. Working with children is what truly makes me happy and while I hope to one day work with them. I also hope to one day have a few of my own because having your own kids is where the real teaching and practices come to life.

As I grew up and got older I realized how much I love kids and that in the future I know that I want to work with children. So a goal of mine is to graduate with a bachelors degree in child development from University of La Verne. I am currently in the process of finishing up my associates degree and once I am done I will be transferring to ULV in the fall of 2022. A few steps that will help me accomplish my goal of graduating from La Verne would be to apply for scholarships due to the tuition being very expensive for myself and my family. Not only will scholarships help but also focusing on my grades and getting the help from my professors, peers, tutoring, and finding all of the resources I need to succeed. Going to university of La Verne is truly a dream of mine and to know that there are people who can help provide the resources and money is what will help me accomplish my goals.

I grew up living in Southern California with my two parents and older sister. I went to a public school my whole life and when I was in fourth grade I moved to a new city. This new change in my life was both upsetting yet exciting. I was sad to be leaving my friends back home but also excited to see this new city I was living in and making new friends. I am so thankful that I moved to a this small new town because I feel that it has shaped me into the person that I am today. I know now that it was a good change for me and my family and I feel that if I would have stayed in the same city my whole life. I would not be having the same experiences now, which are experiences that have truly lined up for what I wanted in life. By starting a new chapter when I was in elementary school. It has caused a chain reaction of good memories and experiences that have changed who I am and how I view my life.