“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” 

These simple yet eloquent words spoken by Mahatma Gandhi have inspired me to dream of a world where children are excited to learn and school is a wonderful place to be . . . a world where parents and teachers work together to help children succeed . . . and a world where each and every child believes that he or she is valued and respected and that anything they dream is possible if they work hard . . . this is why I want to be a teacher.
I want to be a teacher because I believe with all of my heart that I can make a difference in the lives of the children I teach . . . I believe that I have the patience, wonder, and creativity to help them discover talents and gifts they never realized they had . . . and my sincerest hope is to help them explore the world around them and to offer wonderful, exciting opportunities they may not have had otherwise. I also believe that I have the experiences and maturity to help parents become more involved in their children’s education and to  help them realize what a vital and important role they play in their children’s academic success.

During a conversation with my teenage daughter about her college plans, I realized that I was expecting her to do something that I had not done: go to college. [After that conversation] I investigated the profession of teaching and discovered the great variety of paths to follow. It seems that becoming an educator was a natural path for me to choose. I am passionate about learning new things, and teaching offers boundless opportunities to do so. I look forward to learning about, and from, the students that will be in my classroom. Since I plan on teaching Language Arts, I will be able to explore its many facets and present these gems to the students. I will also continue to learn about how to improve my professional skills. I firmly believe that an educator should be first and foremost an enthusiastic learner.
Beyond my own opportunities of learning, I look forward to helping guide students from confusion to achieving their own accomplishments. I understand that a lesson cannot be said to have been taught until the student is able to apply it to their own lives. Through what I have learned and will learn, I will be able to provide my students with strategies and confidence to try new things, expand their horizons, and push past their comfort zones. I am excited that I will get the opportunity to know and influence tomorrow’s decision makers.

NACCTEP would like to thank the Scholarship Committee for their time and support!