Burke, VA
Hobbies and interests
Running
Singing
Student Council or Student Government
National Honor Society (NHS)
Reading
Reading
Christian Fiction
Science Fiction
I read books daily
Caitlin Moseley
1,315
Bold Points1x
Nominee1x
FinalistCaitlin Moseley
1,315
Bold Points1x
Nominee1x
FinalistBio
Seeking collegiate degree to become a STEM educator in order give back to my community. I am a passionate leader with a strong interest in math and science. I love working with young people and inspiring a curiosity for the world around them. As a resilient military child who attended seven schools in several different states over the course of my K-12 education, I am open to attending high-value colleges anywhere in the country.
Education
Immanuel Christian School
High SchoolMiscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Bachelor's degree program
Majors of interest:
- Mathematics
- Education, General
Career
Dream career field:
Education
Dream career goals:
Elected Secretary, Student Government Association
Immanuel Christian High School2022 – 20231 yearElected President, Student Government Association
Immanuel Christian High School2023 – Present1 yearBabysitter: provided quality repeated childcare for several families and one life group
2022 – Present2 yearsExtended ChildCare Staff
Immanuel Christian School2022 – Present2 years
Sports
Track & Field
Varsity2023 – Present1 year
Awards
- Captain
Basketball
Junior Varsity2021 – 20221 year
Cross-Country Running
Varsity2021 – Present3 years
Awards
- Positive Attitude Character Award
- Captain
Research
Education, General
Immanuel Christian High School — Logged 120 hours as a “leadership intern” who worked alongside a science teacher by keeping the science lab neat, setting up labs for chemistry and biology classes, and grading papers2022 – 2023
Arts
Chapel Band
Music2021 – Present
Public services
Volunteering
Immanuel Christian High School — Student Ambassador2021 – PresentVolunteering
Immanuel Bible Church — Teen VBS Leader2021 – 2021Volunteering
Immanuel Christian High School — Tutor2021 – PresentVolunteering
My church — Worship leader2020 – Present
Future Interests
Volunteering
Learner Geometry Scholarship
I am planning to pursue a degree in mathematics because it would allow me to become a math teacher. I've always loved math, but I didn't know how to combine it with my other passions and abilities. I have learned throughout my high school education that I am gifted at teaching others around me. I've volunteered my time tutoring my peers, once even helping my friend to get a B+ on her chemistry midterm when she was failing the class. Mathematics has always been my favorite subject in school. I find the orderly nature of math extremely satisfying. Math is beautiful to me; its patterns and concepts draw me in. Classmates at all different math levels are always quick to text me with their late-night math questions. And I'm happy to help. Without these experiences of teaching others, I wouldn't know that I want to be a math teacher. Last year, I was one of three students to receive my school's Excellence in Mathematics award and also received the only Leadership award. Being a math teacher would allow me to lead others in math.
Many students claim to hate math. I understand math is not for everyone. Some people's interests lie elsewhere. As a teacher, I want to empower these students to do well in math, so that they can go on to achieve their goals. I want to give back to the community by helping kids to change their mindset around math. I want them to know that they can do whatever they set their minds to.
A person that has encouraged me is my teacher Mr. Young. I often doubted my math ability, but Mr. Young was quick with inspiring words for me. He once told me, " I always thought you were the most serious mathematician". I want to be a teacher like Mr. Young, who builds students' confidence in math. His kind words have helped shape the person I am today. If I could just help one student change their perception of math and their perception of themselves, I would feel accomplished.
Learner Education Women in Mathematics Scholarship
Ever since I was a little girl, I was fascinated by numbers. Numbers made sense when everything else didn’t. Einstein said, “Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.” Math is beautiful to me, stanza after stanza of addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. Unlike more subjective subjects, like English and History, in math, 2+2 ALWAYS equals 4. As my favorite math teacher of all time, Mr. Young, frequently exclaimed, “Math works!”. Taking part in the universal truth of math unites me with people all over the world. Math is the opposite of chaos. In a world that just seems to get more and more chaotic as I grow up, math has always been a reassuring refuge.
Some of my favorite math memories took place on my middle school math team. Our math team was the nerdiest assortment of students I had ever been a part of, but I treasured every moment. We traveled to other schools to compete in math competitions, and we even won third place in our first competition. Like many STEM-related activities, the club was male-dominated. There was only one other girl on the whole team. This was a little intimidating. I tended to doubt my abilities and hesitate even when I had the right answer. I’m not alone in this struggle; various studies suggest that women lack confidence in STEM subjects, especially math. The boys in the math club were nice; they never told me I was bad at math. I doubted myself because I did not see many women pursuing what I wanted to pursue. I’m passionate about math, but even more passionate about empowering students and building up their confidence. That’s why I want to teach high school mathematics. I want to show students that they can do anything they set their minds to.
A topic in math that is close to my heart is the derivative. I dove into the rules of derivatives in AP Calculus AB; power rule, coefficient rule, quotient and product rule. Every problem was a new challenge, every equation a new pattern. Finding the slope of the slope of the slope (you get my point) was surprisingly enjoyable for me. I've learned that math becomes meaningful when you understand the concepts behind the steps of a problem. The derivative of a function IS the slope of a function. The moment when the real meaning of the derivative clicked, it made the whole topic much easier to wrap my mind around. I've had a wide variety of math teachers, and not all emphasize the importance of the meaning behind math rules. You can complete a math problem while being completely ignorant of WHY the problem works out that way.
Having experience solving complex math problems has caused me to approach any problem I face with analytical thinking and a willingness to learn from my mistakes. Doing things in an orderly fashion, like PEMDAS, keeps me on track. I break difficult problems down into smaller parts so that I can work to find a solution. Nothing seems insurmountable when I use the tools of logical problem-solving I've learned from math.