When asked in the 4th Grade classroom what I wanted to be I immediately knew. I want to be a teacher and my mind has not changed since. While people will always doubt you and your future I have not let that hold me back. I am a male entering an occupation dominated by females. This is a common stereotype that to be an elementary teacher you must be a female. I doubted myself along the way until last year when I decided to gain some experience in the field of education. I started going into the elementary classrooms to help out and job shadow. This past year I participated in an activity called Teens as Teachers where I needed to prepare lesson plans on the topic of caring and then teach them in the classroom. Taking the initiative to go into the classroom has allowed me to have the confidence to pursue my dreams. While gaining this confidence I also started my job at the Stickney Community Daycare where I work part-time. I love my job and what I do every day. I like helping students and watching them succeed after teaching them something new. The hardest part about wanting to be an educator might be the pay. I know that I will not receive a great salary while teaching. I have many classmates right now who make double what I do while I work at the daycare. Although there is this pay gap it has not deterred me. My grandmother has been one of my biggest supporters in my dream to become a teacher and she always told me "The pay does not matter if you love what you do then you will be happy". I think that this shows how the consumer culture that our society has evolved into plays such a huge role in what jobs we think we need to do based on pay. I think that it is so interesting how people will live the rest of their lives dreading to go to work for a job that pays well verse getting a job they enjoy but maybe doesn't have the salary benefits. So ultimately my decision to become a teacher was because of my grandmother and the impact she has had on me throughout my life. Another major reason is the joy I receive when watching a young child succeed and learn new things.

I currently work at the Stickney Community Daycare while being part-time employed at the Stickney Community Daycare. I work 15 hours a week specializing with a child who has special needs. The awareness of autism is not very prevalent in this world. The parents of this specific child will not allow him to receive extra help. This has caused me much trouble as I go home wondering why they won't help him. So I have found that from a young age, it is so important to influence these children. That is why I plan to double major in Special Education and Elementary Education. I want to help these children achieve their goals. If these children receive extra help they may have the chance to succeed just like you and me. I grew up in the Special Education Program being diagnosed with Autism and ADHD. I had a great Special Education Teacher throughout Elementary School and that is why I am where I am today. I know that I can have this same impact on many kids by caring about my job and putting all my effort in. These experiences have impacted me in so many ways throughout my life. Although I do not look for sympathy when telling my story, these experiences have helped shape me into who I am today. I think that when a person goes through these experiences they become aware of how harsh this world can be. I want to help these children out so they can succeed for the rest of their life. In my hometown in South Dakota, we are experiencing a teacher shortage just like the rest of the country. I want to come back and serve my community and I think I can do this best by helping these students who need extra help throughout their lives. The impact that I can have on children is what motivates me to keep helping people. Since I started at the daycare this boy that I have worked with has now been potty trained and is doing very well in social situations. As each day is faced with its own challenges we work through them together and learn from each other. The best part of working with kids every day is the experience. Every day the kids teach me something new. I want to have this impact in my small community in the state of South Dakota for the rest of my life.

Many experiences throughout my life have allowed my passion for education to grow. My grandmother taught elementary students her whole life and has inspired me to be passionate about education. Growing up she mentored me with life lessons and helped me with personal issues. I want to have the same impact that she did on many kids throughout the community. I plan to obtain a double major in both Elementary Education and Special Education. After obtaining my degree I want to return to my hometown of Stickney and teach for my whole career. My grandmother also taught in Stickney, which is a small school, her whole life and was highly respected. I have listened to the stories she has to tell and even though not everything is good, I look forward to when I can start teaching. I wanted to pursue some experience in the education field so I have mentored students at the Corsica Stickney Elementary school. During my senior year, I taught at the school through a program called Teens as Teachers where we had to teach lessons on caring to the 4th Grade Class. I also work 15 hours a week at a local daycare center while still being a full-time student. I work with these kids every day and enjoy my job. There is something about watching a child succeed and helping them get to this point. I know how crucial it is to help students at a young age and that is why I am very passionate about helping children learn. I help prepare lesson plans and have learned many valuable lessons while working with these children. I know that going into the occupation of education I will not experience a great salary. I know that if I love my job happiness will come. During fourth grade, I experienced one of my best teachers throughout my elementary career. She was the most caring teacher and was passionate about what she did. She had a positive mindset therefore her classroom was always a positive environment. I aspire to be her every day and have the impact that she had on every student I will teach. Many ways throughout my life have helped me gain the love and interest in education but the things that have had the greatest impact on me are my grandmother, my classroom experience, my job, and my fourth-grade teacher. These are all ways I have been impacted and the reasons that I am passionate about education.