Being a teacher has always seemed to be the right fit for me.

Every time I was in a classroom I

found myself always subconsciously critiquing other teachers, and I would say to myself, I
could do better. While growing up this was not always the case. As a child I was always right in
the middle. I was a good student and well behaved, but my grades seemed to always be Cs. My
parents, John and Christine, would always encourage me to achieve higher in school, but my
mind was more on extracurricular activities such as sports and music. My freshman year of high
school was when I realized I was not going anywhere in sports and started to focus on my
studies. My grades seemed to stay the same, but I challenged myself more. Instead of choosing
the easier classes in high school, I chose the Pre-AP and college route. Also, during High School
I joined clubs such as Beta Club and FCCLA. Also, while in High School my love for music
blossomed even more. I became president of the Band Student Council and was a student leader
during my whole high school career. Another organization I belong to was the Chess Club. I was
Vice President during my High School years and my team went to the State Tournament twice
where we placed third each year. I then graduated high school in May of 2011.

As I departed from high school I started my new journey of college at the University of Central
Arkansas. At this point I knew I wanted to become a teacher, and I thought it would be as a
Music educator. I spent the first year and a half in music classes and being a part of the Bear
Marching Band. I cherished these years in college, but as time went on my love for music as a
profession seemed to dwindle. I knew I wanted to teach still, but not so much music anymore. So
in the middle of my sophomore year I made the difficult decision of becoming a history
education major, and in hindsight, I do not regret this decision. During the rest of my years at the
University of Central Arkansas, I have devoted my time in a variety of history and education
courses to help better prepare for my future career. As well I have devoted many hours each
semester (up to twenty hours of classes) so that I can graduate on time in May 2015.

During my years at University of Central Arkansas, I have completed many hours of field
experience. From teaching eighth grade students math and basic algebra, to discussing literature
with English Language Learning foreign students here on campus. I have had really positive
experiences while working in these fields. Each field assignment has brought new challenges that
I must overcome as a person and future educator. These fields have allowed to me to get a real
incite on how teaching works and taught me that to become a respectable teacher a person has to
be patient and willing to adapt for the students. Yes as a teacher we get a paycheck, but our main
concern is for the students. It is about them learning and succeeding in life. These experiences
cemented my ambitions in becoming a teacher.