Megan Ray

My educational experience started with me attending Pre-K at Kids Learning

Connection. It was there that I learned to interact with other children, and it was the first

time being away from my parents. From there I went to Brooklands Elementary school

in the Rochester Community school system. While at Brooklands, I was diagnosed with

a learning disability. When I was diagnosed with a learning disability, I took several tests

so they could figure out what help I needed. They developed an Individualized

Education Plan, IEP for short, where I would receive additional help in reading and

writing. My IEP also included speech therapy, where I worked on pronouncing words

with “R” in them. When I started 6th grade at Hart Middle School, I had a new speech

therapist who suggested that I see an ENT doctor because she felt that I was tongue

tied and it was affecting my speech. The doctor was able to perform a frenotomy to clip

the frenulum, the skin that connects the bottom of the tongue to the bottom of the

mouth. I continued speech therapy and made more progress. My IEP continued when I

moved to Stoney Creek High School, where I continued to receive help in reading,

writing, and speech. My speech improved to the point that I was moved to consult only.

When I was a senior at Stoney Creek High School, I applied to Rochester University

and was accepted.     

          When I was in middle school, I earned my Silver Award in Girl Scouts. My Silver

Award project was to make Sunday School binders and activity bags for school age

children at my church, First Presbyterian Church of Troy. In the binders, there were

worksheets and different activities that the teacher would have the kids do every week. I

also added coloring pages, markers, crayons, and books in different bags so the kids
would have something to do during service when there was no Sunday School. Also, at

Hart middle school, I made the honor roll and earned an award for consistently

maintaining this status called the Eagle Award. Another activity I participated in at my

middle school was the track team. After each season, I would receive an award for the

season. When I was in high school, I earned my Gold Award for Girl Scouts. My Gold

Award project was to create a butterfly garden in the courtyard of the middle school that

I went to. In the garden, I planted different types of flowers and plants that would attract

butterflies. I also built several different butterfly houses and a bench for the students to

sit on when they are in the garden. I worked with a landscape designer at Bordine’s

Nursey to design the garden for students with special needs to have a place go to and

take a break for a few minutes when they needed to. There are studies that prove that

children with autism learn better if they have a place to go take a break. I chose to make

my garden a butterfly garden so when the students are outside taking a break, they

could see different types of butterflies. Also, in high school, I was on the girl’s swim

team for three years. After my third year on the swim team, I earned my varsity letter. A

third thing I did in high school participation in a Peer to Peer class. In Peer to Peer, I

helped several students with disabilities with math and reading. A fourth thing that I did

in high school was to take a class called Practicum. Practicum teaches you how to write

a resume and prepare for the working world. You also chose a career you were

interested in and the teacher arranged an internship for you so you could experience it. I

was assigned to Premier Academy and interned there for three months. When I was

there, I assisted the teacher with different activities, crafts, and work with the students.

Some days when I was there, I read different books to the children during their reading
time. While in high school I was on the honor roll for two years. Participating in all these

different activities helped me build my confidence and reduce the stress I was feeling in

my school years. As a senior, I was awarded the Cougar Award for Perseverance. A

Cougar Award is awarded to two students who have overcome obstacles in their high

school years. The presenter, Mrs. Bullock, said that I came into Stoney Creek High

School very shy and lacking confidence. By my senior year I displayed confidence and

became a shining light.

          The reason I want to teach is to help students that struggle in school just as I did.

The teachers that helped me made a big impact on my school years. If I could do that

for students, it could be very rewarding. Growing up I always had a connection with

children, and children that were younger than me, but struggling the same way as I did.

The teachers that helped me through my school years made such a big impact on my

life that I knew when I grow up, I wanted to be a teacher and help students the same

way they helped me.