I Attend The University Of California

First of all, I attended MECC in Big Stone Gap, Virginia where I studied forestry and police science. I really enjoyed these classes and did very well in them. I received A's in my forestry and police science classes. My education

During grade school, I won many academic awards and was also a member of the academic bowl team. At the graduation ceremony in 8th grade, I received the R. Dean Truesdale award, which recognized students who scored highly academically and exemplified outstanding integrity. While taking the high school placement test, I scored highly and received a scholarship to attend Ursuline. During freshman year, I had a GPA of 4.37, and during my sophomore year, I had a GPA of 4.40. I am committed to improving myself academically, and my past academic accomplishments showcase this.

I am and have always been a straight A student with school being one of my top priorities. Last year, I finished 9th grade with a GPA of 4.29. I have been awarded for my outstanding academic performance by receiving Principal and Presidential Honor Rolls every semester. I strive to complete challenging courses to demonstrate myself and others how hard work pays off. For instance, I have completed my AP Spanish course and got a 5 on the test, and currently I’m participating in the AP World History course.

In my Junior year of highschool I took a total of eight college level courses through Central Ohio Technical College, and passed each one. This was a struggle for me due to personal issues, however I studied hard and pushed through. The summer before my senior year I took an online Statistics course offered by the same college, and attended the Camp 4 Scholars at Kenyon College. I spent three weeks on campus having making memories, having new experiences, and building my academic skills in a Behavioral Neuroscience course, as well as an African American History course. In this program I learned many skills and had my mind opened to the world beyond my hometown though hearing others’ stories. I then took another course offered by COTC, and am currently taking an American Studies course offered by Kenyon. I believe that I have pushed myself very far academically, in addition to my other

S is a 59 year old African-American female born and raised in Anson County who has attended several institutes of higher learning. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Secretarial Administration from Barber-Scotia College, she later received special education teaching licensure from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Because of her love for learning, S has also taken online classes through the University of Phoenix. She has been a secondary special education teacher for three years and currently works with 8th graders at Anson Middle School.

I have been working with the Coweta County School System since August of 2000. I began as a paraprofessional working with students with Autism through the Emory Autism Program. I enjoyed working with special needs students so much that I entered the TAPP program to obtain my teaching certificate. I began working at East Coweta Middle School in the fall of 2002 and am still currently working there as an interrelated special education teacher. I have taught resource, collaborative, and co-teach classes. I have even had one year where I worked one-on-one with a student that required specialized instruction.

To the respected and caring leaders of the California Department of Education, I hope to remind you all of the obstacle that most students face when they enter college. I am an undergraduate student at University of California, Davis. Although I got accepted to the university, just like many other students, I found that the knowledge and skills that I have learned and developed from secondary school do not meet the university entrance requirements. I have come to realize that high schools did not prepare students enough for the cruel and competitive environment in college. In order to help students to survive in more competitive environment and to pursue higher education, the Department of Education is greatly needed in establishing higher

Upon entering Cal State LA, my goal was and still is to attain a business education focusing on accounting to aid in commencing a satisfying long career. To accomplish this goal, I have had to make disillusioning sacrifices that have left my family saddened, particularly my mother, as I am not present at events where she wishes to see all her children together. My partner has also had to endure similar absences, however she understands my reasoning and in contrast, is supportive and keeps me motivated, and for much more than just that, I am beholden to her. The desire for my family’s better future, the motive behind my actions, keeps me advancing. My strong work ethic can be seen in the grades I have earned at this university. I did not just want to complete my courses, I wanted to excel and in so proving to the self-doubt in me that I do have the intelligence and dedication to succeed. I transferred during the spring of 2015 with an overall grade point average of 2.33. By staying focused while working at McDonald’s and attending school full time, I have earned only A’s and now maintain a core grade average of 3.97, raising my overall cumulative to 2.701. I am

Currently, I am a Personal Care Instructional Aide for a nonverbal Down Syndrome student at West Hempfield Elementary. I work hand and hand with the special education teacher to devise lesson plans to suit the needs of my student. I am responsible for implementing the lesson plans one-on-one with my student in Language Arts, Mathematics, and social skills interactions daily. On a daily basis, I am also responsible for molding and shaping my student's behaviors and prompt when necessary. Working in the learning support room has taught me a variety of ways to incorporate differentiated instruction to suit the needs of all students. It has also shown me the type of teacher I should be, a teacher who adapts content to meet the needs of all learners and the importance of inclusion.

As a student of Eaton High School I have been able to take advantage of many academic and extracurricular activities while still being able to maintain an above average GPA. I currently have a grade point average of 3.731. This was achieved through taking classes that fit the “Honors Diploma” curriculum. Including but not limited to: Honors Algebra II, History 100, Introduction to Literature, and Spanish IV (a collegiate introduction to elementary spanish). I have chosen to take these classes as they will continue to apply in the future as a student of the University of Northern Colorado. Each of these classes were not only challenging, but they had taught me skills that would extend far beyond my high school career. I had learned to

I moved to California three years ago to pursue a Master's degree in social work at USC. During the time I have lived here, I have gained invaluable experience working full-time in the social work field. My first social work related job in California was working at an IMD step-down program for transitional aged youths and adults with dual diagnoses. From there, I began working in the Wraparound program at Aviva Family and Children's Services as a Child and Family Specialist. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with these agencies but am also very excited to begin graduate study at USC's School of Social Work since my graduate education was the reason for my move to southern California.

After struggling with the department of education and guiding my son through the right path, I decided to become a paraprofessional for children with special needs. I absolutely love my job. Being able to help other children by accommodating their needs is a true blessing. Providing children with the tools necessary so they can accomplish given goals and expectations according to their specific needs makes me feel like a successful assistance. I have learned to be patient, understandable and resourceful for both children and families in my classroom.

Throughout my life, I have lived on four continents and four states. After receiving my bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders with a minor in Special Education from Auburn University and a Master’s Degree in Special Education from Alabama A and M, I applied for employment with the Department of Defense School Systems. I have worked in schools in such diverse areas as Lajes, Portugal and Ft. Rucker, Alabama. Currently, I am working at Seoul American Middle School in Seoul, South Korea. This is an American middle school, which serves the school age dependents of United States military and civilian personnel living in Seoul, South Korea. At the end of this school year, I will be moving to Rota, Spain with my wife and two children.

This past year at Audubon Elementary I had a great opportunity to work with a couple of our special needs students. I appreciated the experience and made some life-long friends. I understand more about the needs of these students and understand more about what they go through on a daily basis.

Working with people, especially those who have complex disabilities has been my passion since my teens. My 1st experience working with someone who was nonverbal and had autism was babysitting my neighbor; this experience started me on my life path. Since then I have been a special education teacher, a director of an independent living center, a school based Occupational Therapist, an Assistive Technology consultant and Related Services Supervisor. I hold a BS in Special Education, an MOT in Occupational Therapy and am enrolled in the Continuing Administrative License’s program at Portland State University. I am a hard working, dedicated and creative thinker.