My Mother As A Special Education Teacher

With the help of teachers and my efforts, I have been successful and was even a recipient of an academic achievement award for students with a 3.6 GPA or higher. It is not always easy learning the materials, studying and placing my thoughts onto paper, yet I will continue to advocate for myself in any circumstance necessary. Despite having learning challenges in the classroom, it does not limit my activities outside of the classroom. I love to volunteer! One of my favorite activities includes being a volunteer buddy for the Miracle League of the Fox Valley. The Miracle League is a baseball organization for children and adolescents with physical and/or cognitive challenges. My role of a buddy is to assist my fellow buddy in any needs she may need, protect her from possible injuries and make sure she is having fun! I love having the opportunity of being a buddy, it has formed a forever lasting companionship and provided smiles that touch us all! Addition to the Miracle League, I’m a member of National Honor Society in which I volunteer in several community organizations to help better the community. I was honored to be selected as a Link Crew member. It has been one of my greatest opportunities to advocate for my peers with disabilities. This is a first time that Appleton North Link Crew created a program for students with physical and cognitive challenges to be included in a freshman transition program in

Empathy towards people with disabilities is a quality that I consider has been deep-seated in me since an early age. For example, when I was ten years old, while watching the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) telethon, I was moved to do a fundraiser in my community. All the money raised was sent to the MDA. This made me aware that we can all contribute in some way or another to the good of others. Later on, after completing my high school, I decided to pursue a degree in Physical Education and recreation for children with disabilities. Working as an Adeptive Physical Educator gave me the opportunity to change the lives of many students. The years invested in this occupation brought me great personal and professional satisfactions that still follow me to this

In ninth grade, my mother suggested that I volunteer with peers at my high school who are special needs. She thought it would be good for me to meet other people my age who have their unique struggles in school, much like myself. I protested originally, but little did I know I would love volunteering with my peers, regardless of their disability. During this time, I signed up to volunteer with a local organization called Buddy Ball. At Buddy Ball, I had the opportunity to teach children with disabilities ages five through twenty-one baseball. When I volunteered with my peers, I mainly saw high schoolers with severe autism, intellectual disabilities, and emotional disturbances, whereas with Buddy Ball most of the participants had severe autism, intellectual disability, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, epilepsy, or a multiple of disabilities. Both of these experiences allowed me to gain knowledge of a variety of special

Being close to her sparked my passion for helping people, especially people with special needs. She taught me that it’s ok to love someone who is “different.” Seeing how much of a difference therapy made in her life, and her family’s life, instilled in me that I want to make a difference in people’s lives. I witnessed first-hand how difficult it was for this family to carry out everyday activities and the profound impact that therapy had on their lives.

When I was eight years of age, I started to realize that there was an entire word outside of the town, state, and country that I lived in. I became concerned about the lives of others, even those that I didn’t know personally. I often thought “There are people in other countries that don’t even have enough water to live, and I am living an amazing life here in America”. Not only was I concerned for those people, but I took action to help them. It was then that I started a fundraiser to raise money for people that can’t afford the basic necessities to live in third world countries. To this day, I have been saving every penny I could afford to make sure other people can live a better life.

Volunteering for the Special Olympics was an incredible experience, while interacting with the athletes I learned to be more appreciative and I saw genuine happiness. I was given the amazing opportunity to volunteer at this event because I am a part of Grace club. Grace club is an organization in my school that helps and interacts with kids who have special needs. One of the club's main goals is informing others about the disabilities these children have and how to properly interact with them. It also works towards building respect for people with disabilities and changing the public's perception of these disabilities. I decided to join Grace club for various reasons, but the main reason I decided to join the club was because I would be able to help and interact with these children. I believe lots of compassion and patience is needed when interacting with these children. Volunteering in this club and the Special Olympics fulfills my needs of helping

There has always been a desire for in me to help others who can be in difficult situations or in need of help. This desire has pushed me to pursue a career within the social work field. There have been numerous instances in my life, where I took the chance to help others before helping myself. Whether these instances dealt with my family, friends, peers or strangers, I have always seen the worth in helping others. Putting others before myself has always been an enjoying experience because I am able to be selfless and provide opportunities to others who might not have the resources or help to do so. Knowing that I can have a great impact on others’ lives by directing them to resources or listening to their experiences excites me because I want

Six years ago, my life was changed forever. It was the summer leading into the sixth grade, and my mom asked me if I would like to help at a summer camp for special needs people. Honestly, I knew that I would be working at this camp no matter what my answer might have been. As I anticipated the first day of the week long event, I grew anxious; I was frightened by the unknown. Even though I've lived with someone with disabilities my whole life, my ten year old mind had no clue what the campers themselves be like. Despite my fears, this short five day week was one I would never forget.

I always wanted to have a positive impact on my community, as well as facilitate positive change. Joining W.H.Y and being a part of my community through my church has allowed me to expand and have a say in what goes on. As a part of W.H.Y I am privileged with the opportunity to expose myself to different things including classrooms with toddlers who happen to be autistic. These visits to our local preschool are meant to help the children to socialize and become used to people they do not encounter every day, as well as help the teachers with their respective loads in terms of classroom maintenance.

That one summer day. The sun was bright and hot and we both were sitting outside enjoying our day. I remember smelling the aroma of sweet caramelized corn and barbecue cooking in the background. We started a simple conversation and she asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I remember thinking for a while because I did not know what I wanted to do either. She told

I was born into a world of diversity, although not in the way that most people might think. My world is the world of medical disabilities. This may seem like a sad and scary world, but it’s a world full of amazing, unique people who have faced adversity. I was born with Caudal Regression syndrome, a congenital disorder in which there is an abnormal development in my spine. This disorder brings along many issues, including a solitary kidney, issues with the function of my colon and bladder, and deformation in the feet. Facing these issues meant I would spend a lot of time in the hospital. There I met magnificent people who changed my perspective on life, and pushed me towards positivity.

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style” (Maya Angelou)

Over the past several months, I have volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House. I prepared snacks for the residents and provided entertainment through arts and crafts for the children who lived there. I enjoyed hearing the stories that the residents shared and learning about their struggles. I specifically cherished painting pictures with a little boy who was a cancer patient himself. His mom told me and other volunteers the heartbreak of his prognosis and the story of his ongoing treatment. During another visit to the house, I had the opportunity to meet two twin little girls from Texas who were looking forward to seeing their first snow. I believe I provided some entertainment for the children in order to give the parents some time for themselves. Also in the past, I have volunteered at several church fundraisers serving meals and clearing dishes. Not to mention, last summer I helped out at Animal Adoption Foundation, an animal shelter where I exercised the animals and cleaned up after them. Plus, for many years I have participated in a community cleanup. Recently, I have also begun helping at Roll Hill Community to provide young boys in low-income families with activities to keep them out of trouble. Finally, through school, I volunteered at Peaslee Neighborhood Center in an impoverished neighborhood working towards bettering the futures of the local children. I found each of these volunteer opportunities to be very rewarding because I believe I am making a difference in my community and other communities and improving the lives of the people I touch. Similarly, I connected with several children experiencing different issues, but nonetheless, I provided the same

Curious about the kind of support available to 64 million Americans living with disabilities, I decided to explore this cause and community. I applied and was accepted as an AFK program mentor. Soon, I was working with Michael, a 13-year-old, who was nothing like my preconception of someone with autism. Over the next two years, we met nearly every week, played

Throughout my life I have fought to determine what my meaning in life is. Suddenly one day I found that meaning and it was to help those who needed it the most. As a current employee in the Human Services field, being a caregiver for the mentally and intellectually disabled has made me realize what my meaning in life is. Each and every day I strive to make a difference in a person’s life by assisting them to become more independent. For instance, every night that I pull out of work I smile, because I know I have made a difference in someone’s life other than my own. It is off extreme importance to help the people who cannot assist themselves on their own.