Personal Narrative: A Career As A Teen Mentor

I can still remember coming home from school after an exciting day in the first grade. I would go straight to my room, line all of my dolls up in the floor, and “teach” them everything I had learned earlier that day. But of course, not every child who pretends to be a teacher in his or her early years actually becomes a teacher. So although I enjoyed “teaching,” I never really considered it as a choice for my life-long career.

Upon first entering college, I struggled deciding at such a young age what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Through babysitting and volunteering with pre-school aged children at my church and through a school program called STARS, it became evident to me I had a love for helping children. It fascinated me to see how they viewed the world around them and how quickly they learned new truths everyday. Nevertheless, I knew I would not get the full enjoyment interacting with children as a schoolteacher because the teacher to student ratio is so large. Classroom demands would make it much more difficult to devot individualized attention to each student, and I did not like that concept. So

After doing my observations, I still want to become a teacher. Going into this class, initially I was hesitant and unsure if I wanted to pursue teaching, but after one full day of observing a kindergarten class I am sure this is what I want to do with my life. Seeing the children so excited to learn really made me happy, and I want to be able to encourage that excitement in children myself. I think teaching is a very important job, and thought it is a little scary how much responsibility the career is, I think I am up to the task. I would love to be able to know I am helping the world by teaching children and giving them knowledge they can use in life, and encouraging them to learn academics and about the real world so they can grow up and be successful adults and citizens. I really love working with children, and I think I would enjoy teaching them what they need to know.

Ten forty-six, on a late Saturday night. Instead of sleeping I was once again reading and editing my Teen Advisory Council (TAC) application for the Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey. I still remember to this day how nervous I was; the application, the interview, and the phone calls. However, as I further refined each and every component, my nervousness slowly transformed into confidence. Next thing I knew I was sitting there with fifty other individuals, listening to the executive council’s strategy on how we were all going to help improve the council. It was at that point that I knew becoming a part of the TAC would provide the opportunity to help those in need while building my understanding on how such organizations achieve their goals.

“Soon shall thy arm, UNCONQUER'D STEAM! Afar; Drag the slow barge, or drive the rapid car;

In high school, I could never have imagined I would be pursuing a career as a school counselor. My grandmother and mother both held jobs in the education field and I had always envisioned myself as a lawyer or professor. I did not want to fall into, what I at the time considered, the stereotype of the female teacher. I wished to go into a traditionally male dominated field and live out my inner feminist dreams of shattering the glass ceiling. However, more importantly, I harbored a deep desire to help others. One of the reasons for this is that my brother is autistic and growing up, I saw how he struggled in school and in interacting with his peers. Originally, I wanted to become a disability advocate lawyer. In college, I struggled

“Ranked sixth, Dorothy Hernandez, Texas A & M University Kingsville, Civil Engineering,” began the description at my high school graduation. I recall my decision upon selecting a school and major, which were all revolved around an anti-teaching attitude. My mother, who comes from a line of teachers in El Salvador, and a school counselor at the time of my graduation, attempted to lure me into the family profession; and as a young reckless teenager would do, I held nothing back when I declined to even consider that possibility. My mom recalls me saying, “Oh no! I don’t want to be a teacher, EVER!” when she helped me consider my career choices.

No, I didn’t interview my mentor teacher. The classroom is well-organized. Routines and rules are clear. Children know exactly what’s expected of them. I would prefer feedback while interacting with children. I did email Mrs. Joy and ask her. “What is the philosophy at your center”? The play is a child’s work. How do children learn best? Children learn through play. As children play, they learn to solve problems, to get along with others and to develop the fine gross motor skills needed to grow and learn. What are your guidance strategies? To insure the safety of each child and adult. Helping children feel important. And let children express and think through their problems and find their own solutions. Have you identified the children you

A mentor has played a vast variety of roles in my life, she has been a friend, an advisor and also a support system. She helped me realize my dream of becoming a nurse and encouraged me to take on new challenges and to take risks to get what I want. Additionally, she helped me deal with difficult life challenges, especially in times when I felt like giving up she was there, not to give me a shoulder to cry on but to be the silent support that I needed. The support that I knew will always be with me helping me along as I became an adult. As I become an undergraduate I will have a wide amount of help and mentors available. They will be the people who will provide me with all the resources and information that I will utilize as I began to start

Until third grade, I was homeschooled. Kindergarten through second grade, I worked in workbooks at my own pace. From third grade to sixth grade, I didn’t hate math, but I wasn’t a fan of it either. I had the same teacher for both 7th and 8th grade math, and that is when I started disliking it. I have always been good at math once I figure it out, but I don’t overly enjoy doing it. Ninth through eleventh grade I had a one hundred or higher (extra credit) in math because I was in regular on-level classes. Tenth grade year was my favorite though. The teacher was really kind and would take the time to explain if I didn’t understand. Twelfth grade, though, made me hate math. The teacher did not like me and told me I needed tutoring because I “obviously”

In high school I always believed that I was capable of achieving more in life. Although I initially felt that I had a strong work ethic, the college admissions process soon showed me that I had a lot of growing and maturing to do in order to be successful. Thus, under the Blinn Team program I was able to realize my true academic potential, and began to work towards gaining full admissions with a degree in Nutrition,

Mentoring can provide an opportunity to help young people attain developmental assets or skills in science that are needed to better deal with various challenges of the modern world. As I come from a country that most students in the US are not so acquinted with (Croatia, Europe), that may open some new perspectives in scientific thinking and consequently give an edge in the ensuing Innovation Challenges. Furthermore, as I am a medical doctor with a PhD in Biomedical in Health Sciences, and the 2017 innovation challenges focus on Public Health and Well-being, I think I can provide some valuable insight for the students interested in pursuing this opportunity. Finally, I strongly believe that each of us who takes on this challenge will grow

It has always been part of my character to put others before myself. Being selfless can at times produce and either positive or negative outcome. Sometimes the negative outcome conduced an adverse response that lead me to invest, and place indifferent people before myself. Ultimately, I decided to use my quality in a way that would not only affect others in a positive way, but would also positively affect me. At the end of my sophomore year of high school, my friend Anthony told me about a community service organization called the Youth Advisory Council. The council is comprised of student representatives who focus on finding methods to solve issues within Riverside County's Fourth District.

I have always loved working with children. I taught hip hop classes in high school and mentored and tutored underclassmen my junior and senior year of high school. When I went to college after my freshman year, I continued to teach underclassmen, in sciences (biology: botany, zoology, human physiology, algebra, statistics, TMI tests). This past spring semster, I did some tutoring with a 3rd and 5th graders both for math.

Having gone through university, I had experienced and learned a lot. I had the pleasure of mentoring secondary school children, where I and my colleague has to support, assist and teach them to code and solve any issues they encounter but we also had the responsibility for a safe, attractive experience. I was also a Department Representative for 3 years where I had to handle data and information from lectures/vice chancellor/higher up and correctly filter and clearly distribute to Students/students reps/ (and vice versa) for example to promote and increase awareness of programmes or extra sessions, changes in regulations and etc…, as a Department Representative my service was to the department and students to make sure they have a safe and