Statement Of Purpose: Karina Herrera

I have always had a passion and enjoyed helping others. In fact, I have devoted my elective credits to be involved in assisting special education students. Since my junior year of high school, I have been a peer coach by working with students with disabilities. During my peer coach semesters, I have assisted the special education students learn communication and vocational skills. In the communication course that I peer coached in, I have had the privilege to work under the direction of a Speech and Language Pathologist and an Occupational Therapist. In the communication course, I helped students progress on their reading, writing, and communication skills. After the communication course, of my senior year, I worked with a special education

Joni had worked for over 25 years in the local school system as an Educational Tech II, otherwise known as a teacher’s aide. In this capacity, she got to know generations of teachers, students and their families. In addition, working with high needs students with challenging intellectual disabilities, she sought to identify opportunities for her students to gain practical knowledge in local organizations and life skills to ensure their dignity as adults. To create these connections she often interacted with numerous small businesses, non-profits, and community-based organizations.

I am extremely excited to be applying for the 2017 Instructional Assistant summer session position. I see this as not only a job, but a great opportunity to gain hands on experience within the field of special education. I currently attend Old Dominion University and major in speech pathology & audiology, with a minor in special education. I have two more semesters to complete before I graduate and attend graduate school. I have completed all of my special education classes and I have a total of 3 more speech classes to complete. Therefore, I am familiar with special education, communication disorders, assistive technology, and individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing.

The mentor I have chosen is Vicki Garcia, my mom would always tell me how when I was younger how I loved to spend time with Mrs.Garcia and her family. Mrs. Garcia was like a second mother to me, and her daughter used to be my best friend. She chose this teaching career when she arrived back from Mexico. After living in Mexico for four years and being married to someone who is a native speaker she picked up spanish really well, she calls it her “redneck spanish”. Having the ability to speak spanish and english really opened many doors for her. After being a nurse for several years she changed professions. She chose to be a migrant teacher because she loves to teach children and watch them expand their minds so that they can be better people

Hello, I am Anahi Ceballos-Tapia and I am currently 13 years old. When I’ve first heard about the AVID program, I was very skeptical about what this program benefits. After asking which program would suit me the best for my future education, I’ve chosen to participate in this particular program. I feel that I have the skills and determination to have this course in Everett Alvarez High School. Therefore, I would like to be enrolled in AVID for various reasons. My foremost reason on why I want to be enrolled in AVID program is considering that it will help me tremendously on my academics in school, which would apply to helping me learn how to be successful all the way through college. Secondly, I would like to be in AVID since this class can

If you have a disability that requires classroom modification, please contact the campus Academic Disability Coordinator.

I have more than one mentor in my life, teachers and friends that one way or the other helped shape the person that I am today. One person that I will always remember is Mrs. Luz Rodriguez, she was my Supervisor at a hospital where I used to work as a Purchase Agent.

My name is Tincye Edwards and I live in North Carolina. I am pursuing a degree in Masters of Art Degree in Human Services Counseling with a concentration in Crisis Response and Trauma. I currently work as a Registered Nurse at a local hospital. I would like to how to apply spiritual principle with holistic techniques in counseling and health care fields.

At this point in my college career, I have reached the limit as to what the Miami-Dade Honors College can offer me. So far I have pursued an Associate in Arts degree in Biology and am looking forward to the next step in my education. My experiences here have allowed me to grow heavily both as a student and an individual, but I am limited in the amount of resources currently available to me. For example, I do not have the variety of courses and study abroad opportunities that four-year college students have. Hence, I have taken all the science and math courses towards my associates degree at Miami-Dade College, but I am left to explore other options to continue to advance my preparation for a career in the science field. This is because I have

Explain how you can support students with the disability to learn new skills and concepts.

provide the appropriate transition service to all students with disabilities; applying numerous and challenging programs and strategies. “Students learn to manage their time and money, network with professionals, and prioritize work and school assignments”. Besides, the executive director state that these training motivate and prepare students to insert into society, learning a trade and receiving a salary for their efforts; understanding the meaning of the work, developing social skills, adopting appropriate behaviors, and adequate work’s habits (Virtual Job Shadow, 2016).

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.

As I grew older, I began to realize that students with disabilities have many significant obstacles to overcome. Seeing them get excited about learning things that we take for granted provided me with the desire to become part of their learning. For example, one kindergartner with Down Syndrome struggled daily to learn how to write the first letter of her name. It was such a joy for all of those involved when she finally succeeded. Working with these students furthered my resolve to not only fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a teacher, but I soon realized that special education is my niche. After 13 years of teaching in Glynn County, I still teach with the same fervor and enthusiasm as the first day I formally stepped into a classroom. My principal once said, “Teaching is not a job. It’s a profession.” I wholeheartedly believe in this philosophy. Education was never a back-up plan or alternative for me; being a teacher is who I am. As a special educator, I strive to

My name is Alyssa Fusco and I am on the path to becoming a special education teacher. In the course of my first few weeks in the Special Education course, I am not only learning how to be a better teacher, but training my mind in such a way that I can improve the lives of others. My interest in working with students with disabilities stems from my experience with Senior Experience at Calhoun High School. This program has developed a framework for my future career aspirations by observing how not only the faculty can make a difference in these students lives, but also the teachers facilitate an environment that promotes the integration between students with and without disabilities. Through mainstreaming these students, Calhoun High School showed me what type of difference I could make in the world through combining my passion for teaching and the place students with disabilities hold in my heart.

Presently I am a Special Education teacher working with children who have a wide range of disabilities. My class setting is integrated, which mean half of the class is general and the other half is special. My primary goal is to modify general education lesson plans to meet each student’s needs and abilities. These needs may include, but not limited to emotional, physical or cognitive disabilities, teaching basic literacy and life skills. I have an interest in this field because I feel with the proper help and assistant; students make positive changes in their academic and social life. Providing early intervention is essential when teaching kids with disabilities. One of the main reasons why I have made the decision to pursue a PhD in education, specialization in Special educator, is because I enjoy what I do and would like to make a difference. My ultimate goal is to keep making a difference by helping those that needed it and provide them with the proper resources to enhance their ability. I want to be an example to my children and have them see the end result of what happens when one desire to strive for the best and what they can accomplish. I want my children to see that with hard work, motivation, dedication, concentration, and having no limits that they will attain any goals they may set forth.