I am a student that has overcome a lot of academic and personal challenges. Being in special education was one obstacle, I have overcome many challenges. My special education teacher also noticed a change in my learning abilities. She began to give me eighth grade level activities to see if I could handle the work. I also met that challenge head on. My scores placed my achievement at the eighth grade level, but my mother felt it was in my best in interest to remain in special education. Another obstacle that I had to overcome happened at home. My mother was injured on the job and as result; there was no income to provide for my family. This was emotionally draining. I took on additional responsibilities’ at home, such as cooking and cleaning and making different decisions about my summer break to earn money to help my family, overall I did it.
In my earliest years of education I was not interested; it didn’t seem important or challenging, and I was not focused. It wasn’t until my eighth grade year that it changed I became interested in science courses. That year I was placed in a regular education science class and my teacher’s instruction style held my attention. I also wanted to prove to myself, my mother and my teacher that I could meet the challenge. I began to take responsibility for my own learning. I had to learn how to cope the other students and how to get an understanding and answers for myself. I received an A in that science class and for the first time I felt that I earned that grade.
I became a better student in high school my interest in science became stronger. In my sophomore year I was a part of a student delegation team at the Shedd Aquarium. We traveled to Washington DC for a student summit and met with a number of Marine Biologists and other Scientists. That year, I chose my major and career field; Biological Science. I am a very well rounded person. Over the summer I worked at Roosevelt University and took classes focused on leadership, public speaking, team work, business management, and team building. Due to my college courses, school work, and searching for scholarships, currently, I am a dual enrolled student at Austin Business and Entrepreneurship Academy and Harold Washington College. In addition to working during the school year, I am on the football and wrestling teams and I participate community service activities. My experience of challenges has help to make me a well- round and focused individual who is ready to take on another education challenge, excel in college and beyond.
Life & Professional Aspirations:
I have many short term goals in my life and in academics. My main short term goals are jet a job. Get into a college of my choice, finish all my applications for scholarships, have no worries about going off for college, and pass my current college class I’m taking now. To explain my short-term goals, getting a job will really help me stay out of trouble after school hours, plus it will help me gain reasonability for my actions and money. Getting into a college of my choice will most likely help me want to stay at the college and become a successful student. Finishing all my applications for scholarships will help me not have to think about doing more writing or online things on my own time. Not worrying about going off to college without my parents, not having to stress about bills. Not having to run back home every time I need something, and not having to think about taking out loans. I have some long term goals that are mostly education but some in my personal life too. My main long term goals are go to college two times, start a family, maybe become a science teacher, become a very wealth person, and get my PHD and become a college professor. To explain my long-term goals, going off to college two times will help me, because I will earn a master’s in biological sciences. So it will allow me to apply for more jobs with high pay and requirements. I can become a number of things with a masters and will be happy with an education. Starting a family should be almost everyone’s long-term goal in life, because starting a family will allow me to teach my kids, have something to take care of. I will be able to see all my work pay off in my life and my kids. Becoming a teacher will help me learn if teaching is the career I want to go into. I will be able to let my work be produced into other students. I will have a way to go far in my life plus career. Becoming very wealthy will help me have the ability to pay for my families living. It will help me be able to donate to charities and help the middle class people become upper class. I will try and build buildings that are only for lower and middle class people plus their families to live in. some of my long-term goals and short-term goals are not really related. But my goals that priorities are go to college, get a job, get a scholarship, and have no worries.
One leadership experience I had been at my job was when the boss got very ill. The manger had been moved up to the boss’s position and they had to vote who they thought will be able to handle the manager position. So the top five employees were picked and I was one of the five, so after that they gave us a week to come up with a speech and campaign. Then all it came down to me and other employee, we had our final chance to get more votes. But I had won and had about 10 more votes than my former co-worker. When I got put in my new position, I had to go through training for a few days. But I really I had to learn how to cope to the new changes in the work place and my relationships with co-worker’s had to change too. I ran for the manager position because I wanted to get paid more, move up in the work place, I thought I can handle it, and because I wanted to learn more about my job inside and out. This experience influenced some of my goals such as get a job, become wealthy. It influenced me getting a job because now I have an even better chance to get a new job. It influenced me becoming wealthy; because since I did that I have more of chances to get a high paying job that will tribute to my income. Another leadership experience I had was at school, when I became the only student at my school to ever be enrolled in college courses while still in high school. Since I’m the only student in my school to be enrolled in college and still in high school, I had to show everyone I can go to both college and high school and still pass both of them. My school really has trusted me with the responsibly to manage high school work and college classes. My main leadership goal is to show everyone I could manage it, be the face of my school, and become a better well rounded person. I am currently are still in my college class with the first semester grade of a “B”. This leadership experience influenced my short-term goal of passing the college class I am taking now. It is influencing my goals, because by me having all of this responsibly and motive to show how much of a leader I can be. I will try my hardest to pass my college courses and my high school classes.
