profession progression by Allison

profession progression by Allison - June 2017 Scholarship Essay

Six-year-old Allison and seventeen-year-old Allison differ quite a bit. As a six-year-old I had dreams of becoming a veterinarian ballerina but as I grew up my dreams have also grown. Now my new career goal is to become a bilingual teacher in order to help more students with their crucial education.
I always had hoped to be a beautiful dancer that could also help animals. I wanted to wear the frilly pink tutus. I wanted to help horses and dogs that were hurt so they could be happy animals that would fall in love with me. I remember not being able to decide between the two so I simply mashed them together and planned on carrying out both contradicting paths in my life.
These ideas were dropped somewhere along the way between the ages six and seventeen. I came to the realization that I was not exactly the most graceful person dancing or simply even walking or running in my daily life. I am an extremely clumsy and non-flexible person. Dancing was not a very promising option for me. Then during middle school, I became cognizant that veterinarians can put animals to “sleep” and that they use needles. I did not want anything to do with killing animals. The thought of this horrified me. On a side note I feel queasy anytime I see a needle. It makes no difference whether it was on a television show or if it was at the doctor. So not being graceful added to being terrified of killing animals and needles made me move on from these six-year-old goals.
I became entranced with the idea of speaking another language freshman year of high school. The ability to connect with a more diverse group of people enamored me. In class, I enjoyed learning a new way to express myself. I was also captivated on the days we were learning about Spanish culture. *Holidays and traditions that were odd to me yet still new exciting like the beginning of an adventure. I ate new foods that diverged from what I ate at home on a regular basis. I always look forward to Spanish class. Always.
The teaching half of my career goal took me a long time to accept. As a kid growing up, I’ve been good at school. Learning comes easily to me in all subjects. So naturally, my classmates asked me for help when they did not understand something. At one point the substitute teacher did not understand the math lesson or worksheet my teacher had left for us, so I went up to the board, taught the lesson and then helped my classmates complete the assignment. It was moments like this that made me feel good. I was helping others with something that was important. I was helping them succeed in school which would help them succeed in life. They were my friends and I wanted to help them out in any way possible.
By mixing the two, I could help children who would possibly not have as much of a chance to succeed. I could make the connection with them. I could use my knowledge of two languages to aid them with their schoolwork. It most definitely makes more sense for me to become a bilingual teacher when I grow up rather than a veterinarian ballerina.