Equitable Education by Aracely

Equitable Education by Aracely - May 2023 Scholarship Essay

One could argue that my fiery spirit was the catalyst for my educational goals but I would highlight my passion for equity, specifically, equitable education.

The beginning of my long and arduous journey through the world of education started when I met Daniel, Sebastian, and Derek, students at Monarch School. This introduction to the lack of equity in education was furthered in my college education as I was presented with the stone cold disparities of academia between the upper and lower classes.

Now I am employed by Monarch School, a school designed to support and meet the needs of the unhoused youth of San Diego. While I had initially been under the impression that the students only lacked a roof over their heads, I quickly came to the conclusion that there are various additional needs. The lack of housing is often accompanied by poverty, family trauma, violence, drug abuse, cultural disparities, and language barriers etc. One that strikes me everyday is the lack of support that multi-language learners face, the lack of support that Daniel, Sebastian, and Derek face.

My position at Monarch is labeled as Academic Interventionist tasked with duties of supporting tier 2 students, identifying their needs, and constructing a plan of action to assist them. However, I find that the bulk of my job requires me to support and translate for Spanish speaking students. These emergent readers lack even the slightest bit of knowledge of the English language down the smallest phoneme. Prior to Monarch I had no experience in ELD or ESL but have recently pushed myself to acquire the knowledge and education necessary to support them. I implored my organization for months to be sent to the Orton-Gillingham training on phonological awareness and was met with countless rejections. Finally, I submitted a two-page essay including the demographics of the school along with the CAASPP results of the previous year which seemed to convince the organization otherwise. My determination and willingness to learn for the sake of the children was the sole reasoning behind that training. I was able to attend the training fully paid for along with the entire week paid off. While I may not have any formal training in special education my passion to provide an equitable access to education is prominent. The students now come to me with all matters from concerns at home to concerns with their math homework. Their progress in phonological awareness is evident and they can now recognize the sounds and letters of the alphabet with confidence that I will support them.

I choose this major in order to learn the foundations of the English language and the etymology behind it in order to educate students, achieve equity, and meet all learners' needs while simultaneously meeting my own.

I will major in English in order because I am aware of the injustice within our education system when it comes to Multi-Language learners. I see students who are failed on a daily basis by our government and administrators. I want to provide any and all support that I possibly can in order to educate my students. I possess a relentless desire to build my own knowledge and backpack of tools necessary to support students along with a strong passion and desire to educate. I refuse to give up. I work tirelessly alongside the teachers of Monarch to meet the needs of all learners while welcoming any and all teaching strategies to best improve my skills. Being the youngest employee at Monarch is important that I learn from my coworkers and maintain professional relationships between us. This includes coming into work everyday with a respectful and open demeanor.

I choose this major in order to learn the foundations of the English language and the etymology behind it in order to educate students, achieve equity, and meet all learners' needs while simultaneously meeting my own.