Fostering Youth & Education by Karli

Fostering Youth & Education by Karli - May 2023 Scholarship Essay

Every since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a teacher. I used to play pretend school with my little brother when he came home from "real" school. Although he wasn't the biggest fan of it, I loved every second I got to teach him something he didn't already know. So, ad I grew older, I realized that I needed to follow my passion and pursue Elementary Education, my current major.

For many years I have volunteered at my church to help teach elementary students on Sunday mornings. My church was another place that helped push me to realize the gift for teaching and education I had. Further, I was introduced to a family of foster children that had been attending our church since they were little. As I started to work with them on Sundays, I grew a strong relationship with the kids. They would write me letters on post it notes sharing how they loved me and that I was the best teacher they had. Our relationship helped me realize that showing up and being an educator, even if it's just volunteering, can change a child's life.

This is why I want to be an educator of the next generation of students. There are kids out there, just like the foster children that I worked with, who need a consistent inspiration, motivator, mentor, and teacher in their lives. Not only that, but teachers are the people who help mold children to who they will become outside of their home. Teaching is a magical profession that I am so excited to be apart of.