Essay Sumbission by Leanna

Essay Sumbission by Leanna - January 2016 Scholarship Essay

Varsity Scholarship Essay Submission
Leanna Dawn McClure

A New Year’s resolution that I have committed to achieving is becoming better at prioritizing important aspects of my life. I am highly passionate about teaching Special Education students, helping my family, learning and continuing my education, and maintaining my culture and traditions. Further, I am a perfectionist, so the demands I have in my life can feel overwhelming at times. I continually desire to help others, but I have learned that I must take care of myself before I can help anyone else.
When I was teaching in Las Vegas, Nevada, I was walking out of a grocery store and got hit by a car. I had a seizure while unconscious on the pavement, but once I regained consciousness, my main focus was going to work. For the following months I felt vertigo-like symptoms, but I did not truly take care of myself. I then stopped a fight at my school and one of the students accidentally knocked me unconscious again.
As a result of these events, I began having about 15-20 seizures a day. I was bed- ridden and my life felt like it was crashing down. As a highly ambitious and independent young woman, it was incredibly challenging to not even be able to read or get out of bed without assistance for 6 months. Through this experience I truly learned the importance of prioritizing my health and well being, but also learning how to balance my career and academic goals.
I am a tenacious individual and have mastered the skills necessary to effectively study and achieve a high GPA. I get great gratification from learning and pushing myself. However, I need to continually learn how to prioritize tasks, assignments, etc. in order to be the most effective student, teacher, and ultimately leader in Native American education. By strategically spending my time I will be even more effective at meeting all of these demands.
As a biracial Native American, family and traditions are highly important. I must spend a considerable amount of time partaking in ceremonies, preparing for doings, and learning from my elders. I used to feel conflicted about having enough time for my studies and my culture. Yet, after my first semester at college, I was able to recognize how others were not raised in the same way. Through this realization I found a new appreciation for my culture and identity. Now my family and culture, as well as serving our people, is at the forefront of each action I take in life.
For the New Year, I have already implemented systems to help me meet my resolution. I have been admitted into an educational diagnostician program that begins this spring, and while I am aware of the challenges of teaching full time and being a part time graduate student, I know how I can actively pursue both. I will remain highly focused and dedicated as a student and utilize the knowledge I gain to improve my teaching practices. I look forward to the opportunity and will keep my resolution in order to enable me to master my goals.