ABE 1

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY

Autobiographical Essay Ariel Hodnett Dr. LueLinda Egbert EDUC 201 Foundations of Education Fall 2013

ABE 2 Autobiographical Essay Growing up, I found so many things fascinating, from astronomy to the military. As I got older, I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I wanted something I loved and enjoyed and something that was never going to bore me to sleep. That didnt narrow down many choices, however. I decided I wanted a career that makes a difference in todays world, one that was challenging and will never go unnoticed. That narrowed my choices down to a few things: marine biology, political science and teaching. As I grew, I noticed the younger generation is losing interest in their education. I wanted a career and a passion in showing the younger ones how important education really is. Educational Background My father was a sergeant in the Army, and even though we didnt move from state to state, we did move from town to town, usually between Jerome and Twin Falls. I started school in Jerome. I went to Jefferson, Horizon and Central. When we moved to Twin, I went to I.B. Perrine and Robert Stuart Elementary school. When I was in 5th grade, my dad was deployed to Iraq and settled in with my mom in Jerome and stayed there for three years. Once my dads deployment time was up, he came home and we moved to Huntington Beach, California, where I attended my 8th grade and freshmen year. Out of all the schools I attended, most of my favorite teachers I had were in Huntington Beach. They were fun, classy, intelligent and willing to do everything they could to see their students succeed in school. The teachers always reminded the students the importance of our education and how far we can go with a proper education. These teachers helped me feel

ABE 3 confident in what I was doing and always went out of their way to help a student in need. In my opinion, teachers like that are lacking in todays society and schools. Work History I got my first job my senior year of high school. I was a waitress at China Village in Jerome. I only working Fridays and Saturdays, but it gave me an idea of the public opinion and how they respond to issues in todays society and schools. Even though my mom didnt really need my help, I got a job because I wanted to help her financially. I spent my pay checks and tips buying necessities, since I didnt make enough to pitch in with the bills, even those small things made life a little easier. After I graduated, my mom got married and moved to Washington. My fiance and I moved to Twin and I immediately started looking for work to help pay our bills and keep food in our stomachs. I found a job at Bridgeview Estates. Its a retirement home in Twin and I waited on the independent living seniors. Theyd come to the dining room and have a menu they could order from. I loved the residents, but didnt care much for my co-workers. They got easily annoyed with the slowness of the elders and their lack of understanding on todays society. These residents were children during the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Education back then hardly existed. It came to no surprise to me that they had a hard time understanding how things worked and what was what, especially the women. Even though they grew up during a time when they could attend schools, very few did. I decided then that I wanted to be a teacher so I could instill some motivation and understanding in our younger generations. The seniors didnt have much of chance with education, and today students just dont have interest in it. Being a waitress benefitted me greatly

ABE 4 by opening my eyes to this situation and also taught me some valuable skills, such as time management and patience. These skills will help as a teacher because some students dont learn as quickly as others and a day of lessons can be chaotic at best, if its not organized and planned. Service and/or Extracurricular Activities I have been involved in three major activities throughout my high school years. My 8th grade and freshmen year, I played basketball. In eighth grade, we won the championship undefeated. I continued playing basketball my freshmen year, but wanted to do something more for the community. I volunteered as a doctors assistant for three months. My job was to file medical records and update all the patients information on the computer. When I moved back to Jerome, I volunteered with my mom at the Jerome Animal Shelter. With these activities I learned more skills, such as organization, patience, and teamwork. As a teacher, you work with other teachers to help every student succeed. Some students dont learn as well as others and require some patience to help them understand the subject youre teaching. Organization is always a good skill to have. Itll keep papers separated into their own piles, keep the work area clean, and help move things along more smoothly. Reasons for Choosing Education as a Career I first considered education as a career my senior year of high school. I decided I wanted to become a teacher because I want to make a difference to the younger generations. Of course, I had other careers in mind that I wouldnt mind pursuing, such as political science, marine biology, astronomy, and the military. I wanted to make an impact in the community I decided to settle in and have a family of my own.

ABE 5 I expect a lot of rewards, mostly personal ones. I look forward to feeling that joy when my students excel in their academics and strive to move on to college to continue going farther. Im anxious to feel the pride in my students because they graduated high school with high grades because they pushed themselves forward and strove to reach for more than they thought they could ever have. Professional Goals My long-term goal is to make it to the top, where I can influence some political choices about education and standards for students. Being a teacher will be great, but I personally need a bigger impact than that. To achieve these goals, Ive started taking small steps to get to the larger picture. So far, Ive taken two education classes so I have an idea for being a substitute when I get my associates degree. Then Im going to major in political science to work my way up the political ladder. My short-term goal is just to excel during my two years at the College of Southern Idaho so I can transfer to a four-year university. To make this possible, I intend to excel in all of my classes and give my all in every single one. I will pass every class I take at the College of Southern Idaho then transfer to Boise State or University of Southern California and continue on with my education. Conclusion Im determined to have a good career and that career was going to have a major impact on my life as well as those that surround me. Im willing to do whatever it takes to help the younger generation live a good life and one they worked hard for. Most importantly, Im

ABE 6 determined to make my students understand the importance of education during changing times and even when the change begins to mellow out a little bit.