Mallory Munderloh 320 Wilson Dr. St. Louis, MI 48880 • (989) 817- 6764 • munderloh1me@alma.

com

Candidate Statement
I have lived in the mid-Michigan area my entire life. Having attended St. Louis Schools for the
entirety of my lower level schooling and Alma College for my collegiate years, I have seen nearly all
sides of Gratiot County and the surrounding areas and developed a deep love and loyalty to the area that
has always been my home. In school, I was a dedicated athlete in cross-country and track and field for 11
years. I also took my academics very seriously and graduated in the top 10% of my class in both high
school and college. Coming from a large family, I have always been around children, but only realized
my passion for education upon entering college.
I decided to attend Alma College early on in my college search largely due to its location in the
area that I deeply cared for. I decided to go into Elementary Education when I realized that I could make a
living doing what I loved—working with children. The decision to become a teacher was not one I took
lightly. I was very aware of the commitment and sacrifice that I was making. However, I could not
overlook the fact that teaching was the only profession where I could fulfill my drive to serve the
underprivileged in my community, be consistently challenged, and spend every day with children. I
intended to only dip my toe into education at first, but very soon after, I was diving right in, as I knew that
I had found what I was meant to do.
Though it took me until the beginning of college to commit to the field of Education, looking
back, there were many things that were gently—or not so gently—nudging me in that direction. To begin,
I attended an in-home daycare nearly from birth and then transitioned into working for the same daycare
when I became old enough. I spent six summers working with children of all ages every day, and at the
end of every summer, I cried because I didn’t want to leave. Upon entering college, I began working as
the Spanish Teacher at St. Mary Catholic School in Alma for grades kindergarten through 6 th grade. I
worked in this job for two years before I began my student teaching. It was this experience that truly
solidified my decision to become a teacher. While the job was very challenging at times, I always left
class with a smile on my face.
As I go forward now to begin my own teaching career, I am excited that I will finally be able to
have the direct impact on students’ lives that I’ve been working towards. When children enter my
classroom, I hope that they feel safe and at ease knowing that I will work together along with them to help
them become the best that they can be. I will work to provide a stable environment that is comfortable so
that students are able to focus on their education and leave their worries at the door. When children leave
my classroom, they will be ready to take on the next challenge because I will have equipped them with
both the content knowledge and problem-solving abilities to overcome barriers. They will leave with a
greater confidence than when they came, because we will focus on self-sufficiency and independence. If
at the end of my career I can look back and see these goals accomplished, I will be content knowing that I
have done my job as an educator.