"In the future, I hope to continue my education both formally and informally, work in  a career I love, and pay off my school debt so that I can purchase my first home with my husband."

When I entered the Curriculum and Instruction Program, I was initially a candidate working towards earning my initial teaching certificate. However, through my work as a graduate assistant and my time spent in various classrooms, I realized I'm not a person meant for the "front lines" of education. I prefer being the hidden cog, working in the background, the unassuming life saver that helps teachers to their jobs to the best of their ability. I enjoy working behind the scenes to help things run smoothly and efficiently through constant re-evaluation of best practice and research, whether it be the latest neurological discoveries or cutting edge technology.

I believe teaching is not an island. I believe it forms intricate relationships with other areas such as neurology, psychology, theory and research, modern anthropology, technology and pop culture. I believe that despite all, everyone has a passion for something and if you can just help students learn to make that connection and be self-motivated, you've done something amazing. Even as I complete my Master's degree, I'm bored to tears with the idea that those without higher education training are somehow less intelligent, talented, or important. I think a great disservice is done to students by a society which often seems to believe that everyone has to go to college or they metaphorically fail at life. If an individual wishes to run a family business by day and explore Renaissance poetry by night, so be it. That passion and love of learning will be present long after classes end.

My undergraduate experience was horrible, and consequently I came to ASU unsure of myself. Since I earned my Bachelor's with Honors, many would say I had succeeded. Yet while I love architecture still, the cost of that degree was too high. I spent four years being driven to mental and physical extremes with almost no constructive criticism. Every critique put knots into stomachs as students were told by professors , viciously trying to weed out those deemed unworthy, that they did terrible work and should switch majors.

That being said, the Curriculum and Instruction department, and ASU as a whole, was a much needed breath of fresh air. Everywhere, one finds people who not only know and excel at their jobs, but love them. For two years I've watched this department work ceaselessly to improve courses and the overall learning experience for students, and I've been privileged to be a part of that process. I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with some of the best individuals I have ever known. In addition, the staff and faculty is always ready to help find a way to make assignments more than just homework, to make it relevant and important on an individual level, inciting that passion for learning that I had so sorely missed. Indeed, I wonder what I could have accomplished as an undergraduate if I had experienced this level of guidance and commitment to excellence. It is for these reasons I have spent my time at ASU pushing myself to redefine what I am capable of, both as a student and as an employee. It is not because I fear chastisement, but rather simply that I wish to emulate what has been displayed and given back to me: confidence, pride, and above all, passion.