Running head: AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY

Autobiographical Essay
Campos, Cinthia
Professor: Dr. Egbert
EDUC. 201: Foundations of Education
Fall 2014

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Abstract
Teaching is one of the fundamental keys to success. Its what allows children to learn life lessons
that theyll use for the rest of their lives. Teachers are the ones that welcome students with open
arms and an open heart to those who need it. People should teach because it is one of the most
fulfilling jobs that will allow one to actually make a difference. It has many extrinsic and
intrinsic rewards that create the perfect job. Students need to go to school to have stability in
their life along with a place to interact with other peers while they take in crucial information
that will better their life. Ive learned many things in life not by the material in a book but by the
way that a teacher aspires to better students lives.

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Autobiographical Essay

Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. It was a simple decision for me,
not even needing to bring out the pros and cons list to help me decide. I knew I wanted to spend
my time creating a better future for the generations to come. I want to be able to spend my days
helping kids out while creating an environment for them, in which they feel safe. Teaching will
be the most rewarding job that will let me go home every night knowing that Im making a
difference.
Educational Background
I attended Hawthorne Elementary School in Boise, Idaho from Kindergarten to sixth grade.
This is where my teachers made their greatest impact on me. My fourth grade teacher to this day
is the most caring, thoughtful, energetic teacher Ive ever had. She made me love learning and
realize that learning didnt always have to be boring and strict. She made her lessons fun and our
entire class always had a fun activity planned for us to do if we reached our goals monthly. She
made me realize how much I wanted to be a teacher to make kids fall in love with the process of
learning. I loved my elementary school and all the teachers I had which is why ever since I was
little I knew I wanted to be a teacher.
I continued my education at East Jr. High, where I would say were some of the best years of
my life. Almost all of my teachers were there to push me to my fullest potential and always made
me believe in myself. Junior High was where I began to question what I really wanted to do in
the future. I thought of other career choices such as being a lawyer, a childrens psychologist or
an athletic trainer, all I knew is that I wanted to work with kids. I met some great people and
amazing teachers that to this day I still stay in contact with.

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My sophomore year of high school I attended Boise High School. It wasnt my feeder school
but it was where my sister went and where all of my close friends were going to go. I slowly
began to hate going to school, I dreaded waking up each morning knowing that I would have to
go to a place where I felt so small. I had tons of friends and didnt have a problem with any of
my teacher, but it just wasnt the place for me. I decided to transfer schools and go to the actual
high school that I was supposed to go to, Borah High School. Borah was known as the ghetto
school, so it was definitely not my first choice of schools to go to. It was my last resort since the
only way I would be able to continue playing volleyball was if I went to Borah. I was honestly
scared to attend Borah but after making the volleyball team and creating friendships before
school had even started as well as meeting people in the sports medicine department I was
already in love with the school and the people before school had even began. I had to face a lot
of hardships such as my friends from Boise being very upset with me for transferring as well as
my family not quite understanding why I would want to leave one of the best schools in the state.
I began to love going to school again and was in a better atmosphere which made me realize I
truly did want to be able to become a teacher and make sure every student feels welcomed.
I am now enrolled at the College of Southern Idaho, where I am a freshman and am hoping
to get my Associates degree. After CSI Im planning on transferring most likely to Boise State,
so that I can be closer to family. I plan on earning my Bachelors degree in elementary education
at BSU, so that I will be able to student teach where I plan to live for the rest of my life. I want to
continue my education so that I can one day become a teacher and change students lives the way
that some of my teachers changed mine.
Work History

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My first real job was at Justice in the Boise Town Square Mall the summer before going into
my senior year. I was a brand rep and would spend my time greeting customers and help them
pick out clothing for customers. I was expected to always keep a clean store and help whenever it
was needed. This didnt seem to be a terrible job since I figured that Id be working with children
mostly since Justice is a girls clothing store. I was completely wrong and after just a few short
months I knew I never wanted to work retail again. As soon as the school year began I started
working at a daycare called Club Kid at Wings Center. I was a teacher/ counselor and had a
group of kids I was in charge of on a daily basis. I was getting paid to do art projects, cooking
projects, and run around and play with kids, it honestly didnt even seem like a job some days. I
loved going to work because I would get to see my favorite kids and even if I had a terrible day
at school at least one of my kids would almost always do something to cheer me up. I knew I
didnt want to work at a childcare for the rest of my life but I did in fact want to work with kids
for the rest of my life.
The experiences I have had in my past jobs taught me a lot about patience and how
rewarding it is to work with kids. They taught me that I have to work for what I want and never
give up. Sometimes working with kids can be extremely terrible but its the experiences that put
me down that always teach me something. These jobs have taught me how to manage my time
not only with school and work but also manage my time while Im actually working to ensure
that everything gets done. These skills will be extremely helpful as a teacher, since Im sure I
will have also have tough days but I know I will never give up.
Service and/or Extracurricular Activities
My entire life has been a series of going to school, coming home and grabbing a snack real
quick before going to some sort of practice. Ever since I was in elementary school I have

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participated in some form of activity. Basketball and volleyball were my main sports even
though I left basketball to focus strictly on volleyball. I played club volleyball for many years so
I was playing volleyball year round and loving it. Sports have always been a part of my life and
taught me how to work as a team as well as how to always push myself to my full potential. I
learned how to manage my time in order to be able to do the things I loved doing most. If I
wasnt playing sports I was always busy volunteering. Every summer I spent my time helping
out at my old elementary school since it was where summer school was held. I would help out
my old teachers and as I got older I would even get to teach my own lessons every once in
awhile. I would volunteer at the Idaho Coalition for sexual and domestic violence, always
participate in Rake Up Boise, and lend a helping hand at my school wherever it was needed. I
was in Sports Medicine, DECA, National Honor Society, Key Club, World Leaders, Student
Council, and Cookies for a Cause all throughout high school.
All of my time spent in sports or extracurricular activities truly made me who I am today.
Im a firm believer that sports build character, and that is exactly what they did for me. Sports
taught me so many things that I wouldnt have been able to learn sitting in a classroom. These
activities taught me to always be wiling to help someone out because someone somewhere
always needs help. This will help me as a teacher to use all the possible resources to help make a
student successful. I will encourage extracurricular activities and be willing to help in any
programs for students that dont have the chance to go out and do something afterschool that will
help them.
Reasons for Choosing Education as a Career
I first considered teaching when I was in elementary school. Ever since then it always
seemed to be a backup for me in case something else didnt work out. I want to be a teacher so

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that I can do something I truly love. After slightly attempting other career paths I knew that
teaching wasnt just a backup for me but what I truly wanted to do. I love the sense of
accomplishment knowing that a student just learned something and I was the one that taught
them it. I officially decided to become a teacher after just one week in college. I loved my
education classes and the material I was being taught. Being a teacher was just the perfect fit for
me.
The only other careers choices Ive considered were are a lawyer, athletic trainer, or
childrens psychologist. I took debate my sophomore year and hated it, I knew being a lawyer
was most definitely not for me. I took sports medicine all through high school and even though I
loved helping out athletes and earning all about the human body, becoming an athletic trainer just
didnt seem right. I knew I wanted to work with kids so I aspired to be a psychologist with an
emphasis in human development where I would be able to work with children in hospitals or
low-income family backgrounds. Psychology just didnt seem to spark anything inside of me so
knew teaching was what I should do.
I am definitely looking forward to having summer and holidays off as well as great hours for
an extrinsic reward. Having job security as well as the other benefits that come along with
teaching and being surrounded by people who share the same goals as me is definitely a huge
extrinsic reward. Some very important intrinsic rewards would have to be being able to watch
kids learn and grow as well as learn something new every day. Every day will consist of
something different with new challenges and obstacles. I will be able to create relationships with
not only students but also parents. I will also have kids that appreciate me and look up to me, that
truly need me. These will all be very important intrinsic rewards that make teaching such a
crucial necessity for the future generations.

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Professional Goals
My short-term goals are completing my education with minimum or no debt at all. I know
that I will need to work extremely hard to achieve this goal by studying and working hard. I want
to get my associates degree here at CSI and move over to BSU to complete my education. I want
to then find a teaching position in Boise and be able to start making a difference.
My long-term goals are someday becoming a principal if I ever want to stop being a teacher
and try something different. I want to take classes when I have the chance throughout my
teaching years to earn my masters and someday even my doctorates. I would want to at least
have the credits and knowledge necessary to become a principal if the opportunity ever came up.
I would also want to have the schooling necessary to be a superintendent someday but that is in
the distant future. One of my main goals would definitely be to help out students who are most
likely to drop out by creating an environment for them in which they feel comfortable in and
enjoy going to.
I cant wait for the day that I can start making a difference and go to bed knowing that Im
teaching students life lessons theyll use for the rest of their lives. There will be no greater
feeling than knowing that Im someone my students look up to or go to me when they need help.
Teaching has always been what Ive wanted to do and working with kids has always been my
passion. Everything Ive done in the past from volunteer work to jobs has always been in route to
help me become a teacher, and I cant wait for the day that Im a teacher.

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