Personal Statement

I consider myself to be actively involved in my hometown, pursuing a range of

activities in academics, church, and the performing arts. At El Capitan High School, I am

a lifetime member of the CSF Honors Society as well as an academic mentor for a

freshman math class. I also had a paid job, tutoring 7th-grade math students during the

2019 fall semester. At my local church, I volunteer every other week as a leader in the

children's program, teaching the bible lessons and leading discussions in small groups

as well as entire classrooms of children that range from kindergarten to 5th grade. I

have been a group leader at multiple Vacation Bible Schools over the last seven years.

Our church holds various events for our community throughout the year, for most of

which my family and I volunteer to help. For example, one of my favorite events I have

been a part of was called Christmas for the City where my role was to be in the living

nativity scene. I have been involved in dance since the age of five. I have taken ballet,

tap, jazz, hip-hop, and modern at two different studios in Merced. At the start of my

freshman year, I became a company member at my studio, taking three to four classes

each week. One day each week, I volunteered as a teacher’s assistant in the Beginning

Ballet 1 class. Performing The Nutcracker each year is one of my favorite aspects of

dance. During the run of the show, our company has the opportunity to perform for over

2,000 students from Merced schools. When not dancing, I participate in musicals at a

local community theatre. These productions also included shows for Merced students. I

greatly enjoy working with children so that they may excel, whether it be academically in

mathematics, spiritually in their relationship with the Lord, or artistically through the

performing arts.
 I would like to attend college so that I can earn a degree in Mathematics and

become a teacher. Ever since junior high, mathematics has been my favorite school

subject. I have fond memories from math classes throughout the years that range from

receiving candy bars for scoring 100% on tests in 7th and 8th grade to spending

countless hours in the tutorial center at Merced College working on Calculus. Learning

and understanding math concepts have always been a relatively easy task for me.

Figuring out the solution to a complicated problem is very rewarding to me. I want to

make an impact on the lives of future math students, just as my math teachers have

made an impact on my life. In recent years, I have developed an appreciation for all of

my math instructors. The work that they do is difficult, but they fulfill their task expertly. I

have seen part of myself in two of my math teachers and envision myself becoming an

individual like them. These teachers spent time explaining concepts thoroughly and

made sure that the majority of the class understood before moving on. Like my

teachers, I want to commit extra time in preparing lessons, while also posting lecture

notes and helpful examples. I am thankful that I have them in my life as role models, as

they have set me on this path to pursue math as a career. I have noticed that many

students do not like math simply because they have the mindset that they are not good

at it. I want every student to know that they have the potential to succeed in math. When

mentoring, I love seeing a student fully understand the math concept we are working on

together. I will be a math teacher who desires that each and every student learns the

skills necessary to be successful. I will take my job very seriously, never giving up on

any student, and being attentive to the needs of each individual.