Lauryn Scheske

Autobiography

Throughout my educational career, the majority of my teachers fostered my love for

learning. Their passion and drive to build a relationship with me helped me grow in my school

work, but more importantly, as a human being. One teacher specifically spoke into my life when

I was in high school that shaped the course of my life. I had wanted to become a pediatrician

because I loved working with children. This goal seemed logical, as I had always earned above-

average grades in school. However, after taking a college-level anatomy course, I gained a

greater respect for doctors, but I knew medicine was not the profession I was made to do. One of

the exceptional needs education teachers at my high school affirmed me in my work with her

students. Each day I would spend hours in the life skills classrooms at my school. Through this

time, I would build friendships with the students, and I would get to work one-on-one with them

to provide assistance and support in their work. My teacher could see my passion for her

students, and she taught me about the realities of special education. Through her mentorship and

these experiences, I discovered what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Once I made this realization, I signed up for every opportunity to explore this field. I

participated in unified sports and inclusion advocacy clubs. During my senior year, I completed a

junior student teaching course in an intense interventions elementary setting. As I transitioned

into my time at Indiana Wesleyan University, I began seeking opportunities to work with

children that come from different backgrounds than my own. I started to participate in the

Marion, IN Boys & Girls Club as an age group leader in a ministry they have, and then later as a

mentor to two middle school girls. These kids have taught me so much just by the way they see
the world and the dreams they hold. Through these experiences and various practicum settings, I

have learned strategies for leading and teaching students through cultural responsiveness.

I have received experience working with children outside of the school setting as well

through other church leadership positions. I was the family ministries coordinator for my

church's downtown Indianapolis campus. This experience taught me how to problem-solve, and

it gave me the confidence to speak and lead a large group of children. Through various

opportunities as a camp counselor and an in-home care provider for students with and without

disabilities, I have only continued to grow in my love for working with students and in my ability

to teach and lead effectively.

My family has always supported me in these opportunities to work with students with

disabilities. My cousin, Chelsea, is one of the main reasons I began seeking opportunities to

work with students with exceptional needs. She has autism and was born with a rare

chromosomal disorder that has caused various medical struggles in her life. I always connected

with her deeply. I have been able to learn from her as an individual, but also from her journey

through the special education system. Many things have been positive, but there has also been a

good amount of strife for her and her family caused by this system. This has fueled a passion in

me to remove barriers for students with disabilities and allow them to access a truly appropriate

education where they are pushed to become self-determined and self-sufficient.

Through all of these experiences, my love for students with and without disabilities has

been grown and accompanied by strategies for problem-solving and advocacy. My mission as a

teacher is to empower students to become lifelong learners, resource students with the tools and

skills necessary to be as independent as possible, and to create a community where every student

can feel belonging.