Personal Statement Angela Rosales Who would have thought that a student with dyslexia would go from special

education to principal's honor roll in one year on her own. At that time, my parents started their own janitorial company while only speaking Spanish and my sisters were about to graduate high school and go out of state. My parents have always been there to support me and my sisters have always tried their best to help me I didnt have anybody to help me with school work and bullies other than my special education teachers. However, it wasnt until 9th grade that one teacher observed that I could do great things. She motivated me and gave me the confidence that I could do more, that I was smarter than I thought I was. She helped me see that anything was possible if I put my mind to it. She is the reason why I am in a university right now. I was regarded as the special student at the back of the class but when I enter 9th grade a teacher decided to help me achieve what I thought was only possible for other students. She is the reason why I no longer failed in my classes. I went from a failing student to a student that earned 15 trophies and straight principal's honor roll in one. In 9th grade I failed half of my classes and had to attend summer school. During summer school, this teacher saw something in me that I never thought I had the capability to do more. She decides to change my schedule for 10th grade and she placed me in her advanced biology class, this class was only offered to students with straight As. The teacher had seen my record and thought that I could pass her class. Remember sitting in her class and being so interested in what she was saying that homework and reading didnt feel like a huge task to me. Handling specimen slides and understanding how the Earth works made me think of my dyslexia in a positive light. Because its difficult to read with dyslexia I have to reread things several times before moving on. This turned out to be a positive thing because by the time I was done reading I fully understands the concept. When I transferred to University of Houston- Downtown I went back to rereading text and listening to recorded lectures. A number of people have asked me why I didnt continue my degree in art education/Photography and my response is that even though biology is difficult I know I can make it in this field. This field has taught me that it isnt about how smart you are, but on how well you understand concepts. Its about logical reasoning and how you come to an answer through reasoning. I want to continue studying because its the study of how life began, how evolution works, how something can be made from nothing. With biology there is always a logical answer as to why things work and thats why I became interested in it biology. I know I can succeed but I picked biology because from the moment I got out of special education I vowed that I would push myself, prove that I could do more. I decided to study Biological and Physical Sciences because I knew that I could succeed if I worked hard. In 9th grade I learned I needed to challenge myself but I also developed a passion for science, I wanted to know how things worked and why. This has also influenced me to be a teacher, I want my future students to have fun in their science class, I want them to discover what it feels like to have fun in school. If I could be the science teacher that helps a student see themselves in a different light then I would be doing my part in helping the community grow alongside our ever changing world. There are many books one can read about being a good teacher but I believe that to be a good teacher you have to have a drive to help people. Student can student how to manage a classroom and how to get students to be interested in the lesson but Ive learned different things. In addition to these kinds of classes, Ive observed many teachers and learned more from them then what Ive learned in books. I learned that I want to be the kind of teacher that provides a comfortable environment for questions, I want student to try to prove me wrong, I want students to have fun and learn at the same time. I also want students to trust me, to feel as if they can come to me with anything. I plan to provide as set of rules that

student must go by. I also plan to create lessons where there are more hands on activity instead of sitting down for 50 minutes. I plan to have different speakers from different backgrounds and different fields come in and speak to the students. I want students to learn that there are endless possibilities for them. At the end of the day I want my students to feel as if they have a chance and I plan to do this by creating an environment for optimum learning. I also plan to ask them what I could do to help them learn more, I cant possibly create an environment where I think I am helping them. I want them to see that I am making an effort to help them; this would then help them see that they have to help as well so that they can learn. I understand that I cant expect students to learn if they feel ignored and unimportant and that is what I am going to avoid in my class. I acknowledge that my field is an ever changing career in both biology and teaching. I am currently an intern at Aldine 9th Grade Center and I am learning how to manage a classroom and how to get students involved in the classroom activities. I am also volunteering at an animal shelter, by volunteering I am demonstrating that as a teacher I am not only connected to my community by being a teacher but by being an active member in the community. I understand that as a teacher I am a role model and as a role model I need to demonstrate that I care about my students and my community. Volunteering helps me get over uncomfortable situations and pushes me to help the ones we are trying to help in the first place. I also plan to work at a tutoring service so that I may be able to gain more knowledge on how to better help and reach the students that would be sitting in my classroom. I dont consider my dyslexia as a handicap but rather as a tool. A tool that has helped me read until I could comprehend the text. My determination to get answers and to work is what separates me from others. Dyslexia makes things challenging but it also drives me to work harder and that is what set me apart. I will work harder because it is what I have done for my whole life. I dont like to do mediocre work. I will work until I have achieved what I wanted and go beyond that point. This is the very thing I want my students to learn from me. As a role model I plan to do as much as I can to help my community and my students. Dyslexia is just a learning disorder for me, it the reason for my drive, the reason why I am not like other students.