For as long as I can remember I was always highly interested in other languages. As I got older I learned about Spanish being offered in middle schools, elementary schools, and high schools. I was super excited to try it out. My first year taking Spanish was beyond exciting. I got to learn new things about a completely different culture. However this current year students such as myself were unable to take Spanish classes this year due to the lack of staff and false termination. I always thought that there were plenty of teachers to go around until my school was in desperate need of a Spanish teacher. At that point, I realized that there was a serious problem going on. There is a desperate need for foreign language teachers in my community and other communities around it. 

Communication is not only an important skill to have but it also provides a connection to other cultures and their languages. The topic of learning about cultures and their languages is something that I am extremely passionate about. I plan to go to college to be a Spanish teacher and give students a new perspective on learning. To make sure that this is 100% the career path that I want I took teaching courses during high school and I loved it. I believe that I can make a difference in students’ lives by utilizing communication, specifically foreign languages and their cultures. Spanish is something I am very familiar with and it is also a prominent language that is used and expressed throughout our community and our world in general. My goal is to make learning Spanish fun to keep students intrigued and interested enough to want to continue learning and retaining information. Growing up I was able to be surrounded by loving staff and teachers. I want to make an impact on other students just like my teachers were able to make an impact on me. A part of my plan is to attend community college in Texas after graduation. By going to Texas I will be able to open myself to new experiences involving expanding my knowledge of various cultures. While college can be tough I plan to enroll in study abroad programs and participate in as many options to study abroad as possible. I will stay on track in supporting my dream and hopefully gain scholarships along the way as well as be on the dean’s list to show my academic excellence. Some of the places that I would like to visit and participate in a study abroad program include but are not limited to China and The Dominican Republic. These experiences will enhance my knowledge of various languages and their cultures. Using these experiences my goal is to make it back to my high school. Once I make it back I will use my teaching degree and experiences to show students the joy of other languages and their cultures. 

A lot is going on in our world currently. Things are changing rapidly. I feel like it is imperative to know other cultures and their languages. Helping students expand their knowledge of other languages will create lots of opportunities for students to become bilingual. This is important because becoming bilingual will open up various job opportunities and numerous learning opportunities across all fields of work.  Not only will it pay off in students’ futures but also in their present by ensuring a more linguistically diverse community. This year unfortunately I had to experience what it was like to not have Spanish classes offered and it felt like a door shut on me. Going to school and becoming a teacher will help me make sure that students never feel like that by making sure all students have a chance to learn and experience new cultures and languages.