I want to be a teacher, although I'm not exactly sure what I want to teach, or what grade level yet. I used to want to be a high-school band director, but they're usually older white men, so I gave that up. Now all I know is that my greatest passion is teaching. To help people quench their curiosities and better understand the world around them is something I want to do for the rest of my life.

1. I am an activist.

I think education is a problem-solver. I don't like knowing there are people who don't have enough food to eat, who don't have a passion, who are unhappy. I want to provide people enough knowledge so that they can achieve success in whatever way they want.

2. I love learning.

I believe the best teachers remain students their whole lives. I love learning, and becoming a teacher guarantees I will never stop doing so. I will continuously learn more about what I am teaching so I can be a better teacher. Meanwhile, I will also be learning a lot from my students.

3. I want to provide a safe space.

Some kids do not have a place where they feel comfortable enough to ask questions or be their most authentic selves. I want to be able to provide a place where people can grow at their own pace and enjoy doing it. I want my students to feel comfortable enough to tell me if they don't understand what I'm doing and provide me with suggestions on how I can better help them understand and/or enjoy what I am trying to teach.

4. I want more students and teachers to be excited about going to school.

Students can tell when their teacher does not want to be in a classroom. I had teachers that taught me the curriculum, whom I never really got to know, and because of that, they were just OK. I had teachers that didn't teach me the curriculum, but taught me life lessons instead, and those teachers were my favorite. I had teachers that didn't teach anything at all, and seeing them frustrated me. Some kids enjoy having classes in which nothing productive is done, but it only ever irritated me. If I can have a classroom where people are excited to come learn, I'll feel like I've accomplished something grand.

5. Watching people grow makes me happy.

When I see younger kids succeeding, it makes me extremely happy. If I can help them in any way, I want to be able to do so. I love being asked a question and having the knowledge to answer it properly, and when I don't, I'm happy to figure it out. I also love getting to know people. Everyone is extremely unique and seeking to understand them is a great experience. Seeing different perspectives is something I enjoy.