Education has always played a vital role in my life, it was stressed early on that the question wasn't "Are you going to college?", but instead was "Where are you going to college?". My parents made many sacrifices to send me to the best possible schools as a child, with the assumption that I would be the first in my family to ever go to college, and thus become a productive part of society. I would like to think that I proved my parents correct. Not only was I the first to attend college; but I took their challenge to heart and after finishing my Bachelor's degree, I decided to attain my Master's degree as well. To date, I am the only person in my family with a Masters'. I have high hopes however, that my children will surpass my educational goals. I mention this because I want others to realize just how passionate I am about education, and the difference that a good education can make, not only in one persons' life, but also in the lives of others around them. Honestly, without having a higher-education, I'm not sure how I would have survived as a single-parent. I was able to provide for my children in ways that I know for a fact that I would not have been able to do without the profession I attained due to my education. This passion is what has led me in my desire to teach.