Early Childhood Education Personal Statement

Growing up as the oldest in my family, I have always been around young children. I have worked with children my whole life, and I believe that doing so has sparked my interest in becoming an educator. However, it was not until I took my first Spanish class, that I became passionate about the Spanish language. After talking with my Spanish teacher, I decided that I wanted to attend Spring Arbor University to pursue Elementary Education with a minor in both Spanish and Early Childhood Education. I have strategically chosen this degree to ensure that I am able to have my dream job of becoming a Spanish teacher in a kindergarten or first grade classroom. Shortly after being accepted into Spring Arbor, I found out that not only is it a graduation requirement to study abroad for at least three weeks, but that my Spanish minor also requires me to study abroad for at least three weeks. These findings meant that I would have the opportunity to spend at least three weeks in Guatemala, yet more

By the time these children graduate from high school, they will be nearly fluent in Spanish, which would be extremely beneficial for them in their future endeavors. I would be honored to become a teacher in a Spanish immersion school, however, I could not do this unless I was able to spend a semester in Guatemala. In order to be hired in a Spanish immersion school, the educators must be fluent in Spanish because they are required to teach their classes in Spanish. If I have recent immigrants from Spanish speaking countries in my classroom, I will be better prepared to communicate with the students and their parents and understand the issues that brought them to the U.S.A. For these reasons it is vital that I spend an entire semester in Guatemala becoming fluent in the Spanish language and better understanding the