I was in the 2nd grade when I realized that the quality education that one receives changes based on where you live. It also didn't help that the school and community I lived in was predominantly white, whereas the school and community I moved back to was black and Hispanic. The comparisons were almost immediate. The computer and Spanish classes I once had were no more. No more sprawling fields and sports teams. No special school trips and events. No more edible school lunch.
However, the quality of education wasn't the only thing different about my move back to East NY Brooklyn. There was a whole shift in the quality of life and the resources of and available to the community. I quickly began to realize that there were many differences between the haves and the have nots. And sadly, I soon realized that these differences many times ran along racial lines. I believe this is what sparked my passion for socio-economic disparities, particularly in black and hispanic communities.
This is what helped to shapme my desire to become a teacher. I may not be able to overturn and fix an entire educational system, but I can effect change in my classroom and my community. The students who walk though the doors of my classroom have every right to receive a quality education, as well as the life lessons and skills needed to be successful in society. They deserve teachers who will believe in them, and push them to heights that they may not have deemed possible. They deserve educators who will introduce them to a world that is beyond the boundaries of their block, neighborhood, and even city. They need adults and mentors that can help create in them a future that encompasses and surpasses college and career. This is what I feel strongly about. This is my passion.
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