The applicant details her educational journey starting at Spokane Community College and transferring to Spokane Falls Community College to complete her AAS degree. She found that she had a natural aptitude for learning and a strong desire to teach and serve others. Drawing from experiences in her childhood working with those with special needs, she feels called to become a special education teacher to make a meaningful impact on students' lives. Whitworth University's values of educating the heart and mind along with recommendations from her community college instructors and advisors have led her to apply to Whitworth to obtain her teaching degree.