When speaking to students, no matter their age or what level of education they are in, making a real connection with them is the most important thing. The struggles that students face are specific to each individual of course, although there are some things that almost all students inevitably encounter. Students struggle with peer pressure and wanting to fit in--possibly even at the expense of their own individuality. Students struggle with feeling lost along their academic journey or feeling unsure what the right path to take is. Students struggle to find a reason why they are doing what they are doing. Students struggle to know how to set healthy goals and develop healthy work habits that they will carry with them into the professional world outside of school walls. 

Schooling, for me, was no walk in the park either. In highschool, my grades were so poor that I was placed in remedial special needs classes. My desire to learn was basically non-existent, even prior to the death of my dad or before my spinal cord injury. After I barely graduated high school I tried enrolling in community college, but because I blamed my lack of success and security on everything except myself, my poor performance didn't change. Until one day I got disgusted enough with my situation that I made a choice. I made a decision. I decided to make some serious changes. I changed the way I took notes. I changed how I asked questions. I changed how long I spent studying. I changed the goals that I was setting for myself. Before I knew it, I raised my GPA out of academic probation at a 1.6, terrible grades and many "withdrawls" and "incompletes", all the way to a 3.5 GPA, and was admitted into UC Berkeley where I also graduated. 

I can help students achieve the same results. I establish these connections with students and help them to see light at the end of the tunnel and beyond. I can help invigorate students to discover their own purpose, stay true to themselves, and persevere. Using my own personal stories, I can give students the courage to reach their fullest potential, to navigate themselves successfully through school, and find who they are as individuals--not just as students.