I would like to share my why for seeking my masters in this program of study as I feel that it is my calling and explains my philosophy. I started my education at TTU in engineering and dropped out after 3 semesters. I realized this was not what God had planned for me to do, nor did I enjoy it. While volunteering in my daughters 1st grade class I realized what I wanted to do with my life at that point and time. My daughter, being diagnosed with ADHD and having a seizure disorder had an IEP. I decided to go back to school and major in education. In doing so, I took my first SPED class and felt a tug at my heart each time I wrote a paper, read a chapter from our book, or heard a story from a parent of a special needs child. I fought back tears many times while reading, writing and listening, and just couldnt understand why. I had felt these feelings before in church when the Holy Spirit would get ahold of me, but I couldnt relate the two until later in life. I was at the end of my college career, so I thought when one of my professors came to me and told me I missed my calling and she wished I would reconsider majoring in SPED. At that point in my life as a single parent working and going to school, I just wanted to graduate and get on with my life. Fast forward 20 years. My only sibling had my first and only nephew. He was the light of my life as my daughter was now grown
. He didnt speak, and we noticed something just didnt seem quite right as he was not reaching the same milestones as other children his age. He was born with 3 holes in his heart and a few other complications. At the age of 3 he was diagnosed with 3Q29 Microdeletion and we still dont know much about it. All I wanted to do and still want to do is protect him and love him and give him as normal of a life as possible. During my 10 years of teaching middle school math, the administration and other special education teachers seemed to see that I worked best with special needs children and that these children responded to me in a way they had not before, so that is how they populated my classes and I was happy. I quit teaching for a year and became a SPED assistant, as I just needed a break after teaching middle school math for 10 years. Upon returning to my hometown and seeking a teaching position again, I filled three maternity leaves and each were in special education. The first being in the Pre-K Autism classroom, the second being K-2 resource, and the third with the Independence Program. Each time I begged the teacher to extend their leave so I could stay. I then realized God had placed me exactly where he wanted me and I knew what I needed to do. I registered at TTU to get my masters in special education and will never look back. I am exactly where I need and want to be.