"Ken, there's so much more out there for you than being a teacher". "KP, just stick it out, medical school will be worth all of it."

These were just two of the many things that were told to me when I started to doubt my career choice of being a pediatrician. So I stuck through it and tried one more year of college taking pre-med tracked classes. To be frank, I was miserable. I had lost my passion for medicine, and I had stopped caring about going to classes, because what was the point of going to classes for a degree that I didn't even want anymore. I felt like I had failed not only all of my loved ones but also myself.

That's when I finally decided to make a change. I decided that I was going to make a change to better myself and make a change that would impact me for the rest of my life in a highly positive way. From the time that I was a little girl, I loved education. I loved going to school, and I loved all of my teachers. There wasn't a subject taught in school that I didn't love. As I grew older, my love for education continued. At the same time, so did my love for children.

I loved watching children learn and grow, and I realized I had a huge passion for children at such a young age. That is where my dream of becoming a pediatrician came from. As the years flew by, my love for medicine diminished, but my love for children kept growing. In the spring of my freshman year in college is when it finally clicked for me. I was always meant to be a teacher, not a pediatrician.

From there, it was an easy road on deciding the age group of who I wanted to teach, and even easier making the decision to work with students who may have special needs or delays. I have always had a passion for advocating for those with disabilities. I grew up with family members who had disabilities, specifically my Aunt Reagan, who is pictured with me and my family above, and it just came naturally to me to want to help those with special needs.

My Aunt Reagan is one of my best friends, and due to the struggles I have seen her go through with her own disability, I know that I want to help other students with disabilities reach their full potential in every aspect in life. Through my practicums and interning, I have learned more about myself and my students than I ever could imagine, and I know for a fact that teaching is where I belong.

It took me going against everything I knew and thought I wanted to realize that the true form of happiness isn't money or being known for my work. It's making a change in someone's life. Going to school to become a teacher, I make a difference every day in the lives of the children I work with.