At the start of the year 2020, I had limited thoughts of pursuing a master’s degree, as it seemed like a distant dream. I dreamt of going back to school but my work schedule seemed to drown the hours of time that I felt I would need to invest in this goal. The pandemic ignited a drive to achieve this goal of mine because the uncertainty of what our future held and whether I would have life to fulfill this feat became blurred. In a few months, the state of our daily life changed significantly and I thankfully had a tangible task through my master’s program that I could dedicate to distract myself from the horrors of our collective trauma through COVID. The pandemic identified a glaring need for a basic scientific literate citizen who could interpret changing variables and mitigate risks effectively. The work that the classroom seeks to conduct has a real value in our society and the dedication I felt towards my goals amplified.

Initially, I was provided with the opportunity to teach at the same middle school that I attended decades ago. For me, after years of teaching this seemed like it was the highest pillar of success that I envisioned. As a middle schooler, I dreamt of attending Michigan State and through working in the same school, I was reinvigorated with that same drive. I applied to Michigan State University's’ Master of Arts in Education program and have been giving my attention to the impetus of my journey. The privilege to teach to the community that I emerged is an honor that requires my responsibility. The Michigan State experience allowed me to entrust in an award winning program that was focused on transforming the education of today’s youth.

Starting the program, I envisioned challenging my practices to improve engagement, my goals included...

• Achieving best practices for building science literacy and supporting high quality science education through thoughtfully crafted lessons.

• Being able to provide students with the necessary skills to thrive in a 21st century job market that depends on adaptability and innovation.

The Master of Arts in Education program has stitched together intricate learning experiences that allowed me to further my goals and narrow my focus onto the gaps visible in today’s science classrooms. In the last semesters, I have been challenged to think outside the box, to deconstruct my biases, and confront practices that are non beneficial to student success. My goals now include being able to remain a lifelong learner to ensure that I do not become complacent in my journey to provide the best education in the community that molded me. The work that I am doing is personal to me in many ways but in recent years seeing the impact of a society with limited scientific literacy has attainable effects that change lives. My goal seeks to further science literacy within the community as well by guiding students to use the day to day experiences and identification of problems to become change makers.