GRADUATE PERSONAL STATEMENT
“Please tell me you’re majoring in education,” said Mrs. Pembrook, a veteran educator. For weeks she’d overseen my work as a volunteer tutor, preparing Florida public school students for the FCAT. The stakes were high; if my students failed the test, they would repeat the third grade. Though I was confident I’d adequately prepared Stephen, Anjay, Iris, and Melanie, I feared that I’d failed Hannah: my absolute favorite of the bunch. Doe-eyed and artistic, Hannah wasn’t a natural test taker. Though she desperately needed more help, that simply wasn’t an option for her lower-income family. Although I outwardly assured her success on the FCAT, I silently worried about the long-term repercussions if she failed. I feared that her non-traditional intelligence would be discounted by family, the school system, and most concerningly, by Hannah herself.
Though I’d derived great emotional reward teaching, I did not yet see it as my path. I instead pursued my childhood dream of acting in New York City, naively anticipating to make a social impact through my work. In reality, I was performing in made-for-TV movies and sitcoms that I myself wouldn’t watch; on the side, I was feeding the vices of lost, lonely, club-goers as a bartender. Yet, it wasn’t until I suffered an immense loss that I re-evaluated the trajectory of my life.
When I answered the phone, my friend Jake was already in hysterics, “Dru just texted that he’s at a club and they’re shooting—“ I assured him this was a parking lot show of bravado: drunk men popping off warning shots. However, it wasn’t until CNN began tallying the bodies recovered from Pulse that I realized this was a hate crime. Within an hour, Dru was no longer responding. In another 48 hours, we faced the unspeakable reality that he and his boyfriend Juan were 2 of the 49 lost in the nation’s worst mass murder to date.
Within two weeks of the tragedy, I was feverishly combing NYU’s post-baccalaureate programs. I recalled loving science classes and given my newfound fervor for the preservation of life, I selected the “pre-health studies” program. I wasn’t sure what I’d do with the certificate upon graduation, but I had faith that my calling would reveal itself along the way.
At the age of 29, I often found myself the eldest in the classroom. This quickly earned me the nickname “Abuela” and the responsibilities of an unofficial TA. Starting in my bio class, a handful of girls would linger to hear my explanations of pedigrees and Punnett squares. When biochem began, several students discovered my love for a nearby hotel’s happy-hour snacks; they would casually pop by to pose questions on course material while I gorged myself on half-price hummus. By the time I was finishing up the physics series, nearly half the class would arrive early to practice their presentations with me. For over a decade, my worth had been dictated by my ability to sell a TV, fake a foreign accent, or simply keep a trim waistline. Now, I was being valued for my intellect and collaboration. I blushed–yet relished–when my peers said how well I broke down the material, how memorable my metaphors were, and how encouraging I was when they attempted problems.
This trend continued after graduation as I began professionally tutoring chemistry, physics, biochemistry, organic chemistry, biology, algebra, precalculus, SAT, ACT, and the MCAT. Over the next four years, I would teach over 300 students both independently and for various tutoring companies. Eventually, I formalized my endeavors, founding the company Acknowledge Tutors. Throughout it all, I was humbled to realize that helping others achieve their dreams meant far more than solipsistically chasing my own.
However, I am still haunted by the fact that I’m failing the Hannahs of the world. In order to keep up with marketing costs, office rental, website hosting, and payroll, I’m charging prices that perpetuate “gatekeeping” in education. In response, I am seeking the guidance of UPenn’s world-renowned educators. With the tools and knowledge I gain through the Education Entrepreneurship MEd, I intend to better navigate community resources, school systems, and funding opportunities to better ensure educational equity. Additionally, I plan to use my newly-honed business acumen to better scale my ventures and manage substantial teams. It is time to take Mrs. Pembrook’s advice. Through pursuing education in a meaningful way, I will finally create the social impact I have long aspired to make.