A trip abroad redirected my life. After graduating college, I went to Bangladesh. While there, I visited the slums and I met a little girl named Mina. She was learning English and Math in the little free time she had when she wasn’t working as a maid. She was 13. After I left, I learned that she was sent off to be married to a much older man. By 14, she was pregnant. I was devastated. I decided then to become a teacher and dedicated my life to empowering children through education.

My most memorable experience was something seemingly banal. I had a group of students brand new to the US. They were shy and nervous and didn’t speak any English. They were terrified to speak. Through games and jokes and fun activities, I slowly earned their trust. One day when I asked a question, every student’s hand went up in the air. Some were begging me to call on them. I realized I had taught them more than English; I had taught them to love learning.

I would pay off my student loans from graduate school. After my undergrad, I had $46,000 of debt (even with scholarships). I worked multiple jobs to pay it off and I finally did it. However, I needed graduate work to become a teacher. So now I have more debt. My teaching salary simply isn’t sufficient to make a big dent in it. I had to take out $28,000 for graduate school (again, even after earning a scholarship).