TELL2-Kulp

__**Past**__ My past years in high school are a little different compared to most people because I was homebound and in the hospital during my junior and senior year for a few different reasons, but, those experiences during that time have helped me come to the decision to become a special education teacher. One of the most memorable moments was nights spent at the hospital where a lot of the kids on my floor would come into my room after our game room closed at 9 pm, and just talk about our lives, struggles, long hours of therapy, and all the fun we would still make and have there. There were nights where I would really connect with the kids who would have just incredible stories to tell of everything they have accomplished, despite the fact of how hard they had to push through pain and countless doctor appointments, surgeries, chemotherapy sessions, hours of PT and OT. I had very similar problems and experiences to some of the kids there, so I could relate and give advice to a lot of them. The nurses would always yell at us to go to bed because some nights, we would be up until like, 1 in the morning, and we all had therapy early the next morning, but the long talks of encouragement and laughing was worth being tired the next morning.

__**Present**__ My past experiences in the hospital having those late night conversations with so many of those kids that I saw go in and out still carry out college here. I still keep in touch with a lot of them and have group Skype dates with them all where we would tell each other of or lives outside the hospital, and what all we are able to do now since getting all that therapy and treatments. The kids still inspire me to continue my treatment plans in college and keep up with everything to prevent a breakage in remission. I have support groups still here in Bloomsburg where I go and speak to some kids in the hospital here and encourage them to keep fighting and what they are going through now will all be worth it in the end because I, personally, have success stories to share with them.

__**Future**__ After college here at Bloomsburg, I hope to get a teaching job in a local hospital where I will be a child's temporary teacher while they go through long hours of therapy or treatments, and would miss so much school because of it. If I am able to get a job like that, I know I will already be one step ahead because I have lived life like that, and have already helped many kids with complications and special needs that were put in hospitals for an extended period of time. I hope to use what I have done, and still doing now, to help me with that career path.