Soccer has been a significant part of my life since I was four years old, and continues to be now as I have been fortunate enough to coach at the youth level. I played at Carmel United Soccer Club as a kid, and have returned to the club because of the wonderful experiences I had. I coached three years at CUSC - two years with Under 11 Girls and one year with Under 12 Girls. I really enjoyed coaching this age group because of their ability to self-start and motivate, yet still developed so much in the game. I also appreciate the humor of fifth and sixth grade girls who can follow along with some sarcasm! I really appreciate the bond I developed with this particular group of girls and miss coaching them terribly.
HAITI MISSIONARY
In July 2010, I was given a rare opportunity to visit a third world country. In fact, the poorest of all countries in the western hemisphere. I visited Petite Riviere, Haiti with 15 other missionaries from my church on a mission to spread the good news of Christ and develop a sense of community among our Haitian friends. While we were there, we distributed water filtration systems and heard stories of people whose families were saved - literally - by having clean water! We also introduced the first ever scholarship application process to graduating high school seniors to help them continue their education. It was amazing the gratitude those kids had to be able to possibly attend University. Many of them wanted to become doctors to help serve their friends and family across Haiti. We also helped rebuild a town that was damaged from the earthquake - we literally climbed a mountain over and over and over again to bring down enough rock that they could begin building. It was a great accomplishment! This experience was one that forever changed me, and helped me understand what it means to serve others. It was an experience that has molded the kind of teacher I will be as well, in that I learned to empathize while also learning how to make a difference. I hope that my students can also learn empathy and compassion, while creating ways to better our world!
