About Me

Abstract

I have learned some very valuable lessons throughout my life.  I was blessed to have numerous opportunities given me by my parents, and these opportunities laid the foundation for the person I am today.  I discovered that hard work and a good attitude can work wonders in almost any situation throughout my experiences.  My high school career caused me to discover who I am as a person, teaching me invaluable amounts about myself.  As a teacher, I hope to be able to pass along the knowledge I have gained to my students, not only about the subject material but also concerning life in general.

Tim Ehlerding and Susie Loshe met at a wedding, Tim’s brother and Susie’s best friend’s wedding, to be exact.  Three years later, they got married, and two years after that, Emily Bernadette Ehlerding was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Eighteen months later, Stephanie was born, and then Robby.  My siblings and I had a great childhood.  From telling stories of the three of us all having chicken pox at the same time, to tales of our birthday parties, my mother enjoys reminiscing about us growing up.

I was blessed with a loving, supportive family.  My parents helped me grow into the person I am today, as cliché as that is.  They helped me with school work when they could, gave my two siblings and me the most opportunities they could afford, and encouraged me in every undertaking.  I attended Wyneken Memorial Lutheran School from preschool to eighth grade.  This small, personal atmosphere gave me a solid foundation upon which to build myself.  It also, however, caused me to be rather “sheltered”, and high school was a real eye-opener for me.  Seeing students with other values and lifestyles was a surprise for me.  While being in a parochial school for ten years provided me with individual attention, it also limited the different cultures I was exposed to as a child.  When I entered Bellmont High School, I was shocked by the unmotivated nature of some of my classmates.  They simply did not do their homework, and mouthed off to the teachers.  Throughout my life, I had been taught respect towards elders and hard work.  I had to realize that other people lived by other sets of standards, and this was a difficult lesson for me.

In middle school, I decided to join the cheerleading squad.  This was a decision that has impacted the rest of my life, by not only giving me a means of physical activity, but also increasing my self-confidence and making me more comfortable in front of crowds.  I continued in cheerleading all the way to joining the team at Manchester College.  I was by no means a “natural” athlete; on the contrary, I only gained ability through hard work and continual practice.  These skills have proved necessary not only in cheerleading but also throughout the rest of my life.  I believe that a great work ethic can help to make nearly any goal achievable.

I always felt the need to perform to my best ability.  In middle school, I worked to get the best grades I could, simply because I wanted to achieve straight A’s.  Once I advanced to high school, however, I was forced to rethink the motives behind my extreme goals for myself.  As a freshman, I entered a speech contest sponsored by Optimist International.  The theme was “My Biggest Challenge”.  As I had gone through middle school without any real difficulties in school, or really any aspect of life for that matter, I had to think deeper.  I came to the conclusion that my biggest challenge was indeed myself, and the high expectations I set.  Through my whole life, my parents told me I could achieve anything I aimed for.  Even once I was old enough to make my own decisions, this way of thinking followed me.  I knew I could earn an A in each of my classes, and because I knew this, I achieved it.  At times, the high, and sometimes unrealistic, goals I tried to reach made my life miserable, rather than fulfilling.  My Campus Life director helped me to realize which of my aspirations were healthy, and obtainable, and which would only cause me more stress in life.  Through this whole process, I really came to realize who I was as a person.  High school was extremely beneficial to me.  I learned how to work hard, and have fun at the same time.  With my high expectations, I accomplished much of what I set my eyes on my whole life – graduating as valedictorian, becoming the varsity cheerleading captain, and receiving the Lilly Endowment scholarship, which paid for 100% of my college tuition.

As I pointed out earlier, high school really affected me.  I had to be strong in my morals and values in order to stay true to myself.  In a school where not drinking caused one to be a minority, I maintained my standards for myself.  I chose not to party.  This did at times cause me to be ridiculed or pressured, but now I am glad that I made the decisions I did.  I feel that, as a teacher, I would have the power, and responsibility, to help my students make wise choices, not only in regards to schoolwork, but also in every aspect of their lives.

My choice to explore the field of teaching was a slow process.  I always enjoyed being a leader, but the actual idea of being a high school teacher finally occurred to me in my junior year at Bellmont.  One of my friends was having difficulty with her Chemistry homework, and asked me for help.  After I finished explaining the subject to her, she told me that I would make a great teacher.  This really made me begin considering the idea.  I was also a summer camp counselor, a VBS teacher, and a Sunday School teacher, and these all caused me to gain leadership skills and become comfortable at explaining topics and learning how to deal with different types of people.

During my senior year, I faced the decision of choosing a college, as well as a major.  I began this process with a list of 90 colleges in Indiana.  Slowly, this list shrunk to five, through much research and deliberation.  I visited the schools, and finally decided upon Manchester College, majoring in Chemistry, Physics, and Secondary Education.  Even as I am only in the midst of my first year, I have already learned more than I could have imagined both in class and outside it.  I’m learning how to be independent, and how to deal with people.  Having a roommate who has different values than me has really forced me to consider how to deal with this problem in my future as well.  College will, no doubt, prepare me for any job in the future, by helping my interpersonal skills, and my content knowledge in my major.

As a teacher, I hope to be able to pass along the knowledge I have gained through my experiences to my students.  While as a Chemistry or Physics teacher the subject material will be of utmost importance, I also will aim to show my students how the material is applicable to everyday life.  Also, I hope to pass along the lessons about work ethic and achievement that I have discovered.  These will not only allow my students to be more successful in my classes, but also in their entire lives.

My life experiences have taught me many invaluable lessons.  From my parents, to teachers, to my friends and enemies, I have learned something from every person I have encountered.  I hope to be able to pass the knowledge I have gained to students in the future.  I have been given innumerable opportunities, and hope to give others the same opportunities in their lives.