My Interventionist helped me in so many ways. She is still my friend and I go back to visit her at the high school when I am home from college. When I compared myself to my friends who did not have similar challenges and felt frustrated she was there to help. I was uncomfortable feeling different, needing accommodations when others did not, and feeling inferior to my peers. Often I wished things were easier for me. However, I worked with people who gave me guidance and taught me to focus on what was happening, instead of what I wished was happening. From there, I learned about learning techniques and became aware of the style which was the best fit for me. I learned to utilize the accommodations available to me and let go of the inadequate feelings.
Because of my Interventionist, I started to feel better about learning, I stopped feeling sorry for myself and I began to achieve success in school. I started believing in my abilities and what I could accomplish. Obtaining good grades and attending college could be in my future and for the first time in my life I was excited at the thought of it. I realized if I struggled and overcame learning obstacles, there may be kids out there that I could help. I applied for a job as an after school care provider so I could work with kids from all parts of Cleveland. It was there I began to notice how some kids struggled to pay attention while others did not. Because of my own experiences I was able to spot the kids having difficulties and use the skills I learned from Ms. Ettinger to help them get on track. It was during my time working in this position that I realized I wanted to work with kids and become a teacher.