Kimerlie Thepkaysone

Since I can remember, I've always loved helping children with school work, social-emotional needs, cognitive needs, and physical needs. I started helping children in the seventh grade, I was part of a program that took children with special needs to a school where they learned to play drums with their hands, dance and make as much art as possible. I also became a mediator in eight grade for the younger children. Ever since middle school ended with me being a part of these children's' lives, I kept helping as many kids as I could in any possible way. When I found out I was going to be an aunt I couldn't be happier, about a year after my nephew was born, the doctor said he maybe Autistic. As two years passed he received help from the Birth to Three Program. He was slow in talking, paying attention and eating. Now, Matthew is five years old and he plays like a normal child, he listens to the people talking and he speaks so much. He still is scared to eat food with different textures, his favorite is pasta. However, he attends a school for kids with special needs and is growing into that "normal" child life. I believe children need the attention that seems to have be forgotten, many kids are struggling for help. I plan to study Early Childhood Development to understand children, then study Mathematics to become a Secondary Mathematics Teacher. I believe the Early Childhood Education will benefit me in the future to better understand my future students when teaching any subject, especially Mathematics. as much as possible and try my best to help any child with or without special needs. I love working with children and teaching Mathematics so I found that putting the two together is what i always wanted to in life, and that is what I wish to continue to learn.