SECONDARY EDUCATION STUDENT TEACHING, BY KAYLA CUNNINGHAM My name is Kayla A.

Cunningham and I am looking forward to starting a new chapter in my life, as I prepare for the transition from Student to Student Teacher. I am graduating with my B.S. degree in History Teaching and a minor in Physical Education/Coaching. My passion for history began at age three. Our family moved to Maryland where my dad worked during Desert Storm. Each weekend, we toured historical sights, visited the National Monuments and explored the Smithsonian Museums. I was able to experience American history first-hand while we lived there. I interned at Hill Air Force Base, in their History Department to fulfill my Bachelors Degree requirements. My passion was strengthened during that time. I learned how important history is to maintaining the traditions and honor of our past. My love for history was ignited during my early experiences and has been fortified throughout my life. I have traveled to forty-eight states in the United States and I have traveled to South America and Mexico. I hope to travel to Europe after I graduate in order to gain more in depth experience and knowledge of the world and history. I began playing sports at five and played competitive basketball at the AAU level starting at the age of ten. I played junior-high and high school basketball until I was injured in my junior year. Playing sports taught me the value of hard work, dedication, discipline and teamwork. I was depressed after my injury, but soon found a passion for coaching to replace my love of playing. I enjoy teaching kids the fundamentals of the game, sportsmanship and teamwork. Through sports, I have learned the importance of setting goals and having the discipline to accomplish them. I hope to teach these values to my students in the classroom and on the court. I have coached 7-10th grade basketball for the last eight years.

My teaching experience includes a variety of education-based jobs. During my freshman and sophomore year in college I worked at the Rose Park Boys and Girls club tutoring the kids after school and coaching their basketball team. I taught Yoga for Stretch and Grow Inc. at primary schools around the valley. I tutored disabled high school students at the Turn Community Center in Midvale. And, I have coached boys basketball for the past eight years. One of my best friends died in a car accident recently. In his honor, I founded a volunteer organization called The Wandering Alliance of Neighborhood Good-Doers (W.A.N.G.). I am responsible for organizing activities each month and coordinating up to twenty volunteers for each project. We perform a wide range of community volunteer services, including: working with Autistic children, serving food at the Rescue Mission homeless shelter, visiting the adults at the Veterans Home, working with Habitat for Humanity and working with children at the Ronald McDonald House. I coordinate new member training and ensure volunteers are prepared for each engagement. W.A.N.G. strives to improve the lives of those we serve. I was blessed with a strong and loving family who love education. I have a cadre of inspiring teachers from whom I can model myself. And, I have had a variety of life experiences that have shaped who I will be as an educator. I believe I can become an amazing teacher based on my well-rounded background. Teachers play a major role in molding the minds of our nation's children. As educators, we must encourage students to think critically and embrace learning as the way to build a foundation for the lives they want to live. I want to be a teacher that positively impacts my students and I am looking forward to beginning student teaching and working with your school progam.