Blog Assignment 1

On March 2, 1990, I was born in Frankfurt, Germany. My parents named me Amanda Catherine Brewton. My mother says that she wanted to name me Hannah, but I like my name. I believe it suits me. So, for the first three or four months of my life, I lived in Babenhausen, Germany. When we finally arrived in the United States, we lived in California for a little while before settling in Mobile, Alabama. In 1998, my little brother Garrett was born. He's a really nice kid who has finally started using his real smile in photos instead of the pained expression of a grin he gave before. My parents were married for about eleven years before they divorced in 2002. That same year my father left to serve in the Middle East with Operation Iraqi Freedom. Until my sophomore year of high school, he was in and out of the United States on leave until he stayed home for about a year before moving to Germany. My mother remarried during this time and had three children. Their names are Emma, Mira, and Maxx. They are currently six, five, and four years old. I have begun to understand the possible alternative meaning of "triple threat".

Ever since I was little, I have expressed a passion for art. My mom used to give me the brown paper shopping bags from Delchamps to color on. This was most likely an effort by her to prevent me from unleashing my creative expression on the walls of our home. I also have a love for music. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have music in my life. I believe that music is a true inspiration to many people, and I really enjoy being introduced to new artists by my friends. I also consider myself a very open and accepting person. I try to hear everyone out and really listen to what they are saying. In the past few years, for instance, I have become increasingly interested in world religions and cultures. Specifically, Eastern philosophies and the cultural religions associated with these regions are quite fascinating to me. I was baptized as a Catholic and attended private, Catholic schools from age three to fourteen. I believe the environment was very conducive for a growing child; however, I am truly grateful that my parents sent me to a public high school because it required me to branch out from the friends I had grown close to since elementary school, and it also helped me to learn more about and be less afraid of people who are different from me (in religion, race, beliefs, background, or culture). At this time in my life, I was an avid reader, a dedicated student, and a passionate volleyball player. Starting at the age of nine I began playing volleyball until I was about fifteen or sixteen. I really enjoy playing volleyball because I believe it is the perfect sport for me. You play on a team, so that involves working together, which I think is one of the best ways to accomplish something. Also, it's a sport that involves no contact with the other team, which works out great for me! I was the player who would whisper, "Good spike!" to the girl on the other side of the net. I do believe that there is a competitive side within me, but unlike some of my teammates, I didn't really want to "see their blood on the court when this game is over." It was around my senior year of high school when I began doubting my lifelong dream to become a Doctor Without Borders and decided that my calling was to become an elementary school teacher.

There are many reasons why I attended the University of South Alabama. For one, the university has a medical school. My mom and I talked about it and decided that I should spend my freshman year taking the required classes for medical school before making a big decision about what I would choose for my career. Also, I received an Honors Program scholarship to USA, so that swayed my decision as well. Finally, attending USA would mean being closer to home and my family. At this time, I couldn't stand the thought of being away from my little brothers and sisters while they were growing up. I always felt bad for Scott Martin in grade school because when asked if he had any siblings, he would say, "Yeah, I have an older brother and sister, but they're away at college." It seemed like his relationship with his siblings wasn't very good, and I knew I didn't want my siblings to feel like I wasn't a part of their life.

To conclude, there are so many reasons why I want to be a teacher. First, I want future children to have as much fun learning as I did. I want to make learning a hobby. I want children to take adventures where finding out something they never knew before or doing something they've never done before is the mission objective. I had so many great teachers as a child, and I want to be that great teacher for someone else. I want to help children who feel like no one wants to help them learn how to do multiplication. I want to be witness to a million "Aha!" moments. Finally, I just want to help each and every child in their own way so that they can be students who have the skills necessary to not only see the answer, but to seek out the answer.