Looking back on my original goal statement that I submitted to Michigan State University, I was only in my second year of teaching. I wanted to attend Michigan State to develop the leadership skills and knowledge needed to become an Assistant Principal and maybe, a Principal at a high school one day. Today, as I write this essay, that goal has been altered. It is crazy to think of where I am two years later as so much in my life has changed. Two years ago, I would have never thought that I would want to do anything else except teach in a high school classroom. In 2018 I had a new goal of wanting to continue my education of the classroom as I had recognized the changes that were beginning in the field. I also had a goal of diving further into my passion of coaching because my undergraduate degree did not allow time for it. By the end of the program I hoped to pursue a career in educational leadership whether it be as a school administrator, athletic director, or teaching in a postsecondary setting. Over the two years I have spent completing work for my graduate degree, I have moved and been given many new opportunities. These new opportunities have opened my mind up to a world of possibilities that make me think that my goal has changed. 

 

The new opportunity I was granted was two-fold. First, I received a new job as a high school teacher. This new school gave me the opportunity to teach a new subject, Geometry. Second, I was given the opportunity to take over the volleyball program at the high school, which was a major steppingstone in my career path. This new path that I was following made me open my eyes to other opportunities I could take after earning a master’s degree. My passion and love for volleyball and athletics has grown significantly over the last year and I have found myself becoming more passionate towards the Sport Coaching and Leadership aspect of my degree over the educational part. Similar to teaching, as a coach we have the ability to have a huge impact on the lives of athletes; we can watch and see them grow in different ways. This simple thought combined with my passion for coaching has helped me to see that I wanted to slightly change my future goals. 

 

As I move forward following the conclusion of my education in this program, my goal is to follow my love for sport and continue to be a leader in the field of coaching. I want to continue to share my passion with as many young lives as I can, and I have already begun work on this. I applied and was hired as a club volleyball coach, I have high school coaching, and in a short time I will start looking into some college coaching jobs and still consider the leadership in becoming an athletic director. The emphasis I want to place on my athletes is to have fun while developing a deeper understanding of the sport. Volleyball has affected me greatly as a person and I want to continue to positively affect other young athletes.