Mueller 1
Dreaming Big
An Autobiography
Kaleigh Mueller
EDUC 111: Introduction to Teaching
Professor Eastman
September 16, 2009
Abstract:
My story is outlined by many paths of opportunity.There were always joys, struggles, victories, and defeats but there were some things in my life that never changed. I always had the support of my family and close friends which influenced most of my childhood. Many life lessons have been learned throughout the years. My path currently has led me to Manchester College to fulfill my dream of being an elementary teacher. I hope that I can make a difference in a child’s life that will affect his or her futures as I know I have been influenced by my educators.
My name is Kaleigh Sue Mueller. I was born on February 6th of 1991 at St. Anthony’s Medical Center in Crown Point, Indiana. Crown Point is located approximately forty-five miles southeast of Chicago. I was born the daughter of Richard and Kathy Mueller. My father, who was born and raised in Crown Point, actually grew up only a few blocks away from my current residence; while my mother began her life in Munster, Indiana and lived there around twenty years.
Upon my birth, my mother found out that I was going to be a twin. However, sometime in the second trimester of the pregnancy, a tragedy occurred—my fraternal twin was miscarried. The doctors, whom had no idea that my mother was having twins, took four ultrasounds in hope to see life. During the last ultrasound, they found aheartbeat. If it had not been for that last ultrasound, my mother would have had an abortion without any knowledge of it. The rest of the pregnancy went smooth until shortly before my birth. Due to complications, my mother had to receive emergency attention.We later found out that there was internal bleeding from a tear in her uterus. Right away, the medical team took care of the traumatizing situation and saved the lives of my mother and myself. By cesarean section, I finally took my first breath at 4:15 P.M. The traumatizing day came to a glorious ending with my birth!
When I arrived home, I was welcomed into a close-knit family. My father, who has always worked at ArcelorMittal Steel Mill in East Chicago, Indiana, has always been there for me. While growing up, my father dedicated his time to be a coach for many of the sports I participated in, which brought us closer together. Even though he had spent much time working, he tried his best to be as great of a dad as possible. He always tried to make the best lives for my family as he could. My mother, who is an aid in a special needs preschool at Peifer Elementary School in Schererville, Indiana, has always been a role model for me.By her actions, she has molded me into the person I am today. Until this past year, she was a stay at home mom. She would babysit my neighbor for two years on the side and completely transformed his life. Without my mother, my neighbor would have never been walking, talking or even playing just sitting in front of a television. My mom has influenced me in many aspects of my life, and we have a strong bond.She was also there for me through everything between friends, boys, and sporting events. She was always my number one fan at every sporting event and competition. I have one sister, Alyss, who is twenty-three and recently became a newlywed. She graduated from Purdue University Calumet with a degree in elementary education. A few months ago, though, she decided to go back to school to earn her mild interventions minor. As we grew up together,we shared a room which allowed us to become extremely close. She was my role model, and I always wanted to be just like her. To go along with my loving sister, I also have two amazing brothers. Nate is twenty and currently attends Valparaiso University, where he is majoring in engineering. He is the sarcastic one in the family and can make anyone laugh at any moment. Devin is sixteen and a sophomore at Crown Point High School. He is involved in lighting and sound for our school productions. Even though Devin and I always use to quarrel, I know that he will always be there for me through any trial that comes my way. I cannot say that we have been perfect siblings as we have had our share of arguments, but I can say that we have all remained close throughout the years.
My home has remained the same throughout my eighteen years of life. It is located in a small neighborhood, near the center of Crown Point. The house may be small, but its size has helped keep my family together. It is a lightblue ranch-style home full of love and joy. As a child, I enjoyed much time outside riding my bike with my neighbors. My neighbors and I would also take trips to different parks throughout the small city. If I was spotted anywhere besides with my friends or family I would have been seen at practices. Between basketball, soccer, gymnastics, and cheerleading, I was always bouncing around between practices but as I look back I would never want any of that to change. I also cherished going on family trips to visit my grandparents in Branson, Missouri. While there, we would explore the woods that my grandparents resided in, and I feel that these experiences created my love for being outside. As a child, I would always end up going back to the same home after my days of being outside.
School has always been important to me and my parents. From kindergarten through sixth grade, I attended Lake Street Elementary School. In sixth grade, I was a member of the Science Olympiad team, and I also sang in the All City Honor Choir. For seventh and eighth grade, I attended Taft Middle School. I was a cheerleader and a member of the choir for both years. I was also always on the A/B Honor Roll. Crown Point High School is where I went from ninth through twelfth grade. I continued being a cheerleader and remained on the A/B honor roll for most of the years there. I held a summer job all throughout high school at Deep River Waterpark. Over the years, I have learned study habits that I will never forget and that I am grateful to have.
With a quick glance back,I would think that many of my joys came from sports, but I have realized how much my family has also affected my joys. As a youngster, sports were my life. One of my first joys dates back to when I was a gymnast. When I was in third grade, I went to state andreceived second place for the beam event. When this happened, I was very happy as I knew all my work had been rewarded.During fifth grade another amazing feeling occurred when my soccer team won a huge tournament in overtime. The tournament was one of the biggest in the area and lasted the entire day. In cheerleading, I was on the first middle school squad that was allowed to compete, which was also exciting.A few more joys can be related to the many first place trophiesI have won at cheerleading competitions. If I look at how my family has made me happy, the list could go on forever. I have always enjoyed family vacations and simple day trips devoted to family. Holidays were always fun because we were able to travel to visit different relatives. I loved New Year’s because we would get a hotel with my mom’s side of the family. The night of New Years we would enjoy swimming, playing cards, and just being together. Most recently, I have found joys being at my mother’s work with the preschool children. The children can always bring a smile to my face! I have been happy most of my life, which is mostly because of my surroundings and hard work.
On the other hand, many disappointments have also come along in my life. Sporting events have led to some disappointments and so have family complications. When I was eight, I lost my grandfather to lung cancer and a couple years after that, I lost my uncle to a massive heart attack, which wasvery unexpected. I also had to deal with many things like growing up with a bipolar brother, arguments over something small, his rage when he would become angry, and the many other situations that have developed. This brought on some of its own challenges in my life because of how I have had to learn to cope with his disability, but it has shaped my life into something better. However, I have learned to cope with these disappointments.
Victories and struggles have been plentiful in my life. Many of my victories were from sports, but they tended to come along with struggles. I have struggled with many painful injuries relating to sports. Right now, I am having difficulties with tendinitis in my wrist, but I keep pushing through. I struggled with several subjects in school. For instance, I am not the best with writing papers or making artwork. I have learned how to become a better write and have learned how to make artwork that fits me. All of these struggles and victories have made me stronger as a person.
There are many things that I like and dislike. I could probably list my likes for a long time. One of my favorite things to do is play with my puppy. She is three years old and still has a lot of energy. I also love to go on walks and view nature. I am a huge Disney fan and will watch practically and Disney show or movie. Tumbling has become a way that I can cope with my stress. I can get frustrated but just going to tumbling practice can completely relieve some of the stress which makes me love tumbling so much. I have many things that I do not like also. I am not the best at standing in front of large crowns, especially ones with my peers in them, to deliver a speech. I have always been a fairly quiet person and I am not a huge fan of being the center of attention. I know it sounds like an oxymoron a cheerleader not wanting to be the center of attention, but I guess I am just different. There are many more likes and dislikes I could add, but this is just a select few.
I graduated last year from Crown Point High School and have now begun the next chapter of my life. I decided to come to Manchester College in North Manchester, Indiana. There were many reasons I choose Manchester College out of every other college in Indiana. I really liked how small the school was. I came from a fairly large high school, and I wanted something smaller so I was not just a number anymore. I liked the fact that the faculty gets to know the students on a personal basis, which is a big change for me. Lastly, the education program was another great incentive for coming here. The program allows students to be able to go into the classroom during the first year. There were many other factors that played into my decision, and I am now here pursuing my dream of becoming an elementary school teacher.