Candidate’s Statement

for
Meghan Zoerhoff
Meghan.zoerhoff@gmail.com

I was born and raised in Holland, MI. I grew up with two working parents and two
younger brothers. Being the oldest, I was always in charge when my brothers and I
were home and my parents were working. This responsibility taught me life skills,
such as mediation, because goodness knows my brothers were sometimes a handful.
Growing up, my parents were always working to support our family. My mom is a
seventh grade social studies teacher, and my dad is a farmer. Being a teacher, my
mom sometimes allowed me to grade papers or come to her classes. Hearing her
talk about all of her students has taught me how important compassion and
tolerance for others is. Through my dad being a farmer, I learned the value of hard
work. Farming is exhausting, from planting to bailing, etc., my dad was always tired
out from a day at work, but he still made time for my siblings and me. These
different factors in my life have instilled important values and morals into my life
that has encouraged me to become a compassionate, and responsible person who
welcomes criticisms to better myself.

Education has always been a priority in my family. I have always strived to do my

best in school, even while being involved in many different organizations and clubs
K-12. My parents have taught me how important a quality education can be; this has
taught me to love going to school, as well as love my two favorite subjects: English
and history. My love of school and learning launched me into checking out colleges
to further my education.

I have always wanted to be a teacher. I have always felt compassion towards helping
kids and this has pushed me towards this career. My goal is to guide student growth,
academically and emotionally. Each and every student, in my opinion, deserves to
have an understanding and unbiased teacher, and I want to be that teacher. I believe
that, as an educator, I can make a difference in students’ lives; even making a
difference for one student is important to me. I would like to have the honor of
positively influencing as many young people as possible so that they have the skills
to reach their dreams and their potential. Teaching and influencing young people is
what I am meant to be doing with my life. For me, this profession is the most
rewarding for my soul.

My educational philosophy can be summarized as follows:

Every student has a right to learn; I, as an educator, will adhere to this right. I will
adhere to this right by providing a safe environment, equal opportunities, and an
acknowledgment of each student’s needs.