Who I Was & Who I Am

Who I Was

Sydney Montgomery

Boise State Living-Learning Community

The satisfaction of helping another person surpasses any other feeling I have had before. Working as a volunteer at Mission Hospital for the past 2 years, starting a club focused on fundraising for CHOC Hospital and professionally running a Film program has taught me the value of hard work. I am the student elected VP of Programs and Development at Mission Hospital and am also the head of new student affairs and Head of Training. I have accumulated a total of 450 hours as a Mission Hospital Volunteer.  My personal vision has been developed through another. One of the deeds that molded my outlook was when I delivered a Kit-Kat bar to an eleven-year old boy in CHOC hospital. He looked at me with swelled eyes and told me I was an angel and he thanked me for “paying it forward”. Paying it forward doesn’t mean always giving another person a materialistic gift, but a smile in the hallway. It could be a handwritten note describing how important someone is to you. It is standing up for the girl in your English class that keeps getting teased. If everyone paid it forward, I truly believe we could change everyone’s outlook to a more positive mindset. My most unique quality is my ability to work hard. Nothing in my life has ever been handed to me, which has helped me rise to the top. I take nothing for granted and always put forth my best ability in everything I do.

My motivation for choosing the teacher profession was revealed to me in High School. I applied for a position in the Best Buddies Program my freshman year. Best Buddies pair’s students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in one-to-one friendships with high school students. In the past, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities have not had the opportunity to have friends outside of their own special education classroom. By being involved in Best Buddies, students are crossing the invisible line that too often separates those with disabilities from those without. I was paired with a student named Chris Luttrell who I can proudly say has been my buddy for all four years of High School. Chris has so many qualities I wish I possessed and has become one of my closest and most loyal friends. Chris has been my motivation to choose an education profession, specifically a Special Education Teacher.

            My goals for the future are plain and simple, to make a difference. Whether it is helping a student with a personal issue or just helping them pass that math times table I am ready for any challenge. I am a very hard worker and have found no greater joy than helping the Special Education students. I believe Boise State will supply me with everything I need to be successful. I would really love to be apart of the living learning community.

Who I Am

Who I was back in June of 2012? I was a naive recently graduated senior ready to face the college life. I thought I was invincible  and I could take on anything. Growing up I always envisioned myself being overly prepared for college. I always knew how to time manage and was always on top of my things. I juggled two jobs, school, being the production coordinator for my film class and extra curricular activities with flying colors so I felt like I would be ahead of the game in college. In High School, I would consider myself an exuberant and caring individual, which hasn't changed much. In my essay I represented an individualistic and anxiety infested teenager who honestly, always felt above average. As bad as that sounds, I was always used to being able to juggle and handle anything that came at me. Life in High School was carefree and easy for me. I was very involved and stayed very social so to be honest I loved it. I had good grades, good friends and good balance in my life which were the three things I wanted more than anything. I think the most dramatic change I have experienced is my ambitions. I thought I had it all figured out. I worked at a hospital and was super involved as I stated in my essay. Serving over 450 hours and being the VP of Programs and Development I didn't think of ever not having my things together. When I represented myself in my essay, I represented my accomplishments and high points. I lacked the adversity and challenges I faced. I was constantly trying to show universities and scholarship panels exactly what I had accomplished and all of my successes. It wasn't always positives and successes though. I went through a lot of emotional distress to get there, gave up on a lot of luxuries and time spent with friends and family to get there. I also went through times of doubt where I didn't know if it was always it worth it. I can say that that outlook has changed tremendously for where I am now. I am so much more positive and thankful for the opportunities that have been presented. My goals for the future? To be an amazing and loving Mom, to be a wife and fall in love, to graduate college in four years, to getting an A on a math test, to get a 3.5 GPA overall sometime in my college career, to get a job that I love and am passionate about and look forward to going to everyday. Whether it is for an entertainment company or a magazine I want to be successful. Who I am is still undecided due to the fact that I can't predict the future, but what I can say is I want to focus on controlling the controllables. My attitude can alter any situations outcome and I just want to be happy at the end of the day and be content with who I am and how I handled my decisions. That is what I want happiness, pure joy and bliss about what I am doing and where I am headed.