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After a year of researching and waiting, I excitedly began my Master's of Teaching at American University, and I now eagerly await my career as an elementary teacher following my graduation.

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When my time in Spain came to an end, I relocated to Portland, Oregon and accepted a job as an assistant preschool teacher, eventually working my way up to a lead teacher position. I completed several trainings in the process in the area of Early Childhood Education.

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After 11 months of working in a personal injury law firm, I spontaneously took a job teaching English as a second language to a kindergarten classroom in Valencia, Spain. For the duration of being in this job, I took an online teaching course called STEP, a program for teachers of international education. I fell in love with the job and the program and accepted the fact that after many years of working for my law degree, I was changing my career direction entirely.

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In September of 2020, after being delayed in the hopes that an in-person graduation would take place, I graduated from my bachelor’s degree in an online, live-streamed graduation ceremony. I watched from my living room with my mom and my cat by my side, excited and so proud but of course feeling the bittersweetness of it all.

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During my final months of my Bachelors program, my university shut down due to Covid-19, and I moved home to finish college virtually. This was challenging in many ways; I had grown used to all of the resources the campus had to offer as well as the endless peer support provided by being on campus. However, it was only 2 months until I would be finished, and my classmates and I managed to adapt to the sudden change in circumstances.

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I received a scholarship under the Higher Education Access Route and learned that the cost of my education would be entirely covered. Without this scholarship, I can safely say I never would have attended university. I moved into Maynooth University the following week, ready to begin my classes.

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I received the results of my Leaving Certificate examinations and on the same day found out that I was accepted into the university that was my first choice, Maynooth University to study Civil Law and Criminology. This day stays with me as being one of the proudest days of my educational career.

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At the end of my high school years, I completed my Leaving Certificate exams. This was a series of 8 exams over the course of two weeks, and their weight was 100% of my final grade for the year. The results of these exams also single handedly determined which college I would be accepted into. These examinations undoubtedly made up the most challenging time of my educational experience, but they ultimately paid off. We celebrated their end by a full grade trip to a nearby beach.

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I opted to add an additional year to my high school education by choosing to participate in an optional, career-oriented year called Transition Year. This year is offered in the majority of Irish schools, and it provides the opportunity to do classes that aren’t offered in other years, such as career advice, work experience, Mandarine, and so much more. I learned so much about my own interests this year and felt like I developed a stronger sense of independence than I’d had before.

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This was my first year completing Irish standardized testing after completing what is referred to as the “junior cycle” in high school. These tests, known as the Junior Certificate, are a series of 8-10 exams conducted over a two week period, with content related to knowledge obtained in the previous three years of schooling. They are a preparation for the Leaving Certificate exams which come at the end of high school, the results of which entirely determine which college you will get into.

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After an emotional middle school graduation and some tearful goodbyes, my family and I relocated to Donegal, Ireland. In August, I started my first day of high school in an Irish Catholic school. This was entirely different from the secular schooling I had been used to in Boston, and was quite a change to adapt to.

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I began 5th grade at Swampscott Middle School. I remember the feelings of fear and excitement taking over as I walked around the big new school, feeling like a little fish in a big pond. I was thrilled to discover all the spaces at our disposal, like an art studio, a woodworking room, a gym, and so much more.

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I began my first day of fourth grade at Clarke Elementary school. I felt particularly nervous on this first day of school as I prepared myself to meet all new students, different teachers, and a new school.

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My time at Machon Elementary school came to an abrupt ending after completing third grade. We had developed quite a sense of community at our small school, but the town’s new high school needed to be built where Machon was located. My friends, who I had been in school with for four years, and I learned that we would be placed in separate schools from then on.

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I said goodbye to Rainbow Daycare and prepared to head off to Kindergarten at Machon Elementary School, a public school in a small town in Massachusetts. This would be my first time in elementary school, but according to my family, I was more than eager to go, asking every day, “can I go to kindergarten yet?” I have specific memories of trying to stay late at the after-school program which I wasn’t enrolled in, just because I didn’t want to leave.

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Just after turning one year old, my mom returned to work, and I joined Rainbow Daycare, which was located in my small suburban town outside of Boston. This was my first time in a childcare setting.