I did not originally plan to work in education. My father worked as a social worker for Seattle Public Schools for more than 20 years and earned his master's degree in Social Work from the University of Washington. He encouraged me to apply for a position with the district. I applied for a Multilingual Instructional Assistant position and was hired in 2021.
I currently work as a Multilingual Instructional Assistant for Seattle Public Schools where I support students across the board with a primary focus on multilingual students from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. I support them in English, mathematics, science, history, and other subjects in classrooms, small groups, and one-on-one settings. In addition to helping students understand lessons and complete assignments, I work closely with teachers to support their academic progress and English language development.
The decision to pursue a master’s degree in the Teaching of Languages grew from my experiences working with students in the K–12 setting. As I spent more time supporting them across different subjects, I found myself reflecting on my own journey of learning English. Many of my students were immigrants navigating the challenges of learning English while adjusting to a new country and school environment. As an immigrant and English learner myself, I experienced those challenges firsthand. In the near future, I hope to become a teacher who can do more than provide academic support to English learners. I want to teach English, help multilingual students build confidence in using the language, and play a more meaningful role in their educational journeys. I realized that earning a master's degree in TESOL would help me achieve that goal.