My name is Lena Werner and I am a Senior Sociology Major at the University of San Francisco. I am also in USF's dual degree education program, in which I am pursuing my Masters in early-elementary education with one additional year of graduate school after my 4 years of undergraduate. I have been working with kids ever since I can remember. I started babysitting when I was 12, and I babysat for friends and family multiple times a week throughout high school and continue to do so in college. I also worked as a certified caregiver for a woman with cerebral palsy and autism for four consecutive years in High School, and I was a member of the Best Buddies program at USF in which I had the opportunity to be a social mentor with an individual with IDD. These experiences informed my future teaching practice as they promoted inclusion and the celebration of people of all abilities; philosophies I will carry into my future classroom.I have also worked as a Teacher’s Assistant for the Sociology department at USF for two consecutive semesters. There, I helped organize the professor’s educational platform, researched additional course materials and readings, aided in assignment construction, and provided feedback on course assignments and projects. I also did my fieldwork placement at a kindergarten and 1st grade classroom in SFUSD. In each placement I completed 30 hours of time in the classroom where I assisted my mentor with lessons, group-work, and one-on-one instruction. At the end of each placement, I conducted a lesson that was observed by my mentor teacher and USF program advisor.In 2021, I volunteered for 6 months at a daycare in La Manzanilla, Mexico where I facilitated art and physical education activities, conducted one-on-one tutoring with outside assignments, and developed a strong Spanish language proficiency. This year, I am volunteering with two organizations in San Francisco that work with young students in SFUSD. I am a running coach and social-emotional lesson educator for a program called Girls on the Run, as well as an after-school tutor for reading and writing at an organization called 826 Valencia. Both have provided me with excellent experience working with children in the educational setting, as well as provide opportunities for growth and creativity in my teaching practices.I currently hold a Studio Advisor position at BODYROK; a pilates studio in San Francisco.