Biography

My name is Alissa Phillips and I am from Grove City, Ohio. I was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1992 and my parents decided to move us and my brother to Grove City in 2000. All through my life I have wanted to be a medical doctor; first I wanted to be a cardiologist, then a dermatologist, an anesthesiologist, and finally a nurse practitioner. Applying for college made me realize that I only wanted to be a doctor so I could make hundreds of thousands of dollars and have extravagant things. When I applied for school, I intended to study Biology so I could do research, possibly for the Center for Disease Control. The only school I applied or even wanted to go to was the University of Akron. I graduated from Grove City High School in 2010 and began classes that fall to become a biologist.

In the midst of all of the excitement of moving out and being away from my parents, I started to realize that I wasn't entirely sure of what I wanted to be when I grow up. After months of debate and working some various volunteer projects, I realized what I wanted to be: an educator. In high school, my most influential teachers were my biology and chemistry teachers. Mr. Joreski and Mrs. Weethee have been and continue to be encouraging in my pursuit to help others. What I love about teaching is that I can help shape students' lives, just like my teachers did for me. A teacher spends hours a day with students, witnessing their strengths and weaknesses, showing them the ins and outs, and giving them the tools they need to explore what they are most curious about. I find pleasure in helping others and seeing them succeed as a result.

I am currently a Junior at the University of Akron and I am in my third year. With my plans to acquire two degrees, one for Secondary Education and one for Biology, I still have two and a half years to go. I work at Zee's convenience store at the university and I am the Historian for the Association of Honors Educators. In my free time, I enjoy running, watching movies, reading novels, and driving home to visit with my loving and supportive family. Akron has become a second home for me and I have enjoyed this adventure these past few years. Although I have made many sacrifices to be where I am today, I know that things are going to work out for me the way I plannned.