Running head: AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY

Autobiographical Essay
Kandace Gabiola
Instructor: Evin Fox
EDUC 201: Foundations of Education
Fall 2014

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2
Autobiographical Essay:

Educational Background
Life for me started on November 18, 1980. I was born to Lori and Johnny Hanchey Jr.
Together, they had one other child named Tiffany. When she was eleven months old, she passed
away in a car accident. Not long after her death, my parents divorced and I was almost four
years old. My father stayed in Twin Falls, Idaho and my mother moved to Rupert, Idaho. We
stayed there until she met and married a man by the name of Robert. Roberts job was
transferred to Popular, Montana, so we moved again. They quickly divorced only three months
into the marriage. My mother then met my now step-father Mark. I attended Head Start and still
remember my Strawberry Shortcake blanket for naptime.
After my preschool year my mother and step-father decided to move to Kent,
Washington. This is where my mother gave birth to my brother, Ryan who is seven years
younger than I. I attended elementary school in Kent, Washington for the first and part of
second grade, and then we moved to Auburn, Washington. In Auburn, Washington, I attended
the remaining part of the second and third grade. After my third grade year we moved to West
Seattle, Washington. There, I attended Cooper B Elementary until sixth grade. I think this is the
only reason I remember the name of the school, it was the longest I was in one place. I started
sixth grade in West Seattle, but that was short lived and, due to family issues, my father stepped
in and had me transferred to Kimberly Middle School in Kimberly, Idaho. I attended there from
6th to 8th grade. My grades rose and I became a cheerleader, and was in the local rodeos and
parades. During my 7th grade year my father decided he was going to move to Texas and go to
Bible College to become a preacher. I didnt want to leave the school I had just started and was
flourishing in, so I stayed and moved in with my grandparents. During my 8th grade year my dad

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moved home and wanted me to come live with him, my step-mother, and their two children. I
didnt want to leave my grandparents because of the stability, but was forced to go live with my
father. After a couple months with my father, I moved back in with my mother who had moved
to Burley, Idaho. I attended Burley Junior High and Burley High School, with a small stay at
Twin Falls High School my 11th grade year.
Work History
The summer after graduating high school, I applied for a spot at the San Francisco Art
College. Scouts for the college came to my house looked at my artwork and had me complete
some tests. That Fall I received my acceptance letter into their school. That was also the same
day I found out I was pregnant with my oldest son, Korbin. I had to decide whether to pursue
my career in the Arts, or motherhood. I chose to become a mother and attend The College of
Southern Idaho, CSI. I obtained a job working at the local Head Start and begun working toward
a career in education. I knew I wanted to be a teacher, but I needed to make more money than
the $7.25 an hour that Head Start was paying, so I ventured out to find another job and changed
my degree to Associates of Arts degree in Liberal, emphasizing in Communications. I worked
different odd jobs, but I always knew I wanted to become a teacher, so I changed my path to
work on that goal. I applied for jobs in Twin Falls, Idaho, where the pay was better and obtained
a job. I moved my family to Twin Falls, Idaho, and have been working towards my teaching
career.
While attending college, my first go around, I worked at Head Start in Burley, Idaho. I
was a classroom assistant and worked with Family Educators in the classroom. I attended
classes and seminars that Head Start provided. In the classroom, I was able to work with
children the ages four and five to get them kindergarten ready. I helped Family Educators plan

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out schedules and daily activities. We also planned out field trips and outings with the families
of the children who attended. Some of the best trips that we planned were trips to the pumpkin
patches and firefighters teaching kids fire safety. After leaving my position at Head Start, I
continued to substitute teach and work with Head Start. My reasoning for leaving was a better
job with McCain Foods, USA. I was offered a position as an office clerk. I was in charge of
helping the Head of Engineering remodeling the factory. In this position, I learned how to make
presentations and documentation for safety meetings and was able to work with people from all
over the world. This job was only temporary for me because I was unable to travel with the
team. They ended up transferring to Australia and I had a newborn baby that I was not willing to
leave for three-months at a time.
I continued to substitute teach at Head Start and work part-time as a payroll clerk for
Barclay Mechanical. I ended up leaving this job when I got divorced and started working fulltime at the Mini-Cassia Dentition Center in Burley, Idaho. I was a dentition officer and worked
with inmates doing bookings, transfers, cell checks and medical. I did not enjoy this job, but it
paid well and was a stability I needed while going through my divorce. I changed job positions
when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. It was too dangerous working in that
environment while carrying a child. I found a job at Alltel Wireless where I received customer
service training and loved working with the community in a different aspect and light. While
working there, I began to work at my parents cleaning company. I was the night shift manager.
After years of working in Burley and struggling, I moved to Twin Falls, Idaho.
I obtained a job at Simplot Grower Solutions, as an Office Coordinator and moved my
three children and myself to Twin Falls, Idaho. I began to make more money and finally became
stable enough that I have been able to return to college and work toward my passion. I have

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always wanted to be a teacher, but due to life and the challenges that I encountered, I had to put
this destination off for years. I am proud of the movement and goals that I am finally able to
reach. I will continue to work for Simplot until I am finished with my A.A. in Education with
C.S.I and then will work toward obtaining a career with the school district, and apply for the
Education program with Idaho State University.
Service and/or Extracurricular Activities
I love showing my children how giving a little of our time can go a long way. Once a
month, on Saturdays my children and I volunteer at the local animal shelter and walk the dogs.
We also take time to visit with the shelter cats and give them some attention. I am family
orientated and try to involve my children in all my activities. During the summer I take my
family camping and on an annual salmon fishing trip. I love to fish. Fishing is a passion that was
instilled in me by my father and grandfather. I am able to let go, relax and forget about all my
troubles. Over the past few years I have developed a passion for crocheting and cooking. I
taught myself how to crochet during the winter, since I do not do much during that time of year.
Cooking is also a self-taught practice that I am still perfecting. I enjoy trying out new and
exciting recipes or ways I can make a delicious meal.
Reasons for Choosing Education as a Career
Throughout high school I always knew that I loved working with children. I was the
babysitter and the child who volunteered in the daycare at church. After high school, I started
working at Head Start and absolutely enjoyed the working environment. I have the ability to
help and encourage learning in young children. I wanted to pursue a career in teaching, but after
some unexpected events I postponed it. I had several odd jobs and then started working in an
office environment. After several years away, I have made the decision that this is what I want

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to do with my life and I have returned to college. This decision came after moving to Twin Falls,
Idaho; I realized all these years pursuing a career in a field I was not happy with, I need the
change. I have been a bookkeeper and office coordinator for several years. It is a great job, but
not what I want to do for the rest of my life. I want to make a difference, and have the reward of
being a part of the development of our future leaders. I felt complete and energized when I
worked at Head Start; I never woke up not wanting to go to work. I loved it, I had passion, I was
happy. It is amazing how one can feel in finding a career that is wholly satisfying.
Professional Goals
Over the past five years I have been working on some personal and family goals. My
first goal was to return to school and pursue a career in education. This has been a long goal in
the making. I have wanted to be a teacher since I graduated high school. After moving to Twin
Falls, Idaho, I had given myself a year to get everything together to do so, and was able to return
last spring. I decided that I would be taking on full credits and obtaining a high G.P.A and so far
I have also completed that goal. Another goal I have set for myself is finally achieve the
American goal, to have my own home. My final and most important goal that I have set for
myself is to be finished with my teaching degree before my oldest child graduates from high
school, which is in three years. Going back to school has been hard on my children, but they
have been the most supportive and understanding. I would like to be able to take my son when
he graduates on a trip to either Thailand, or New Zealand as a graduation gift to both of us.
Conclusion
I am looking forward to becoming a future teacher and working with children. I have
been in the classroom and seen what I will be doing in the future and I know that, that is where I
want to be. This is the career I want for the rest of my life, and I feel that I have the passion and

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drive that it will take to someday become a great teacher. I have learned so much already from
the classroom involvement and the classes I have taken, that even my own children can see the
difference. They feel that I understand them better and am able to speak and direct them in a
manner that I never knew I could. I still have a long journey on my path to becoming a teacher,
but with the mentors and education I will become a future educator!