BiographicalSummary

AlexVanDusen

VanguardUniversity

EDUG500:MissionStatementDevelopment

08/25/2016


BorninSantaAna,Californiaandraisedinanuclearfamilyofmymom,Kathy,mydad,
Robert,andmysignificantlyolderbrother,Jason.MybrotherisaboutfourteenyearsolderthanI
am.AtanearlyageIlearnedthathewasactuallymyhalfbrother.ItwasntuntilIwasabout
elevenortwelvewhenIlearnedthatmymomhadpreviouslybeenmarriedtoanabusiveman,
whowasthebiologicalfatherofJason.JasonsfatherleftmymomandhimwhenJasonwasa
toddler,andmybiologicaldad,Robert,cameintothepictureshortlyafter.Jasonmovedoutof
ourfirsthometheSpanishstyleonewhenIwassixyearsold.Irememberthat,atthetime,I
lookeduptohimanddependedonhimalot.AsIgrewup,however,Igraduallydevelopedthe
mentalitytodependonlyonmyself.
Bothofmyparentsworkedfulltimethroughoutmylife.Mymomsbeenahighschool
teachersinceIwasborn,andmydadownshisownpoolcleaningandmaintenancebusiness,
wherehedoeseverythingindependently.MybrotherwasinhighschoolwhenIwasborn,andhe
workednights,soIrarelysawhimasIwasgrowingup.Oneofourneighbors,Maria,raisedme
inmyearlyyearswhilemyparentswouldwork,untilIwasoldenoughtobeinpreschool.
WhenIwassevenyearsold,myparentsandImovedtoOrange.Ihadtoswitch
elementaryschools,whichIwasveryunhappyabout.Iadapted,however,andImadefriends.
Nothingtrulyexcitingoccurredduringthoseyears.Iwasbulliedalittlebit,becauseIamshort
andbecauseImadefriendswithafewgirls.ItgavemethickskinasIgrewupwhichhelpedme
asIgotolder.
WhenIwasinfourthorfifthgradeIrememberlearningaboutalcohol.Iknew,atthe
time,thatmymomlikedtodrinkwineparticularlywhitewineandonthisdayIlearnedthat
redwinehaspotentialhealthbenefits.Laterthatday,Iaskedmymomtoswitchtodrinkingred

winesothatitwouldbesomewhathealthy.WhenIwasinmiddleschool,itoccurredtomethat
mymomwasanalcoholic.Duringthisphaseofmylife,myfamilydysfunctionbecamecrystal
cleartome.
WhileIwasinhighschool,Istruggledtofindasafehaven.Infact,Ididntreallyhave
one.Ididntfeelsafeathome,withmymomIdidntfeellikeIhadtruefriendsatschoolandI
wasinwaterpoloandswimming,whereIwasdailytestednearlypastmylimitofphysical
exhaustion.IalsowenttochurchonSundays,whichwassomethingthatIlinkedmymoms
alcoholismtosoIwasnotafanofthateither.
Duringmysophomoreyearofhighschool,Ifoundcomfort,escape,andhappinessin
drugs.Eventually,someofmyteachersfoundout.Oneteacher,whoIactuallyreallylikedasa
teacher,hadatalkwithmewhereheassumedthatIwasdoingdrugsinordertofitinwith
certainpeople.Ontopofthat,duringmysenioryear,myhighschoolcounselortoldmethatI
shouldntbothertryingtomakeittoafouryearuniversity.Ihadquiteafewnegative
experienceswitheducatorsduringmyhighschoolexperience,andIrememberthinkingthatI
wouldneverwanttobelikethatasIgotolder.
DuringmyfirstsemesterincollegeIwasabletobreakoutofthecycleofdoingdrugs,
becauseIshiftedmyfocusonGod.ItwasduringmyfirstyearsofcollegewhenIspentalotof
mytimeinChristiancommunitiesanddevelopingmyrelationshipwiththeLord.Duringthat
time,aswell,IwasworkingasahighschooltutorwhereIwitnessedteachersandadministrators
treatstudentsjustasIhadbeentreated.ThatwaswhenIrealizedthatIwantedtobecomean
advocateforstudents.

Asatutor,Ilovedseeingmystudentsbecomeinspiredandseeingthemdevelop
selfconfidence.Ialsolovedtheexperienceofeducating.Itwasthroughthatexperience,andmy
ownbackgroundexperience,thathasdevelopedmypassionandmotivationtobecomea
professionaleducator.Imnowlookingforwardtodevelopingaclassroomculturewheremy
studentswillknowthattheyareheardandlistenedto,wheretheyfeelcomfortable,andwhere
theymayhaveanopportunitytobesupportedbyanadultwhowilladvocateforthemifnoone
elsewill.