EDU 650 - INTRODUCTION

Instructor: Laura Wilde

By: Roshele L. B. De Los Santos

LET ME INTRODUCE

MYSELF

FAVORITE QUOTE I believe the most

important single thing,beyond discipline and creativity,

is to dare to dare.~Maya Angelou

DEMOGRAPHICSFAMILY STRUCTURE – EDUCATION LEVEL – TYPE OF NEIGHBORHOOD

Family Structure- Single (divorced) mother of two children, a son and a daughter. • Religious Affiliation- Pentecostal (Church of God In

Christ)Education Level- Dual bachelor’s degree in Art Therapy and Early Childhood EducationType of Neighborhood- Irvington, New Jersey is an urban township.

These three categories serve as my inspiration and have all helped to shape my character. To me, each one is connected and combine to weave out my life. My God and my family are the most important to me and serve as my foundation for everything that I do.

PERSONAL STORY

My name is Roshele De Los Santos; I am a single mother of two beautiful

teenagers from New Jersey. My children and I currently live in Irvington, NJ

which is an urban township. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY in a one

bedroom apartment with my mom, dad, sister and brother. My grandmother and

family lived in the apartment directly above us.

My grandmother, on my mother’s side, was the matriarch of the family. She

was born in Toccoa, Georgia which used to be a Native American reservation.

She bore 17 children and took on 7 foster children throughout her lifetime. My

family is very close and still hold true to some southern traditions past on by my

grandmother. My grandmother left school with a 4th grade education, my mother

graduated high school, and I graduated college with my BA. Even though I am

not the oldest female grandchild the family baton was passed to me by my

grandmother.\

My education began with a ½ day Kindergarten program at the public school near my home in

Brooklyn. I remained in this elementary school until I graduated in the 6th grade. My family moved

to East Orange, NJ and I went to Catholic school for middle school and high school. However, my

parents couldn’t afford to keep me and my sister in private school so I had to transfer to a public

high school during my senior year. Due to the lack of finances college was a constant struggle.

When I was a little girl dancing on the sidewalk in front of my building. A French dance

instructor saw me and convinced my mother to allow my to attend her dance class for free. My

parents were able to get a leotard but could not afford ballet shoes. Now I teach dance for free

through my church and have been doing so for almost 20 years.

My grandmother left me her favorite cooking pots and utensils to help me get the family together

over a delicious spread of food after she passed away.

PERSONAL STORY

MYFAMILY

Family Reunion 2012

MYCHILDREN

MYEDUCATIO

N

Elementary School High School

Graduation Date:

5/14/13

College: New Jersey City University

THE END