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</span><span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><img width="217" height="255" alt="" src="/sites/default/files/maher_final.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Daughter</span><span style="font-size: larger;"> of&nbsp; Michael &amp;Patricia Maher<br />
</span><span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lansing Catholics Central</span><span style="font-size: larger;"> High School Graduate<br />
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</span><span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">GPA: 3.9</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">Organizations/Extra Curricular: &nbsp;Basketball, Softball, Volleyball, Student Ambassador, and <br />
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;National Honor Society, Exchange student to Japan<br />
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</span><span style="font-size: larger;"> </span><span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">Community Service: Haven House Homeless Shelter Volunteer, Immaculate Heart of Mary School<br />
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; volunteer helping preschool students, &quot;Dig Pink&quot; fundraiser (Volleyball program)<br />
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</span><span style="font-size: larger;"> </span><span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: larger;">Work: </span><span style="font-size: larger;">Babysitting and dog-sitting throughout high school.<br />
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&nbsp; <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><em><strong><span style="font-size: large;"> KATHLEEN MAHER ESSAY:</span></strong></em></span><br />
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<div class="rtecenter"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><strong>EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES</strong></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><strong><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Tenth Amendment guarantees rights to the states that are not specifically stated in the Constitution. Education is not delegated to or prohibited by the states, and therefore should specifically remain in the hands of the states. The recent spread of a federal program that will standardize education in America severely limits state sovereignty. Common Core, introduced by the Obama Administration over the recent years, has been adopted in forty-five states. The Common Core curriculum, which the federal government has put pressure on the states to adopt, infringes on the rights of the states as delegated by the Tenth Amendment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The push to standardize education in the United States may come with good intentions, but it will not reap benefits in the classroom. Common Core limits control in local school districts, but hits teachers the hardest. If teachers are expected to teach to the standards of the federal program, they are no longer able to fit lesson plans to compliment the background of his or her students. English and Math are two of the subjects that are hoped to be implemented under Common Core by the end of 2014. Having uniforms lessons in English is a wild risk, when literature and prose interpretations vary across the boards. A student's benefit from an English class directly relates to how he or she relates to the lesson they are presented with. A freshman student from Alaska will have a much different impression of To Kill A Mockingbird compared to a student in Alabama. Teachers will lose their ability to shape their lesson plans to cater specifically to their students with Common Core.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Another issue resulting from Common Core comes from standardized testing. Having standard education benchmarks are sure to come with a fair share of standardized tests, which will force teachers to teach for the tests, and not for the students. Teachers will lose control in the classroom, and the ability to go deeper into certain topics to allow students to not only expand their knowledge in one subject, but their insight about the world. Standardized tests will put pressure on teachers to meet guidelines. Students who go through school with just the intent of getting a good grade will not benefit nearly as much as a student who went through school with the intention of learning and understanding the material. The same goes for teachers. They can either teach passionately and thoroughly about a topic, or they can teach only the basics that will be covered on the standardized exams.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Allowing the states to regulate their own education system will guarantee the most personalized education for students. Providing an education specifically to the students will raise young adults with intellectual minds, who are ready to take on tomorrow's world. Taking this power from the states will negatively impact American students. Common Core should not be implemented because it restricts the Tenth Amendment, and taints the vision that the Founding Fathers had for the United States.</span><br />
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