Building up those around is a wonderful part of my life and one of my greatest joys. Whether I am giving advice or having quality time, providing wisdom and making people feel valued takes priorityover all other forms of expressing love to me. My senior year of high school, I had the pleasure of taking an elementary tutoring class. Fortunately, I had K-4, so tutoring was more like recess and naptime. Not only did I love the mental break from my courseload, but spending time with the children lifted my mood and brightened my day. I smiled more, laughed more, and even gained more patience -- especially with Noah G., who needed ankle weights to stop jumping. The best part of the class was mentoringthe kids and being an advocate for them. Though I was an authority figure, I was able to connect with them on a deeper level by playing their games at recess and listening to their silly made up stories. When conversations took more serious turns to thingslike parental disagreements or mean siblings, they saw me as someone they were close enough to tell their concerns and someone they respected enough to trust for advice. Being around the kids showed me that my psychology major was the right move, and a careerin the field dealing with children might be the correct path for me.