My father — ‘dad’ as I call him — is among the most meaningful and inspirational people within my life. Dad is a driven, goofy, helpful guy who would do anything in the world for his two sons. He is constantly trying to shape myself and my brother to become the best, most successful versions of ourselves: which is something that I credit to his own upbringing. Having grown up on a farm, my father has learned a number of lessons, all of which I have had the ‘pleasure’ of hearing. See, from what I know, my 58 year old dad has always been the driven, success-oriented man that he once was at 16. He makes it clear to me that a ‘can-do’ attitude is crucial to someone’s success, and that he is proof that you can accomplish so many things if you put your mind to them. I think that he is one of the most outgoing people I know, especially when it comes to my brother and I, as he will do anything in his power to help us out or make us happy. He has done a lot, both for himself, and for us children. When my parents got a divorce he made sure to keep up with our lives, showing us support at our games, taking us out to eat, and helping us master our passions. He actually is the main reason why I am looking to get an undergraduate degree in the field of computer science, as he told me from a young age that coding was the future, and that I should start to learn. When he told me this at age eight or nine, I brushed it off, because I would rather have been drawing and playing with my Wii; he was fine with that, as he understood that I was still young, and had time to figure out my path in life, but he would continue to guide me down what he thought would be a route to success. In all honesty, computer science has not always been a degree that I have considered, in fact, I only came back to it a few months ago. Prior to this, I was leaning heavily into the field of architecture, which, as always, my dad was very supportive of me pursuing, but he couldn’t hide his excitement when I told him about my desire to learn to code and study computer science. I understand that it may not seem like a big deal for him to be so supportive of me, but I think that his attitude toward myself and my brother has truly shaped us into the people that we have become. In all honesty, I hope to always remember the amazing things that my father has done for me, and I truly hope that I will one day become a father that is just as helpful, genuine, and supportive as him. But, he has set the bar pretty high.

If I were given $1,000 right now, I would use the money for three things: investing in myself, saving, and spending. When I say investing in myself, I’m really referring to the idea of funding my educational goals. Whether it be online courses teaching me about software engineering, or buying a new laptop so that I can learn more efficiently, I think that it’s important to provide myself with the opportunity to learn. This is why I would dedicate about $400 to funding my education (not through college). I would also contribute about $400 to my savings. This would include some investments (through stocks and bonds), but also some money kept as-is. Most — if not all — of this money would be going directly to my college fund, as I know that it will be one of my greatest expenses in both my near future, and continued life. I would hope that the money I invest can grow and I can take away more than I put in, but either way, I would be making contributions toward my scholastic future. Though I prioritize investing and saving, I would still want to get some enjoyment out of the money. This is why I would use the remaining money, around $200, to spend. I would likely have a few small repairs done on my car, maybe buy a couple new shirts, and probably save the rest. All-in-all, any money is good money, and I could put it to use somehow!