Growth can appear in the most unexpected circumstances. Sometimes we do not even notice our growth until someone else points it out. The death of an important person in my life made me evaluate myself. My world shattered the summer of my senior high school year; when my maternal grandfather Ezzard unexpectedly passed. Although it was a solemn event it opened my eyes to life lessons. Death is a painful and life-changing experience and I had never experienced it from someone close to me. My Grandad Ezzard was an exceptional man! Many people will claim that, but he lived and expressed that in his daily life. Grandad was one of my closest confidants and major supporter. He was my source of inspiration and counsel. After his passing, it was difficult to envision life without him. Grandad was active in all my decisions. I carefully observed his life and acquired his “face it or fear it” motto. Airplanes were his least favorite means of transportation, however, he wanted to overcome the fear and travel abroad. Grandad was tired of long train rides and mustered up the courage to fly. At the age of sixty, he boarded his first flight since a young child. The flight attendants adored him, and he received a flying airplane pin. Grandad often teased that he was now ready to fly the airplane. He faced his fear and conquered it! Being of service builds character. I learned that from my granddad. I never met someone that was admired by people from all levels of society. He never met a stranger and could hold a conversation about any topic. Grandad would be excited during his frequent trips to the local park to feed the hungry. People waited in anticipation for his homemade hearty and delicious meals. Grandad Ezzard would brag about his family and entertain conversations of their choice. My grandad was on the heart transplant list and was determined to not let that interrupt his attitude. Whenever I had a difficult day, he knew the right words to make it all better. I would take away something positive from the negative. Grandad made up the quote, “ Stay P,” which means stay positive. Nowadays, I say it aloud when I am feeling tense to calm myself. The two deaths unexpectedly sparked a new level of maturity in me. Personally, it forced a fresh vision of navigating through life. The fresh vision made me mindful to seize every moment and support others through actions. It encouraged my decision to be a Peer Leader and mentor to first-year students at my high school. The action of being mentally present when engaging in conversation with others is no longer intimidating. It is well known that death is inevitable. However, we always wish for just a little more time with our loved ones. This period of growth made me recognize how the legacy of my deceased loved one impacted me. Because of the growth, I will coexist with the (T.H.R.E.E.S) legacy which consists of time, hard work, respect, education, encouragement, and service. Time is priceless and you can never get it back! Hard work predicts your success! Respect should be give and take! Education is a never-ending process! Encouragement builds and enhances character. Service invests in your future and creates leaders.

Our values can appear in the most unexpected circumstances. Sometimes we do not even notice what values are visibly instilled in us until someone else points them out. The death of two important people taught me values that will stay with me forever. First, my 101-year-old great-grandmother Sallie passed away. Unfortunately, my world shattered the very next year when my grandfather Ezzard unexpectedly passed. Although both were solemn events they opened my eyes to what would be treasured life lessons. Grandmother Sallie was a tree of knowledge. She was independent and lived alone until her demise. After her passing, I reminisced on the different time eras she lived in and how she acclimated to innovative advances. Never did I hear any complaints! My father always says, “Learning never ends.” She must have taught him that because she was the most genuine example. My great-grandmother learned no matter the difficulty. Grandmother Sallie traveled all over the world well into her nineties. Her conversations always included respecting others, hard work, and encouragement. I believe she disciplined you with encouragement. As a mentor, I am mindful to lead with patience, show respect and learn something from the mentee. I read a page out of Grandmother Sallie’s book. My Grandad Ezzard was an exceptional man! Many people will claim that, but he lived and expressed that in his daily life. Grandad was one of my closest confidants and major supporter. He was my source of inspiration and counsel. After his passing, it was difficult to envision life without him. Grandad was active in all my decisions. I carefully observed his life and acquired his “face it or fear it” motto. Airplanes were his least favorite means of transportation, however, he wanted to overcome the fear and travel abroad. Grandad was tired of long train rides and mustered up the courage to fly. At the age of sixty, he boarded his first flight since being a young child to visit me. He faced his fear and conquered it! Being involved in the community builds character. I learned that from my granddad. I never met someone that was admired by people from all levels of society. He never met a stranger and could hold a conversation about any topic. Grandad would be excited during his weekly trips to the local park to feed the hungry. People waited in anticipation for his homemade meals and hour-long conversations. My grandad was on the heart transplant list and was determined to not let that dampen his life. Whenever I had a difficult day, he knew the right words to make it all better. His conversations made me take away something positive from the negative. When volunteering, my focus is to remain optimistic and share ways to motivate others to better situations. The two deaths unexpectedly sparked a new level of maturity in me. Personally, it instilled core values about navigating through life. These core values made me mindful to seize every moment and support others through actions. My loved ones were teaching me all along. It encouraged my decision to be a Peer Leader and mentor first-year students at my high school. Academically, it has helped me thrive in school. Learning is eternal knowledge. The action of being mentally present when engaging in conversation with others is no longer intimidating. This period of growth revealed how the legacy of my deceased grandparents impacted me. Life will not run without complications but I will face my fears. The legacy values inspire me to be motivated to learn, encourage, thrive and share with others.

Being active in the community has always been present in my family. I witnessed my family volunteer their time, service and sometimes homes to others. At an early age, I experienced the concept of giving back and investing in the community. Community service made me view life differently and stay involved. Volunteering comes in many ways in my family. My great-grandmother volunteered at a senior center well into her nineties. She coordinated travel for seniors and bragged about the seniors that had never traveled before she made it happen. It was amazing how she explained that going daily was extending her life. On visits with my grandfather, I was able to feed the community. Grandad fed the community in a local park, and it was therapy for him. The community looked forward to his meals and hour-long conversations. Voting drives, free seminars, bookbag giveaways, and think tank luncheons are a few of the events that my grandmother involved me in. My home has been a temporary shelter for many people. One Thanksgiving about thirty of my family members volunteered at a local shelter to assist with feeding the less fortunate. Family history is what creates the framework for the generations ahead. Witnessing all the great acts of service from my family made me want to do better. As a boy scout, I enjoyed visiting nursing homes and spending time with the residents. The joy on the residents' faces made me feel as though I had influenced their happiness. My siblings encourage me to remain active in organizations that are proactive in the community. Many of the efforts that I am active in are local. It has a greater impact than some bigger organizations. During the summer, bookbag giveaways in the community have been a success. Community outreach has initiated personal growth. I had no idea being active would have a special impact on me. Being a peer leader and freshman mentor in my high school encouraged me to recruit my peers to be active in communities. Personally, leadership qualities appeared that I never imagined. Community service positively builds character. Those that are served in the community may feel valuable to society. As others feel valuable, it may lead to having more positive people in the community. My high school offers career pathways that students can follow. In my freshman year, I choose the Financial Literacy Career pathway. It has been one of the best decisions that I have made. I have been able to learn and teach others about financial decisions. This program piqued an interest that I would like to share with others. Because of my success in the program, I was offered an apprenticeship with a local credit union. This has led to a better understanding of money matters and how the financial world works. When meeting with students that I mentor we discuss the importance of developing and maintaining a healthy financial portfolio. It is never too early to learn and learning is limitless. Community service invests in our future and creates thriving leaders. I will continue volunteering during college and thereafter. I plan to study accounting and computer science in college. My short-term goal is to educate my community on financial security. Motivating my peers and family to make wise money decisions has become paramount. Many learn that having good credit is important. However, achieving and maintaining good credit is seldom taught. Long-term goals for me include creating programs or software that would teach finance and money matters in a clear and engaging process. Hopefully, this will decrease financially insecure communities.

I will create generational wealth and successfully motivate others by educating them about financial security.

Knowledge is an experience that can impact your life. It is important to value time as well as people. Through volunteering and mentoring I have learned many lessons from those that are being served. During discussions with my peers and some adults, I have heard that they are uncomfortable with the term “finances” but not the term ‘money”. People can count their money but do not know how to invest it. We all know how to spend but rarely save as much. I have an internship at a local credit union, and it has taught me a lot. Recently, I mentioned getting a CD and my parents were unaware that I was referring to a Certificate of Deposit. It has encouraged me to think of ways to make an impact on others. My goal is to become a Certified Public Accountant and educate those that are financially illiterate. I will develop financial programs that are simple and exciting to learn. Money management will start in elementary school. The costliest thing we spend is time. I realized that time is something we can never get back. During my early teen years, I was less excited about visiting my grandparents. It was more desirable to hang out with friends and play video games. Oftentimes, I would make excuses about calling and visiting because it would take away from my fun activities. Now I understand that time and experiences should not be taken for granted. Presently, I have a ritual of calling my living grandparents every week. At first, they would ask if everything was okay. However, they are now accustomed to it and look forward to our weekly check-ins. Although they have experienced more in life, I can teach them as well. Technology, social media etiquette and social culture are our most common subject matters. I smile as I think of guiding them through posting on Instagram or Facebook. My grandparents ask me before using the latest slang. They share the most intriguing family history and I pay close attention. For example, my maternal grandfather was recruited by agencies all over the country because of his technological skills back in the 1950s. He could build and repair radios and televisions without instructions. One day I would like to share these stories with my children. I make a point of asking others about their day, listening to their response and offering words of encouragement. The simplest moments create the most life-changing memories. My vision to make a positive impact on the world consists of the awareness to seize every moment and support others through actions. It encouraged my decision to be a Peer Leader and mentor to freshmen at my high school. The action of being mentally present when engaging in conversation with others is no longer intimidating. The lifestyle that I want to follow is the (T.H.R.E.E.S) legacy which is time, hard work, respect, education, encouragement and service. Time is priceless and you can never get it back! Hard work predicts your success! Respect should be give and take! Education is a never-ending process! Encouragement builds and enhances character! Service invests in your future and creates leaders! It is my greatest hope that this mindset will contribute to making the greatest impact on the world.

Finances are not discussed enough among young adults. Teenagers may hear from their parents that saving money is important. Some parents are unaware of unhealthy financial decisions that they make. We have a misconception that we have enough time to save. I have learned that it’s never too early to save. Money management should be a mandatory class in high school. Students need to know the importance of the money cycle. For my parents, I believe finance was intimidating. They were not taught much about finance. Because of this, they both opened credit cards at a young age which started a chain of debt. I have learned from them that credit cards can be both negative and positive. If you use them in excess, then they can be your downfall. Nevertheless, they can also help build your credit. My mother received many student loans to pay for college. I was surprised that she was still paying loans off almost fifteen years later. However, I appreciate that my parents took me to open a savings account around the age of ten. When I received gifts for birthdays or holidays, they would take me to the bank to deposit the funds. Surprisingly, when I turned sixteen, I was able to purchase my first car from my savings account. I was so proud to be able to have purchased my first car on my own. The best lesson my parents taught me was that learning never ends. Therefore, when I started my first job I asked Mom to teach me how to budget. Mom gave me a book and she would sit down with me each pay period. Mom told me to always save something even if its five dollars. This process piqued my interest about the world of money. I enrolled in the Banking and Finance pathways at my high school. In this curriculum, I learned about investing, saving and other financial aspects. I excelled in the program and earned the internship at a local credit union. Since working at the bank, I have been able to teach my family and peers about Certificates of Deposit and the best interest rates. Finance is a subject that some are afraid of because they don’t understand it. At my bank internship, I ask questions and for explanations when it doesn’t click. I am thankful for the opportunity to teach and learn as I continue on my path. In the fall, I will further my education at Georgia State University and study Accounting and Computer Science. During college, I plan to continue being a mentor. As a mentor, I will teach the fundamentals of how to create and maintain a healthy, financial background. I have been researching how to start a finance fundamentals group. This group would focus on educating freshman students about first year finance. Most college students get their first credit card within the first year. I want to discuss interest rates, annual percentage rates and the pros/cons of using a card. My plan is to help college students graduate with the minimal amount of debt possible.

Finances are not discussed enough among young adults. Teenagers may hear from their parents that saving money is important. Some parents are unaware of unhealthy financial decisions that they make. We have a misconception that we have enough time to save. I have learned that it’s never too early to save. Money management should be a mandatory class in high school. Students need to know the importance of the money cycle. For my parents, I believe finance was intimidating. They were not taught much about finance. Because of this, they both opened credit cards at a young age which started a chain of debt. I have learned from them that credit cards can be both negative and positive. If you use them in excess, then they can be your downfall. Nevertheless, they can also help build your credit. My mother received many student loans to pay for college. I was surprised that she was still paying loans off almost fifteen years later. However, I appreciate that my parents took me to open a savings account around the age of ten. When I received gifts for birthdays or holidays, they would take me to the bank to deposit the funds. Surprisingly, when I turned sixteen, I was able to purchase my first car from my savings account. I was so proud to be able to have purchased my first car on my own. The best lesson my parents taught me was that learning never ends. Therefore, when I started my first job I asked Mom to teach me how to budget. Mom gave me a book and she would sit down with me each pay period. Mom told me to always save something even if its five dollars. This process piqued my interest about the world of money. I enrolled in the Banking and Finance pathways at my high school. In this curriculum, I learned about investing, saving and other financial aspects. I excelled in the program and earned the internship at a local credit union. Since working at the bank, I have been able to teach my family and peers about Certificates of Deposit and the best interest rates. Finance is a subject that some are afraid of because they don’t understand it. At my bank internship, I ask questions and for explanations when it doesn’t click. I am thankful for the opportunity to teach and learn as I continue on my path. In the fall, I will further my education at Georgia State University and study Accounting and Computer Science. During college I plan to continue being a mentor. As a mentor, I will teach the fundamentals of how to create and maintain a healthy, financial background. I have been researching how to start a finance fundamentals group. This group would focus on educating freshman students about first year finance. Most college students get their first credit card within the first year. I want to discuss interest rates, annual percentage rates and the pros/cons of using a card. My plan is to help college students graduate with the minimal amount of debt possible.