Over the course of my lifetime I have been impacted by loss by many family members, first was my Grandfather on my mothers side when I was 9 years old. My Grandfather was the first man in my life who made me feel as if I could accomplish anything I put my mind to. He fought Leukemia and lost his battle but never once made excuses for not spending time with his family especially myself. His strength and determination was a symbol of hope and resilience that one can accomplish anything they put their mind too. He would instill in me a sense of honor and determination that I would not understand until much later in life. His selflessness and desire to make the world a better place for the future was defiantly ingrained into my subconscious at a very young age. After the loss of my Grandfather it would be my father who would take up the mantel of encouraging me to reach for the stars and not take no for an answer. My father possessed the same do for the betterment of the whole community spirit that would lead to a successful career in Law. During a time when many women were limited on their choice of career, it would be my father's and grandfathers voice inside that would tell me I can reach for the stars and accomplish anything I set my mind to. Ours was a close father daughter bond where we could talk about anything from the obvious to the obscure with a sense of why not. I would see my father working hard to strive for excellence and I definitely challenged his patience especially when it came to continuing my education. I let my father down when I struggled n College and it would take many years to make him proud of me again. One of the proudest moments of both our lives was when I finally completed my Bachelor’s degree with Honors. That was the moment I realized how fortunate I was to have my father by my side and did't know then that it would be one of the last moments we would have together. A few years later my father would begin to experience signs of Alzheimer’s and slowly would lose his ability to remember directions, recognize places, or people. This slow loss of memory would led to him having to retire from law, which gave him a tremendous amount of joy and satisfaction in his life. Alzheimers change the man who was my father into a person lost, his confusion would lead to fear, anxiety, and depression, His conversations would sometimes get very dark and negative which was not the man who raise a proud women of limitless potential. Upon his death I was sad, angry, and relieved that his suffering was over but still wanted to make him proud of the women I am trying to become. His drive for the betterment of the whole is what drives me to continue with my education and pass down my knowledge to future leaders and educators. Both men have instilled in me a sense of purpose to be better and keep reaching for more.