Growing up I have always been around dogs. To me they deserve so much more than what people give them. Where I live there are stray dogs everywhere. Just here recently at my high school, a stray dog came running in at lunch just to get peoples attention. I personally feel like helping dogs is one of the best achievements a person could have. So my personal achievement is to have fostered three puppy’s and have been able to re home them. I also trained them so they would appeal easier to more people. This is a great achievement for me because I was personally able to help those dogs live a great life. The strengths and skills that helped me do this are patience and responsibility. I had to get up every three hours in the middle of the night to take them outside to house train them, I had to re do the tricks until they got the hang of it, and I had to keep going even though I didn’t think they would get a home. What taught me those skills is growing up in a house of eight. I am the second oldest of six kids and I have learned to be patient and responsibility from that. I babysit my siblings so I know how toddlers can be and puppies are a lot like toddlers. I also learned to clean up after myself and others while watching my grandma when I was little. I have always been trusted to take care of people so I want to use those skills for animals benefits. My parents have always been a great influence for me and they taught me a lot about dogs. Taking care of animals and people have always been my specialty so if I can apply it to others that would be a real achievement for me. If I had enough money my dream is to buy land and build rescue shelters and dog houses there, so I could help as many dogs as I could and they all had a home. However, that is my goal and I am working towards that. Patience and responsibility will definitely help me overcome the difficulties and hopefully achieve more than I can imagine. Although I only helped three dogs I plan to help more in my lifetime. Doing something important in life is one of the best feelings and knowing you can help instead of being a burden. My family always taught me if you want something you have to work for it and I plan to live by that my whole life.

When people think of West Virginia they think of the mountain state or the coal mining state. I, on the other hand, do not. West Virginia is small but the people here have the biggest hearts. I have lived in West Virginia my whole life and I desire to be no where else. I love to travel but I always come back to the country roads. West Virginians have learned to be resourceful. Sadly it is not a place with many career paths but the people here work hard. If my town has taught me anything it’s that we work hard for anything we want and we don’t give up. It has taught me that life isn’t fair but we have to learn to make the most of it. We never let the horrors of life make us a horrible person. When you ask others what about West Virginians surprised you they will say how kind and thoughtful they are. If you need food or shelter there is always a helping hand. So what I guess I’m trying to say is that the perks of living in a small town does not vary. You have loving people that you get to grow up around who always have your back. Although there are always some down sides to life there is plenty of support here. There is a reason why they call it the wild and wonderful. Especially for those who are used to big city’s and large amounts of people. The people here have the biggest heart for Cole miners especially. Cole mining has become less and less useful and a lot of people find it scary. But those who do mine are the center of West Virginia. We have lost loved ones recently in the mines and it isn’t an easy task but we praise the ones who brave the dark just to make money for their families. Another thing West Virginians love is Jesus. Jesus is the reason we are here and I can’t count how many churches are built in just Logan county. You can walk up to a random person in West Virginia and most of the time they will bring up Jesus. I believe that is what makes us different from others is our love for the man who died for our sins. Lastly, although West Virginia has its troubles, it is a wonderful place to be born. The Appalachians do not disappoint, they are beautiful, especially when it’s morning and the sun is just rising. West Virginia will always hold a place in my heart and I just hope it stays this way. The wonderful people will always have an impact on me and have taught me virtues I will never forget. So it means everything to me that I grew up a West Virginian.