I grew up in a small town in Michigan during the 2010s with my mother, father, and sister. My mother was an Accountant, and my father was an electrician. My relationship with my father is slightly estranged, but I am very close to my mother and sister. My childhood was full of laughter and family activities. We lived in the poorer area of our city and no homes in the neighborhood had money, including ours, but we all had as much fun as possible. My mother officially got a degree in Accounting in 2012. She spent most of her time raising kids and taking care of a house so she never really got the chance to focus on her work life. She had the option to make more money or gain a better position, but that would’ve meant that she couldn’t take care of us properly. She put my sister and I in Girl Scouts, gymnastics, soccer, and took us to camp. While doing these fun activities, I never once knew how badly we were struggling because my mother made sure we didn’t know. She wanted us to live carefree and grow up and do better than she did. She always taught us not to make bad decisions and that to get anywhere we needed to work hard. I always looked up to her and did everything she did. I internalized her teachings and used them to guide my teenage years. When I started high school, I knew I had to work hard, so I committed to multiple clubs and aced all my classes. I didn't fully know what I wanted to do throughout high school, so I jumped around and tried different STEM-based career paths, but none of them were a good fit for me. A series of events that took place in my junior year made me realize that going in STEM wasn’t the best route for me. It wasn’t until my last year that I realized that I wanted to be an Accountant, just like my mother. She was always my biggest inspiration and I wanted to succeed where she could not. I want stability, a quiet, calm desk job, and something that pays enough for me to not have to worry about bills or giving up something to make sure my family is happy. I want to be the breadwinner of the home and be able to take care of my family without worries. I want to make my mother proud and become the C.P.A that she could not.

My mother made many mistakes in her life, but one thing she did right was raising me. My mother wasn’t always a single parent; we lived together with my father in a house. We didn’t have much money, but neither did anyone we lived around. My parents argued and had their problems, but they were able to keep it together until I was six. That was when my father became unbearable and my mother took my sister and I out of the house we were living in, to live in our own. My mother officially got a degree in Accounting in 2012. She spent most of her time raising kids and taking care of a house so she never really got the chance to focus on her work life. She had the option to make more money or gain a better position, but that would’ve meant that she couldn’t take care of us properly. She put my sister and I in Girl Scouts, gymnastics, soccer, and took us to camp. While doing these fun activities, I never once knew how badly we were struggling because my mother made sure we didn’t know. She wanted us to live carefree and grow up and do better than she did. She always taught us not to make bad decisions and that to get anywhere we needed to work hard. I always looked up to her and did everything she did. I internalized her teachings and used them to guide my teenage years. Starting high school, I thought I wanted to be an Endocrinologist and I knew then that I had to get into the University of Michigan. For the first two years, I worked hard in accelerated and Advanced Placement classes and joined clubs that I committed to. I kept my G.P.A at a 4.0 and started Dual Enrollment courses in my third year. A series of events that took place in my junior year that made me realize that being a doctor wasn’t the best route for me. It wasn’t until my last year that I realized that I wanted to be an Accountant, just like my mother. She was always my biggest inspiration and I wanted to succeed where she could not. I want to go to a good University right out of High School and get my degree. I want to get my CPA license, which is something she did not have the privilege to obtain. Money is a huge factor in how I decide my future. I don’t want to worry about how the bills are going to be paid, nor do I want to have to give up something for my family’s wellbeing. I want to be the breadwinner of the home and be able to take care of my family without worries. I will succeed where my mother couldn’t and make sure she knows she raised me right.