I knew my mother was different from other moms growing up. I couldn't quite tell, but I knew she was special. I would constantly be pestered by my classmates asking, "How old is your mom?" Each time I told them, they were astonished. I didn't see why it was a big deal that she was young, it just meant that she could run faster than the other parents in their growing ages. However, despite her youthfulness, she was constantly tired, but she never let her exhaustion spoil her time for her children. Not only did she devote her time to her children, but she chose to become a lab technician to comfort patients through the uncomfortable experience of drawing blood. She was successful in this career due to her ability to make the best of any situation and her drive to help others. She is one of the greatest women I know. I never knew how lucky I was to have her raise me. She faced ostracism, single motherhood, and rejection just because she made a mistake. She made sure that I knew that I was never a mistake as she constantly drowned me with her love and dedication to my well-being through her tireless shifts. Being a teen mom didn't inhibit her capability to make a great life for herself and her children. She recently started a cleaning company that is taking off. Previously, she worked as a lab technician in a renowned hospital after completing a technician certificate at a community college. She has pushed me on all levels: academically, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. At the time, I was annoyed that my mother was so nagging. As I prepare to graduate, I realize how far the love and ambition of a teenage mother have brought me. I have the greatest advantage: growing up alongside my mother has instilled the value of dedication, resiliency, and unwavering faith in the face of reduced expectations. Like my mother, I am choosing a career in public health. Seeing how happy she was able to put others in such an uncomfortable position inspires me to serve others in that aspect as well. In my position, I can share a light with others, making their day a tiny bit better. Any effort to help others does not go to waste. I won't become a lab technician, but I plan to become a community health specialist, allowing me to educate others about the dangers of not caring for the body. By taking care of themselves, people essentially are caring for their families. Remaining healthy allows families to spend more quality time with one another. Family time, no matter the dynamic, is the best time to grow, learn, and be vulnerable.

Currently residing in a military town, I can proudly say that the military has had a profound impact on my life and the way I choose to live it. My father was in the United States Navy, so I constantly would wait for him to return from his often year-long deployments. I didn't have to move around as a child, but I spent a significant part of my childhood missing my father. I remember crying to my mom or sister about how much I missed him. Because of this, I have learned to cherish the time I have to spend with people while I have it with them. As I grew older, my parents divorced when I was seven years old. This hurt my heart as a kid. It felt like it was a lifelong deployment that my dad was on since we never lived in the same household again. I lived with my mother while she tried to grasp what it was like to be a single mother. I wouldn't identify myself as a depressed person, but I experienced depression as a child. My father hadn't been home often, and it made my self-worth deteriorate. I wondered why he had to always go. I pondered if I was worth staying around for. Was his job more important than his daughter? Eventually, my mother remarried a great guy, who is a member of the United States Marine Corps. He has taught me a lot more things from him than I had in my childhood. He is about to retire soon. His whole life essentially revolved around the military as well. Because of my stepfather, he was able to pass down the military values that helped propel me further into the future. Hard work can get you anywhere in life. Things can become difficult. However, they are only difficult at first. The more you strive towards something, the better you gain. Another thing that he was able to exemplify not only to me but my siblings, the importance of resiliency. This ties in with the first principle, but resiliency is more so enduring difficult situations rather than simply overcoming them. Being resilient is a key characteristic of a marine. However, he has shown this in everyday life. Instead of giving up on my mother when times got tough or quitting the Marine Corps when he lost some friends, he chose to stay and finish because he knew that there was a better outcome. One of the most important principles I learned from my stepfather is that family isn't just blood, it's also chosen. The Marine Corps is one big family. They all have such tight bonds that most of them are willing to die for one another. He lives this out every day by being my stepfather. I see him no differently than being my actual father. I am eternally blessed to be born into a military family. My stepfather saved my family, making him the ultimate hero.