The Marine Corps motto is "The Few. The Proud". The motto is meant to represent the pride that one feels being part of such an elite and exclusive group; one that people all over the world admire. This same motto can also apply to being the son or daughter of a Marine. We are also an exclusive group that gets to feel the pride of having a parent who served in the Marines. I am proud to be the son of a Marine. When someone asks how your experience as the son of a Marine shaped your career aspirations it is easy to assume the answer would be discipline. After all, the Marine Corps is known for its commitment to discipline. And while my father has taught me the importance of discipline in achieving my career goals, there are plenty more attributes he has instilled in me that have shaped my career aspirations. One of the most important is having drive. Being driven to accomplish any goal I set for myself. All parents tell their children they can be anything they want to be, but many do not take the time to teach them the importance of having the drive needed to accomplish their goals. You have to want it deep down in your soul and be committed to putting in the work needed to reach that goal. Becoming a Marine requires going through an intense boot camp. To make it through that, you have to have the drive to become a Marine. For me to accomplish my goal of becoming a video game designer, I must have the same drive my father had. He also taught me the importance of honor. Doing the right thing all the time; even when people aren't looking. The reason we admire the Marine Corps so much is that in everything they do, they put honor at the forefront. Growing up and seeing how proud my father was of being a good honorable person made me also want to be an honorable person. This is why I am always making sure that I am doing the right thing; be it in school, at work, during sports, or with my friends and I will continue to be an honorable person throughout my career. But one of my favorite traits he has taught me was empathy for others. When people think about the Marine Corps they think about how they perform during wartime. But what makes the Marine Corps special is what they do during peacetime. The Marine Corps is committed to helping those who cannot help themselves. Making the world a better place by lending a helping hand whenever it is needed. My father served in 2 conflicts where the mission was to help the people of those countries; Somalia and Haiti. But he has also shared stories of helping to repair an orphanage in Israel, helping with cleanup after hurricanes in the United States, and building houses in Romania. He has always talked about being able to help others while in the Marines with more pride in his voice than anything else. I want to be able to provide the same level of help to anyone who needs it. This is why I volunteer whenever I can and tutor other students at school. So while my path will not lead me into the military, it was the lessons that I learned from my father's time in the military that will help me be successful in my career and also allow me to help those around me.