Honor Roll Lessons

My mother worked four jobs at once to make financial ends meet, while always stressing the importance of education and financial independence to my brother and myself. My grandmother only achieved a second grade education due to the financial constraints on her family at a young age, but still in the end managed to make certain that of her children and grandchildren had what was needed to flourish and become successful, educated members of the community. The tenacity and history of these two women I still carry with me today. Their struggles have inspired to me to only want more from life, but also serve as a positive role model for the younger members of my community. I observed from other family members how an education can open a multitude of doors and opportunities. I want to make the biggest and most significant on my community and on my family as possible, and the only foreseeable path is to achieve a college education to gain the necessary skills, knowledge and connections needed to flourish and implement positive

I am one of three children in my family,I have two younger brothers , one of them who is fifteen and another other one is twelve . I live with both of my parents who didn’t have the opportunity to get very far in their education. At the ages of 14 they had to leave home to work in an unknown city to help support their other parents and other nine or ten siblings. Thankfully the path has been different for me and my brothers who have had the opportunity to get the best education possible. and i will proudly be the first High School Graduate in both sides of my families .

I am blessed to have a family that have supported me throughout my four years of undergraduate school.My strive to do well and graduate from college was very important to me. I have broken a cycle that we have had for many generations in the family; I became the first female in my entire family to graduate from college. Through my hard work, late nights and dedication I was on the honor roll, accepted in in Gamma Pi Mu and graduated with 3.2 GPA. I believe in giving back to my community. I am a certified dance instructor of 22 years and dedicate some of my talent teaching private lessons to unprivileged children.

“Kids who are the first in their families to brave the world of higher education come on campus with little academic know-how and are much more likely than their peers to drop out before graduation” (1). Many people believe that school isn’t for everyone, and whoever goes is privileged for doing so. Countless people in the world today do not attend college, and this is mainly due to an influence of those in their family. Perhaps they are unsupportive of higher education, their parents and family members may view their entry into college as a break in the family system rather than a continuation of their schooling and higher learning. Most of the first-generation students decide to apply to colleges, because they aspire to jobs which require degrees. However, unlike some students whose parents have earned a degree, they often seek out college to bring honor to their families, and to ensure they make a decent amount of money for their future.

In the fall of 2015, my twin sister and I started at Texarkana College. With the help of Texarkana College’s Presidential scholarship, we were financially able to set out to be the first in our family to graduate college. With finances always being a family struggle I grew

My first goal is to graduate from high school on June 3, 2017. I have been on the honor roll yearly of high school, so I plan on graduating with distinguished honor roll. After graduation, I plan on attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the fall of 2017. I am going to college for a dual certificate in Early Childhood Education with Special Education. While in college I plan on participating in a study abroad program, in hopes to learn more about other countries and their cultures. I am interested to see how the education differs from the United States and other countries, this will improve my knowledge of education and help me in the future with a career in this field. This could set me apart from others when applying for jobs.

Eventually, my dad attained his master’s degree. The logical course of action now would be to spend less time working and more time living, but Dad refused allowing himself that luxury. He continued pouring himself both into his work and into his family, showing full dedication to his work place and sincere love for his family. He quickly became one of the most sought after superintendents in Southern Illinois.

The first and foremost lessons taught in my life began at home. My upbringing was, at times, unconventional and my family was, in a sense, not ideal to the standards of society. My mom was a single parent, becoming both the breadwinner, as well as, the caregiver. She came to this country on a student visa, and was able obtain an associate’s degree. Unfortunately, because she did not hold a higher degree, it was very hard, and sometimes impossible to find an adequate job. Yet, she made sure my siblings and I had decent schooling and reminded us constantly the importance of receiving an education.

In schools all over the United States student athletes are focusing more and more on their athletic involvement and less on their education. This is causing the percentage of students, in our nation, on the honor roll to drop tremendously. Think about it, the kids that are falling behind in school because of athletic involvement are lowering their chances to qualify for scholarships. The less scholarships they qualify for the more the universities are going to pound more money out of them that isn’t necessary. This may cause the students of our nation to change what they really want to go out and be, it may even cause them to not go to college. Every student no matter what school they go to should have to maintain honor roll level grades. If

My parents encouraged me to learn on my own, which enabled me to develop into my own person. The only life lesson stated numerous times to me by my parents is, "respect is something that can take a lifetime to build, and can be lost in a second." The first time I heard this saying it went in one ear and right out the other, but after each repetition I began to understand the importance of respect. Now I feel respect it defines my character, and will define my legacy.

Never have we had someone graduate, let alone go to college and achieve something so great. I am inspired by the lack of education in my kin to succeed and make a difference, and motivate the younger ones after me that it is possible to go further in life than high

Education has been a special value in my parents’ lives. My parents did not have the opportunity to go to college since they faced numerous financial challenges throughout their lives. Seeing me graduating from High School, was a magnificent feeling for my parents since I was the first person in my family that graduates High School. However, the love and hard work of my family has encourage me to give my best to become an Electrical Engineer.

As a woman from a very long line of passionate learners, it is only right for me to continue the tradition. On my mother’s side of the family, a majority of my elder relatives had completed some form of higher education. My great-grandmother was a certified seamstress, my grandmother and aunt are certified nurses, my uncle received his degree in chemical engineering, and my mother and father received their degrees in liberal arts. Growing up with educated, successful, well-traveled African-American role models throughout my life provided me with the drive and inspiration to pursue my higher education as well! Although some people may believe that receiving a college degree and traveling the world represents wealth, but in my family, it represents effort to give back to the community. My grandmother, mother and sister have all traveled to South Africa to assist provide free-services to poverty-stricken neighborhoods.

I come from a long line of over-achievers, hard workers, and valedictorians. That’s a lot of pressure to live up to. I’ve always tried my hardest in school to continue the tradition. Some say that my family just has good genes or that I “inherited my parent’s smartness”. Looking back now, I can say that smart genes had nothing to do with my success. David O. McKay once said, “No other success in life can compensate for failure in the home.” The person I am today—an over-achiever, a hard worker, a soon-to-be valedictorian—is only due to two people: my mom and dad. Their advice and support, their unwavering commitment to building a strong family, and their quiet, powerful example has made me the person I am today, and for that, I am eternally

Key figures are those who influence you and possibly your career (Sharf, 2013). I learned from many family members what I didn’t want to do. My family is full of hard workers but not many have earned a college degree. I decided I wanted to be something different. I learned through community service a life role and knowledge of the counseling career that I wanted to become an LPC counselor (Sharf, 2013).