My Childhood Journey

I used to tell my friends and teachers that I wanted to explore the medical field because that was what my family wanted me to do. They wanted me to become a doctor as it is a well praised profession that pays extremely well. As I grew older and entered middle school, I realized that becoming a doctor wasn’t something I was immensely interested in. Instead of a doctor, I wanted to become a veterinarian, treating animals instead of people. I’ve become aware of my passion for animals ever since I began having pets: from fish to hamsters to dogs. I decided to focus on animals when I first took one of my hamsters to a veterinarian. I thought that their profession was fun and interesting because it revolves around animals, something that I love and grown up with. Although studying veterinary sciences is difficult and competitive, becoming an animal doctor has been one of my greatest

Since I was four years old, sitting in my grandmother’s living room I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian. Anytime anyone would ask me “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I would simply answer with that. Not until I was told that I would be getting medically retired from the military, after 8 years, did I realize this was not what I wanted to pursue. I was 26 years old, realizing that animals don’t live forever and I would have to face death in this

Football is a religion in my house, and during football season my parents get a little crazy. Every Sunday, they are decked out in full blue and green gear. Similarly, some people take sports a little too seriously, like Theodore Roosevelt's son, who whined to his father about not getting in the second squad. Responding to his son's obsession with sports, Theodore Roosevelt, the famous president of the United States, tries to convince his son, Ted, that sports shouldn't be his first priority. By empathizing with his son, using shifting tone and using step-by-step reasoning, Roosevelt articulates his point.

In third grade I began my first official Sheridan sports team. I was now officially making my way to becoming a general; before that I didn’t have any idea of what being a “general” meant. At the time I was attending Thornville elementary and the majority of my friends at my school were just as pumped as I, for our first practice on the field beside the infamous Sheridan Middle school. The first few weeks of practice taught me nothing I wanted was going to be easily attainable, these coaches expected more out of me than I had ever been accustomed to. The bar they set for us each day pushed us to new heights we had only dreamed of.

It was a brisk fall evening, and my seventh grade youth football team and I had traveled to Aberdeen to play the undefeated Chiefs. We had worked harder and longer than we ever had that week to show that we were a threat in the league and ascend from our third place ranking. We knew it was not going to be easy; the Chiefs’ team had the fastest running back in our division, and they had scored more total points per game than any other team in the Southeast Idaho Youth Football League. The field was neater and greener than we had expected in this town. It was a great day for football, and I was with all of my best friends. I knew going in that it was going to be a learning experience whether we won or lost that night because the Chiefs were

On top of this I became my mother’s therapist. Her stress was always taken out on me, since nobody else was around. She would cuss at me, scream at me, and often remind me of my flaws. This all became too much for me, and by the seventh grade, I was considered an At-Risk Teen for suicide. As my family had resulted to drugs for pain, I resulted to razor blades. Cutting had been something I have struggled with heavily for about three years. Thankfully, I received help from a psychologist and gained my health back. Overcoming my adversity has taught me to use my childhood as a sense of motivation to be different than my family, and to create a future for myself. I began to get heavily involved with volunteer work, academics, and college predatory programs as a way to handle my toxic home life. In high school. I have managed a 4.0 GPA and have worked to be at the top ten percent of my class. I plan to create a great future for myself; I hope to go to a prestigious college and receive a bachelor’s degree in neuropsychology. After college, I plan to attend medical school, and with hard work and effort, become a neurosurgeon. Since I was a child, medical has been something that greatly impacted my life. Mental

When I was at school the other day, my band instructor told me, “You are one of the hardest workers I have ever seen, why do you work so tirelessly if you know that you might fail? I was quite surprised because she has been teaching for 33 years. I responded with your book, Almost Home.

As a child, my parents had always pushed me to reach for my goals and go to school. My mom always made me promise to her, she didn’t care if I got married or had kids, but that I received a degree. And that’s exactly what I did. During my high school years, I dabbled with different subjects to figure out what I would enjoy doing the most as I got older. I believe happiness overcomes money. I would rather be happy than make a million dollars every year. So I sought to find a career that would make me happy. I landed on the medical field. Seeing people in misery shatters me, therefore I chose a career that would help me try and make a difference. I also chose this field to help my mother and provide her with the care she needs. My mom was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2008. After seeing this disease have negative tolls in her life, I promised myself I would always be there to help her in whatever way I can. My mother has always guided me and supported me through all my ups and downs in life, and without her I wouldn’t be up here right

After the initial shock and awe of finding out I was pregnant after 10 years of struggling and wondering if I would ever have the baby I had been dreaming of for so long, I began to plan every detail of my birth. I found a midwife and birth center when I was 8 weeks pregnant. I hired a doula at 12 weeks. My birth plan was written and finalized at 24 weeks. Every detail was planned-I had even planned the song that would be playing when my son would make his appearance. I'm a recovering control freak.

Let's start from the beginning, when I very first had career options pop into my mind at only 8 years of age. I remember from before my mom passed away when I was 6; she was a psychiatrist, and always helping people however she could. I admired this in her, and even more so now that I can actually comprehend just how much she did for everyone that came to her. At first, I had my mind set on being a genetic engineer, but I have grown, and my interests have changed. Now I know I want to carry out an aspect of what my mother did, follow in

14 years of age and still growing. I would say that I’ve experienced being adult, but I’ve got 4 more years for that. What I have experienced is my coming of age,and transforming over my years of life. Typically, being the outgoing person I am today, you would think I’m an interesting person, doing a lot of fun things. I’m actually not though. Besides the fact that I’m a troublemaker and a person that doesn’t really make a lot of friends now that I am older. My only close friends are from when I was younger. I find it harder for me to make more friends now that I am in Highschool. I also find it easier for me to work better, harder, and more efficient on any of my school work. That’s just about me now. I’ll tell you how I succeeded on who I am today, and the obstacles it took me to get here.

In the past 4-5 years my life consisted of school such as, curriculums and worksheets for my daughter’s homeschooling and my own school assignments, which took up just about all of my time. I would keep editing my daughter’s worksheets (which I designed myself) and I would keep rewriting my own assignments, until I felt they were perfect. Along with our school work, I also had a huge amount of doctor appointments, board of education meetings and court dates in regards to my autistic daughter’s education. Years ago, before my life was so disorganized, I used to hand out sandwiches and coffee to the homeless people in my community and help illiterate neighbors comprehend and fill out his or her applications and documents. When school, doctors

Above the chatter, whistles, drums/instruments, and thud of pads, the PA system carries the announcers voice for all to hear. Young men decked out in pads, helmets, jerseys, cleats, and eye black attempt to settle the butterflies going crazy in their stomachs as they warm up. Coaches pace the field yelling anything that will motivate their players. They too are nervous, but they do their best not to let their players detect this. Coaches pace the field yelling anything that will motivate their players. They too are nervous, but they do their best not to let their players detect this. Moments later the crowd, cheerleaders, players, coaches, and referees put their hand over their hearts as the small school’s vocal talent sings the National Anthem. For a moment everything is still. As the words “Home of the brave” echo over speakers, clapping and cheering end the silence. It is Game time, the moment that everyone has waited all week for. Saturday morning the Old men of the town can be found at the local coffee shop discussing last night’s game. They discuss the state of the current team, reminisce previous years, and debate who the town’s greatest teams and athletes have

Back in Houston, my mother was in the hospital, waiting for my birth’s arrival. It was a Friday, November 28, the air was cold. My mom was watching TV, until the doctor came to proceed my delivery. My dad was sitting down in the room. A few minutes, and the doctor came and talked to my mother, instructing my mom to do as they say. Then my mom proceeded to push and boom, I suddenly appeared out and that's where my life all started. At the time I weighed 7 pounds. My dad picked me up and my mom chose to name me Russell, because of a basketball player she watched named Russell Byron (a player in the Utah Jazz) . That time in Houston we waited in the baby breathing room,

People say that music has the ability to heal a person mentally and spiritually. But to me, music is much more than just healing. It is a way for me to escape this world called reality and enter a world with in my imagination through the different beats, harmony, and chorus. Only when listening to music, I can truly feel all my emotions with each song having the power to make me remember, from painful to happy memories. As I grew up to be the person I am today, my music journey also grows with me. Looking back at it now, I would never want to change a single thing.