My Grandfather Has Shaped Me Into The Person I Have Become

There is not many people in life that will have such an impact that will directly change the course of how one spends their time, how one handles problems, and teaches someone what is truly important in life. My grandfather, or as I called him, “Pap” was one of the only people who always believed in me and whatever I wanted to accomplish with my life. My Pap was very inspirational in my life because he taught me through his good example that obstacles can harm but never stop so long as you keep fighting for what is desired. He taught me about resolution, and to never give up no matter the odds and instilled confidence in me that I can do anything so long as I am willing to work for it. He always stressed to me that materialistic things in life do not matter, as long as the family and friends are there for support and love. He directly influenced the way I spend my time and what I enjoy to do.

Eventually, my parents introduced me to activities that would satisfy my insatiable need to comprehend and construct. In the early years, I amassed a considerable collection of Legos. I would build Lego kits with thousands of pieces, take a few days putting them together and then tear them apart, starting all over again. Later, I would tear apart my drums,

My grandparents raised me when I was young because my parents were busy toiling away at work to support my siblings and I. Through my grandparents, I learned strength. My grandfather, a former political activist and soldier in Vietnam, suffered a gigantic loss: Losing the Vietnam war. Still, he refused to kneel under the hand of oppression. He restarted his life in a brand new, foreign country with seven children,

There have been countless influential people in my life that I’ve come across. One who was a meticulous inspiration continues to be my grandfather. My grandmother had remarried to the one I call “grandpa” when I was at the age of five, and they both took to each other’s grandchildren as their own. With my mother and me only living a mile down the road from their farmhouse out in the country, I’d spent heaps amount of time there as a child. Indeed, I had been without a father but my grandfather stepped up to the plate and had taken me under his wing and willingly played the personification of a father figure.

What I admire most What I admire most about my great grandpa is that he was a hero to save a bunch of people but yet he is still my grandpa. I also like how he is kind and respectful to everyone he meets because he knows that you need to treat others how you want to be treated because if you don’t others will be mean to you. Another way I admire him is that he is helpful and tries to help as best as he can.

We donated our time to a charity during the fall, the JROTC program decided to do the Mana Cafe to help those in need. It was a food drive and people would help gather food together to deliver it to families that needed it for the winter. Everyone was pitching together and doing their part to get the food together and in the people’s car. Even in the cold weather, everyone was having fun, knowing that they were doing excellent in their hearts. Therefore that day families were allowed to eat despite their economic struggle and all as a result of the service we did to help them.

He taught me that hard work will pay off and will reward me. He always talked about how his successes in life were due to him working hard at his goal. Everyday he would talk time out of his day to make pamphlets that listed grocery stores that sold food at a cheap price. He would then hand them out to low-income families hoping that these pamphlets would save them money. My grandfather felt content knowing that he was able to help these families. Furthermore, he taught me that the only way to become better at something is through practice. During the holidays, he and I would play our clarinets together in my living room for the rest of the family. He coaxed me to continue learning about and playing the clarinet. My grandfather inspired me to challenge myself in school like making the decision to take honors classes. Even though my grandfather is not here to watch me graduate high school and grow through college, he will continue to inspire me to be the best person I can be as I move through life. I know he would be happy if I got into Stockton because he knows that Stockton has the tools for me to be

From an early age my parents exposed me to the service of others. Together with their active involvement in health care alongside their dedication to our church they have implemented an example I have always admired. The standard that they set has motivated me throughout every stage in life, this being no

My grandfather, J. King Burk, is a man of very few words, but if you get to know him you will come to find that he has been through a lot in his lifetime. My brother and I have a connection with him that most grandchildren don’t have with their grandparents because he was with us when our parents separated. He understands how difficult it is to be raised by one parent, he helped raise my brother and I, and I go to him when I’m making important decisions.

One act of service that really changed my outlook on life was making blankets for Project Harmony. Project Harmony is on organization located in Omaha that tries to protect and support children who have been abused. They are equipped with a large range of staff from medical to forensics in pursue of help every child no longer be a victim and seek the help that they need. Every year around late fall, early winter my summer softball club team and I spend two weekends making as many fleece blankets as we can for those at Project Harmony. I say it really changed my outlook on life I remember thinking before we even started making the blankets how long it was going to take and that I had better things that I could have been doing. So already off the bat I went into a situation with a negative mindset.

Along with being supportive, my grandpa is one of the most selfless people I know. Whenever my family needs help with anything he is the first person we call because we know that if anyone can do it, or is willing to do it, it’s him. My dad owns a landscaping and plowing business, so he is always wearing down his trucks, causing them to break down a lot. Papa is always up to the challenge of fixing them, even though he never has to. One thing that is really important to him is family, he has always, always put family first.

Most people have impacted my life, but one person particularly has impacted my life greatly. My granddad was the person that has impacted my life ever since I was born. Even though my grandpa has been dead for 10 years going on 11 he still impacts my life daily. Since we had a close relationship I always knew when he is around even though he is gone. He would have inspired me in ways that most people never didn’t. I miss him plenty, but luckily his spirit is still with us no matter what happens.

The quality that I admire the most about my father is how hard working he is. When my father was in high school he ran track. He worked hard everyday and night. He always fought the temptation of being lazy and giving into peer pressure. His hard work paid off and he made it to states his senior year. He also holds many records at his high school. If you ever walk through the hallway of Fairview High School, where the trophy case is you will see a picture of my father with his track records that still to this day have not been broken. His dedication has worn off on me with softball. Although, I do not possess any records, I still train hard in hopes of making my own records. I hope one day I can be the best, just like he was. My father will continue to make a positive impact on my life. His constant guidance and advice, always being there for me and his great qualities have influenced me and made me the person I am

For many people, Grandpa is a storyteller, someone to go fishing with, and someone who has your back no matter what. The experience I had with my grandpa was a little different. I never got the opportunity to meet my great-grandfather Liston Grider, but he still somehow managed to have a huge impact on my life. Sometimes my mom would tell stories about him; happy memories from her childhood, sad ones that were painful for her to tell, and everything in between. I thought I had heard it all, but this past summer I learned something about my great grandpa that would perhaps impact my life forever. This story was not told by my mom like usual, but by someone who was a complete stranger to me. The lessons I learned would not be taught in a single day, but over the span of a month through a series of Facebook messages and letters in the mail. The words I read upon opening those messages and letters would change my life forever, permanently transform my beliefs, and show me what it truly means to be an American.

I think the person who has had the most profound effect on my life besides my parents is my grandfather. I never realized before how much of an effect he had on my interests and goals for the future. Years ago, he used to tell me stories about historical events and experiences he had fighting in Vietnam and my great grandfather fighting in World War 2. His vivid descriptions always made it so interesting and, in some cases, more light-hearted than what actually happened. To this day he still has more stories to tell me, and never fails to captivate my interest. In doing this, he opened my eyes to my biggest interest, history, and encouraged me to pursue this interest throughout school. I feel like it would help to give a short summary of his life and how it affected me.