Personal Narrative: Adults In My Life

Imagine growing up being told to believe your education is worth nothing. Imagine not being able to attend school after the 6th grade. That was the exact situation my mother faced when she was younger. Ana Gonzalez, my mom and also my best friend, has set many great examples for me despite her imperfect history. Even in the tough times, my mother is always there when I need her. I guess I never took the time to realize her value towards me and my family. My mom is a creative person that likes to think outside the box. Not only that, she is also educated and supportive.

The person who has inspired in my mother Donja McAllister. My mother is a hard working person and always wants what is best for her family. She sacrifices her own time and money just to make my brother and me happy. She has spent a big portion of her life caring for others. My mother has always thought of what is best for us. She encourages us to do our best in school and pursue what makes us happy. She wants us to get a good education so that when we grow up we have the skills to pursue whatever career we what. For a while now my mother has the burden of taking care of her two children alone. She is constantly making sacrifices for us so that we can get to school and do all the after school activities for example when I was still in gymnastics

From working several jobs at a time to make sure I had everything I needed, she became the reason why I was raised the way I raised. The lesson that “ I should treat everyone like the most important person in the world because I will never know when I might need them” was engraved in my head was owned by my mother. Sometimes she would tell me that she had holes in her socks and I knew it was due to most of her money going towards my private school tuition in order for me to be able to have the best education I could get. My mother is my background, my identity, interest, and talent. She is truly the one that has set me up for success, regardless of how fatigued or overworked she is. She is the person who truly defines who I am and who I have become to this

She would always help my mom with me. I would say one of the main things I’ve learned from her is to be friends with people who make you a better person. She would ask, “would you rather be a better person than you are now or become lesser?” Yes, as a young girl I could only understand to a point. At one point in middle school I realized what she truly meant. I was a extremely shy girl and making friends were hard. As this shy girl I was more likely be by myself so I saw how others would act and talk. It brought a new light to my eyes. When I started making friends I made sure they were people that were kind and truthful people. These people are still my friends today and honestly made me a better

She has taught me so many moral values to life and has made me the man I am

In my faith walk, she continues to show me right from wrong. Due to her deep faith in God, my parents chose her as one of my Godparents.

Similarly, my Mother advised a great deal in my choice to continue with my education. Back in 1988, when I was seven years old, my mother graduated college with a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education. Watching her work tirelessly while trying to raise me, work full time and attempting full-time credit hours, instilled in me the desire and drive to achieve my goals. She has been my role model as a non-traditional student. She helped me achieve a workable school/work/life balance. She has been my constant cheerleader since my decision to return to college and pursue an undergraduate degree.

There have been a vast number of lives that have touched mine. Many different people have shared a piece of their soul in my formation. However, it is my mother who is the most important and most influential person in my life. My mother raised me by herself since the day I was born. My father was abusive and she left to make a better life for the both of us. She has worked as many as four jobs at one time. My mother wants to make sure my brothers and I have a better life than she did. It hasn’t always been easy for her, taking care of us on her own, trying to pay bills and making sure we had everything we needed. My mom has always had us involved in sports at a very young age. We always were doing something or involved in something

She has help me become a better a writer. I took the PSAT my sophomore and junior year, to see the significant differences in my reading and writing scores shows that she really helped me improve in that area, not to mention the fact that I passed the reading and writing smarter balance

First of all, she was so patient that she wouldn't hurry people up and she would wait at times when she needed to hurry. She always found it disrespectful when hurrying someone. She respects people even though they don't respect her. She was the most important person to me; she showed when to act when I needed to act and when to hold myself when the time wasn't right.

Being a divorcee, she devoted her life to raising me and giving me everything I needed to succeed, starting with a strong Christian environment and education. One of my fondest memories was of her taking me to Sunday school then going to her class. Guess what.... her Sunday School Teacher was my 1st grade teacher. I felt so good on Monday mornings when I walked into school, seeing my teacher's smiling face and, knowing she was my Mom's teacher too.

As I make my journey through freshman year, I am asked what has made me into the person I am today. The answer, is everything. From going out of the country, my faith, to crazy memories with my friends and family, they have made me who I am today. However, my mother, Jennifer Holtz, has made a big impact on who I am. She has taught me so much ever since I was little. She taught me to be appreciative, always say please and thank you, and to be kind to others. I'm so grateful for her and I have her to thank everyday.

​ As I began senior year, I embarked on a journey of transitioning from childhood to adulthood. Even though i was about to turn 18 and on the verge of applying for college, I still felt like a kid. I wanted nothing more than to become and feel like an adult. I was tired of being a kid. I wanted all the perks and respect that an adult had. I wanted to sign my own legal documents . I wanted to be able to live on my own. I wanted to buy and place a car under my own name not my parents. I was tired of relying on my parents .

I am forever grateful for everything she has done for me. She approached me to get me to eat with her freshman year, and that was the turning point in my life. Anytime I went through a rough patch or fell down, she was there to pick me back up. With late night talks during movie marathons in the living room, cleaning up the blood oozing from my cuts, and wiping away the tears I cried. Taylor slowly stitched me back together where I was torn

     She seemed to know everything. Anytime I had a perplexing question I knew she would know what to tell me. Her wisdom spanned several subjects. Everything from the textbook things they wanted me to learn in school, to the life lessons that there are no textbooks for. She taught me by example. She showed me that it was just a waste of my time and energy getting mad, upset, angry or so irate that I allowed myself to be controlled by my emotions. She was always calm, patient, and even tempered when faced with people who were less than pleasant to be around. I learned from watching her deal with people that being nice never fails. And I learned from watching her deal with the situations life would present that as long as you gave everything you had to give and never quit, you could never be beat.