Friday, August 11, 2006

Essay 2

Chelsea Taylor
Mrs. Bosch
Honors English 10
11 August 2006

“Pride in My Family”

Cicero once said, “To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child.” What occurred before I was born has shaped and will continue shaping who I am today. Because of my family’s past and the hardships my predecessors experienced, I have learned from them and have become a better person. My family traveled from Mexico and worked extremely hard here in America to be a part of this country, and therefore, their hard work and pure struggle has molded me into a person with a strong work ethic and is independent, and a person who is constantly striving to better herself so that my family after me can have a better life.

My family members who came to the United States worked very hard to gain citizenship and establish their homes and work. Their hard work, struggle, and perseverance have instilled in me the strong work ethic that I have today. This work ethic helps me to stay on task with my schoolwork, manage my time well, and grow athletically as both an experienced dancer and a volleyball player. Without this work ethic, undoubtedly I would never have accomplished the simple task of completing all of my summer homework, continue to gain A’s on all of my report cards, or to continue to participate in sports that I am passionate about.

My mother came to the United States when she was just 21 years old. She worked very hard to get a job for herself and find a home for herself and her family. As a single mother of two, she is the most inspirational person in my life today, because she has taught me so many life lessons, and at the same time, she has taken such good care of my younger brother, (who requires more care than other normal nine year-olds because of a gastro-intestinal disability,) and myself. This fact helps to further my point that you can be independent, and still care for the one’s you love. All the while supporting me in whatever I choose to do. She has continued to drive me to ballet, Pointe, tap, and jazz dance classes and competitions since I was just three years old and still attends all of my volleyball games. She has taught me that you do not have to depend on someone; that you can be independent, and have the life that you have always wanted. Because of her, I am the person I want to be today, and I hope that her loving guidance will continue to help me become a better person in the future as well.

Another thing that my mother and the rest of my family have taught me is that you should always strive to better yourself. I have taken this into account and I am also constantly striving to better myself, whether it is in the academic field, sports, or in any other field of activity I participate in. And with this state of mind-always trying to better myself, it can only get better from here. As my personal volleyball coach always says, “Always compare yourself to yourself.” This statement rings true today, as it always will for me in the future.

With whatever I am doing, I always use my strong work ethic, my independence, and my ability to always better myself to help me get through. And the only reason why I have these desirable qualities is because of what my family, and in particular, my mother, have experienced, and what they have taught me. Their wise guidance and hard work have not only helped shape me into who I am today, but will also continue shaping me in the future. I can only hope that what I have learned from them and the person that I am today will help me to be successful later on in life.

Posted by ChelseaTaylor_Delgado @ 12:12 PM