In my early education, my parents always made a point to tell me how smart I was, no matter the circumstance. Telling someone, especially a young impressionable child, something like that over and over again often results in them believing it. Words like those remain in the back of our minds and, whether or not we want to believe it, influence us into adulthood. It is because of these words stored in my subconscious education remained my constant throughout my parents’ divorce, even when it seemed like everything in my life was changing. As a young child, I channeled the stress that had been indirectly put upon me into energy and diligence in my school work. Without realizing it, I was using the achievements and praise I obtained in school as a coping mechanism for my emotional instability. Though the divorce of my parents provided me with other kinds of hardships, such as my need to grow independent sooner than I expected, it’s occurrence allowed me to see the importance of my education as a juvenile.
Soon after I had begun to take my academic achievement into my own hands, always doing what was required of me and much more, my …show more content…
While they did not receive degrees in college, they attended for a time. I believe that it was their inability to finish college, combined with my admiration for my intelligent and nonconventional siblings that encouraged me to aim high in my academic goals. I never saw being a first generation college student as a drawback to my education career, but an opportunity to lead my younger brother as well as other members of my family into higher education. It wasn’t until others informed me of this adversity that I began to realize the importance of being first generation. I had no one to show me the steps to apply for scholarships, for colleges, for financial aid. But I took this as a challenge, and reached out to my community to find resources that could aid me in my journey to higher