Narrowing down to on person who had had an impact on my life is a difficult task, and one that requires a lot of thought. There have been many, but as I travel back through my memories, one person stands out above the rest, my mother.

Whether in the classroom or at home, that one individual continuously shines. She knows how to help me when a problem arises, she is there to pick me up when I fall, and she is there as my biggest supporter when all is going well. She always seems to know when to push me or when to just step back and allow me to learn life lessons. One example of her driving me to do my best is a time that I had an extremely tough exam in
Chemistry. This was a must pass test and to make it worse, it was over a chapter where I struggled.

I came close to giving up and failing the test, but somehow my mom knew I was fighting this battle. She came to me and explained how giving up would interfere with my dream of going to college. It might not keep me out of college, but it would set my standards lower than they needed to be. My mom did not force me to study, but instead, she allowed me to make a decision that would effect me right then and possibly in the future.

My mom has made a huge impact in my life in such a positive way. She has pushed me to where I am now. Through her example and our many talks, I have learned that hard work and perserverance can and will take you a long way in this world. I did pass that Chemistry test, and in passing it, I jumped over one more hurdle in life.