I am the oldest child of four. I was born in Berkeley California and raised in two homes one in North Oakland which was with my Father and Grandmother, and the other in Hayward with my Mother, Step Father and other siblings. At times following rules for two separate households became overwhelming for me.
I believe that because of my childhood, I used what I went through as a child to set the platform for my future. I hated how I was treated by my stepfather and made a promise that I would dedicate my life to helping children in trouble situation.
Growing up at my Fathers and Grandmothers house was very different than at my Mothers and Step Father home. I was able to relax and free my mind at my father’s house. Being his only child had advantages, many that I didn’t have or receive at my Mother’s house. I was a daddy’s girl and learned quickly how to use that to my advantage.
On the other hand at my Mother’s and Step Father’s house things were real different. My step father was a disciplinary and very strict, secondly I was the eldest so a lot of responsibility feel upon me. But the biggest difference was I was the only child there that didn’t belong to my step father, at an early age I felt the difference.
Many years later the mistreatment lead me to go stay at my Fathers and Grandmothers house. Quickly I became a different kid. The happiness was restored back into me. Don’t get me wrong I loved my mother and respected my step father but switching homes for good was the best for me. And this placement lasted until I moved out at twenty to be on my own.
At an early age I always knew that I wanted to do something that involved working with children. Third grade was very difficult for me, not academically because I was always one of the students with the top grades. That was a must living with my Mother and Stepfather. But due to the challenges I was dealing