I became an orphan at the age of nine. I went through a huge depression stage left with no sense of direction and a loss of innocence at a very early age. I felt enraged and sad at the same moment because I wanted to help the situation in some way, but there was nothing I could do. Little did I know, my life was all set up like dominos. My father was a carpenter that had to retire after twenty-five years due knee problems. He still needed a job to help support the family so he applied to local businesses. He attempted to be a car salesman but was unsuccessful because he was too respectful of other people. He kept trying new things and was able to succeed as a technician. My mother was a full-time teacher, until she was diagnosed with cancer. She continued learning by becoming a substitute teacher but lost her battle with cancer five years after becoming diagnosed. Luckily I inherited from my parents a set of unique skills: my father instilled a great deal of determination in me and my mother gave me knowledge about mathematics and reading. Even with these skills, I was not able to move on knowing that I would never receive help from my parents again. In the midst of my rough times, I found encouragement. It came from a close family member, my aunt.
The turning point in my life was the day I found my true guidance. From infancy to adulthood, my aunt was always there to help me. For example, I burned my finger on a candle that lit up my first birthday cake at the age of one. My new found mentor came to my rescue, ice pack at hand. I cried and cried due to the pain but once the pain disappeared, I realized I would never make the same mistake again. My aunt also aided me in becoming mentally strong by providing the right answers at the right time. She was able to answer any question that I had about my situation and led me through the process. For example, I asked questions like, “Who would take care of me and where would I live?” They were pretty normal questions expected from a nine year old. Where I had once been so ignorant, the knowledge gained led me to crave an education.

As my life continued, the world changed me into the person I have become. My aunt began to create goals for me that led me into a positive direction of influence even when my future did not look so bright. Every year, I make ten goals and put them on my aunt’s fridge to remind me of what I need to do. My aunt always tells me, “If you believe in yourself, everyone else will.” This idea led me to attend school every day and excel in all my classes. I figured out the direction my life was headed so I decided to go into the business field. I still could not forget my past so I carried it into my promising and aspiring future in accounting. Of course, I researched other careers but I realized that I enjoyed accounting because of the revolving concepts and basic mathematics. As said in a quote I once heard from an inspirational speaker, “Whatever you pick up becomes your intellect but the problem is that you may choose what to pick up.”

This significant influence allows for me to take another step towards success. My growing intelligence and determination leads me to keep pushing further than anyone before me. I am willing to take the challenge and risk with confidence in my skills. I now realize that the answers I was searching for were already within me the whole time. Hopefully, I will become the role model and influence that someone else is searching to find.