Educator of the Year
 

My mom isn’t just my mom, she’s my best friend and the person I go to with anything and everything.  She doesn’t only make my delicious homemade dinners and do my dirty laundry, but she also makes my mind positive and my heart strong.  She is my inspiration, my role model, and most importantly, my educator.
She has always told me inspiring advice, such as, “always be a strong individual no matter what, even when negative things are trying to bring you down.”  This advice helped me when I was sticking up for my friend in 7th grade who was getting bullied at recess.  It helped me stick up for someone else and show them that you have to be a strong person even in tough situations.  I consistently strive to be a strong individual for not only my mom, but myself.
An educator isn’t someone who teaches Geometry or Chemistry; they are someone who holds aspiring characteristics and gives perspectives that will help you grow into becoming who you truly are.  My mom teaches me right from wrong everyday.  She always has something intelligent to say whenever I need any advice.  For instance, last month I came home frustrated with a skill I was having trouble with at gymnastics.  She told me that whenever she gets upset over something that she would always “have faith in” herself and to “try harder the next day.”  She said, “Everyday you’ll face challenges, but it’s your faith that determines if you can overcome them.”  That gave me the strength to have more hope and determination in myself when overcoming not only my gymnastics skills, but any tough obstacles in life.
My mom is passionate and humble.  She is as bright as the stars in the sky.  She can make a bad day a good day in a blink of an eye.  I can depend on her for anything and always can go to her with any of my problems.  For instance, when I went through a hard break up she told me about her breakup experiences and told me how she coped with it and dealt with the pain.  Her telling me this made me realize that breakups aren’t going to make you sad forever and that the pain is only temporary.
She not only is an an incredible person, but she is also an outstanding mom.  She shows me how to be mature, confident, and passionate.  For example, my sophomore year I had to step up on my gymnastics team and do all four events, due to my teammate getting injured.  Knowing me, I’m not that kind of person who is super confident with things I’m not used to doing; mostly because I usually stick with just the balance beam.  My mom gave me the strength and passion to show off my routines and to be confident up there even if I’m nervous. 
She always gives me confidence and motivates me.  For instance, when I was in my early club gymnastics years at Midwest Twisters, I would get nervous for my meets; she would surprise me by putting neon pastel sticky notes in my gym bag with motivational quotes and key pointers to help me be more positive and confident.  She taught me to overcome my fears and to be courageous and daring.
My mom isn’t just my mom, she’s my best friend and my person I can depend on.  My mom is my daily cup of chai tea in the morning, sweet and energizing.  She is my rock.  She is like the ocean, bringing the good things ashore and casting the bad things away.  She impresses me and inspires me to be the best I can be.  My mom is my inspirer, my role model, and most importantly, my educator.