“There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human society, are created, strengthened and maintained.”
– Winston Churchill

I was born and raised in a rural suburb of Toledo, Ohio. I am the youngest of four siblings and have been fortunate enough to live in a two-parent household. I grew up within a one-mile radius of every aunt, uncle, cousin and grandparent that I have ever had. I could not ask for a better set of role models. They are without a doubt some of the most loving, determined and passionate individuals that I have ever met. Their virtues have truly shaped the adult that I have become.

Family is the most important thing in the world to me. The amount of sacrifice they have endured has demonstrated the true meaning of love. They have always been there for me- during the good and the bad times. They have selflessly dedicated their lives to insure my best interest. Love is the feeling of comfort that still remains when all hope feels lost. They have shown me the true value of compassion that will always remain close to my heart.

There was always a great amount of stress on the importance of “hard-work”. Life is going to be a challenge. However, determination will allow you to persevere through times of struggle. “You can be anything you want as long as you apply yourself”, my parents always say. My family encourages me to follow my dreams and to never quit something because it was too difficult. Andrew Carnegie once said, “Anything in life worth having is worth working for.” I could not agree with him more. Nothing in life comes easy. If you want something, you have to go out there and seize it.

Life is about passion. You have to follow what drives you. My mother, a nurse of thirty years, is the nicest and most caring woman I know. Everyday she goes to work and makes a difference in the world by trying to making someone else's surgical recovery a little better. I know that this is what she was meant to do. Her actions have encouraged me to challenge my life and find my own feeling of emotion that compels me. Our world is full of life and excitement. You have to find your purpose in life and follow it.