Now that I’m in high school, I start to realize that I really shouldn’t take anything for granted.

Every day, my dad drops my brother and me off at school, causing him to be late to work. Every night, my mom makes delicious home-cooked meals for our family, never making us feel hungry. Every weekend, my older brother goes home from college just to spend time with me & my brother. They have done so much more than that, but until now, I had never thought about how much my family, especially my parents, have done for me in my life.

My parents have always pushed me to be the best I can be. They have enrolled me in multiple summer school academies, tutoring sessions, extracurriculars, etc. I had always despised and complained about going to summer school, and never understood why I had to do classwork during a summer break. They also set time limits and shut off the Internet every night at 11pm sharp. I also hated that, because I wouldn’t be finished with my homework by the time the Internet was shut off.

Since my band kid days, I’ve had an everlasting love for singing and making music in general, thanks to my parents. They helped me find my passion and helped me discover my happy place.

The things that my parents implemented have helped me become the person I am today. Those extra summer school sessions allowed me to be in advanced classes. Those time limits allowed me to have better time management. They encourage me to continue to love music. There were many ups and downs that my parents and I had as a family, but ultimately, they were all meant to help me and my siblings grow. They have sacrificed so much for me and my siblings, and it’s my goal to show my gratitude as much as possible while they are still here.

“What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” -Mother Teresa