Five people who nurtured me:
1.
Jim Gardner (My Grandpa): He was the main person that pushed me to my full potential. He knew that I could go far, and he was always someone that I could turn to for help or advice. He was more like a father to me than just a grandpa. I knew that I was his special girl. He was the one that taught me how to love, care, and stand on my own two feet. He even taught me how to drive when the time came. If I was having issues with an assignment, he would sit down and help me with it until we figured it out. I always wanted to make him proud, and even though he is no longer with us, I know that I have made him proud by continuing my education and making right choices in my life. I still think of what he would say to me when I am making certain decisions.
2.
Leona Jones (My Mother): She may not have been the best mom, but she always pushed me in school. She wanted me to have a better life than she had, and she wanted me to make something of myself. I am the only one of my siblings to go this far in school, and I know that she is proud of that. She always told me that I was the smart one, and that I had huge potential. She is still someone that I can turn to if I get discouraged, and she will lift me back up.
3.
Karen Brucks (Best Friends Mom): I spent a lot of time at my friends house. We have known each other since elementary school, and her mom was always there for us. She treated me like I was part of the family, and would make us work on our homework before we were allowed to do anything else. School was very important to her, and she always pushed us to do our best. She is still someone that I talk to about my life and my education. She was like a second mom to me and still is in many ways.
4.
Chris Froment (My Dad): My dad was creative. So if I had an art project of some kind that I had to do, he was the person to go to. He is really good at drawing and building things, and that is something that I inherited. He wasn't someone that I could lean on, but that is where my grandpa came in. However, he did want me to get a great education, and he always told me that I was too smart not to go to college. He also wanted me to have a better life than he did.
5.
Barbara Sasser (My Aunt): My aunt passed away when I was 12 years old. Before she passed away I spent almost every day with her from the time I was born. She was my rock that I could lean on. If I needed mothering, she was who I went to. If I deserved to be scolded, she was the one that usually did it. She was the one that taught me how to read when I was a little girl. She always did fun activities with all of us, and she always took us to the library. She told us that you can never learn too much, and I agree with her. That is one of the things that keeps me going to school. She put this drive into me to continue to learn new things, and that is what I am doing.
My aunt and my grandpa were the two people that have formed me into the person I am today. Without their influence, I probably would not have gotten this far in my education, and I probably would have turned out more like my parents have. They are the two people that I still try to pack proud, even though they are no longer here. They still matter and always will.
This is a photo of my Grandpa, who I considered more like a father.
