Posts by rachizzle17

rachizzle17

Nov 30, 2016

Undergraduate / What was the surroundings in which you grew up? Explain how it shaped you as a person. [5]

@Holt
Thank you for your advice but I would not consider myself a "military brat" as I was never forced to move several times because of the military. And, as I mentioned in the essay, he did have to leave more times before and after this certain trip but never more than two weeks. Due to the fact that he was in the Reserves and not active duty, this was the longest trip he took away from us. This was the only time my mother really had to cope with the "single parent" thing, but I see your advice on how I could elaborate on that more during this specific time. I understand why you see how I was too young to fully comprehend the situation, but I was still greatly affected and wouldn't consider it like anything that happened during Kindergarten. Again, thank you for the advice!

rachizzle17

Nov 29, 2016

Undergraduate / What was the surroundings in which you grew up? Explain how it shaped you as a person. [5]

As a young girl, I grew up with my dad in the Navy Reserves. I was always proud of him for that and the fact that the military was a part of my family background because of him and others in my family as well. It wasn't too difficult until he had to leave to Kuwait for 8 months. He would miss majority of my Kindergarten year and it was up to my mom to care for me and my sister while he was away.

In the past, my dad would only have to leave for two weeks at a time and while it seemed like a long time to a little girl, it was bearable. At first, I didn't understand the depth of what my dad was telling me and my sister when he told us he had to go away for 8 months. But as he further explained I could only think about everything he would miss and everything my mom would have to do without him. After he left, my sister and I tried our best to help our mom the best we could.

My sister and I took it upon ourselves to ensure we facilitated the transition, not make it arduous. As it was only my Kindergarten year, my best consisted of bringing home good grades to make my mom proud of me. It was one of the few things I thought I could do to help my mom because I knew how tough it was for my mom to handle the school year alone. After a while, performing my best took less effort and became habit over time.

When my dad initially announced he would be going away for 8 months to Kuwait, I never would have thought it would impact my education standards. I learned that I cherish my education and desire to excel in everything I set my heart and mind to. Ever since my first school year, I have continued to hold myself to this standard of success and appreciate the results every year.

Although my dad's absence was bitter throughout the year, it helped me develop into the student I am today. I learned the value of a quality education and the results that come with it. I have always practiced this lesson throughout my schooling and I believe it will only be a beneficial attribute as a college student as I pursue my future goals.