This is my essay for Princeton not quite done but i need some help because i really want to go here!

​To begin with, my mother and i were always close and she has always been my role model since i was a young girl. My mother worked very hard to make sure that me and my siblings were well taken care of and had a childhood to remember. When my mother was growing up she didn't have a childhood worth remembering but nightmares instead. She was abused, neglected by her own mother, and had to go to foster care. There were days where her and her siblings had no food to eat and no where to sleep but she still survived the harsh conditions she was living under. She went through many struggles during her lifetime and still remained a strong black women taking care of her five children with little help. I always admired my mother for her intelligence and beauty. My mother had both book smart and street smart and still maintained her beautiful image as young lady. She inspired me and encouraged me to go to school, study, and never let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do. Every summer my mother always prepared me for the next upcoming grade i was going to enter. She made sure i was well prepared and had an idea of what i was going to be learning in school. My mother instilled in me that you can accomplish your goals with determination and patience and i took that into consideration and applied it to my daily motto. She has such a big influence on my life that when ever i need help with anything or is curious about something i look to her for answers. In fact before getting hired at Six Flags she helped me get the job by showing me how to dress, talk, and the correct posture to have when going on a interview. With her encouragement i have learned to overcome any obstacle standing in my way to gain happiness, education, and my life and academic goals.Knowing her struggles and past life have taught me to be ambitious, strong- minded, and hard-working.

Give me some suggestions and constructive criticism!
The question is to tell about a person who influenced you in a significant way and changed the way you approach the world

hi tiana, this is an interesting essay. allow me to give some suggestion here.
Better if you use gerund in the good way, i think "knowing" in the last sentence need to recheck.
all in all, more practice may be the only one way improving our English.