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Prompt: Right now, what is uniquely you?
What's uniquely me? What's unique about me? This is a question I've struggled to answer for a long time, a question I've always tried to avoid. Why? I was always afraid of giving the wrong answer or not saying the right thing. Always afraid that if I answered truthfully, people may look at me different and think " Wow. That's it.". However, over the years I've learned that my truth is simple and there is no way to escape that. Although the truth to my uniqueness may be simple, my story is not. This is me, this is who I am.
The biggest challenge I've ever had to face was growing up in a single parent household, but being raise by my mother alone is something I wouldn't trade for the world. Growing up this was normal to me, even though I knew I was missing that father figure. I often found myself trying to fill the void of my father not being active in my life. I never understood how a man of so much intelligence couldn't be as active as he possibly could in his daughter's life. I always blamed myself for my father's absence.
My father was supposed to be the first man I fell in love with. He was supposed to be my protector, my comforter. He was neither. Although I knew my father supported me and loved me unconditionally, it was hard to find truth in him because I felt like he failed me. It was the years that passed that helped me to stop believing I was the reason for his absence. Within those years, I learned the meaning and importance of responsibility.
This led me to realizing that all I needed was my mother to guide me and lead me to success and she did. It is true, I am a product of an absent father, but my mother filled both shoes being both my mother and my father. She managed to care for me and my little sister though failing nursing school and losing her job. Through all of this, she never gave up, although she may have wanted to.
My mother decided to try again at nursing school, despite all the challenges she was going to face. My mother faced her reality and for the first time in a long time, she realized that all she needed to do was dedicate herself to her work and she did. My mother graduated nursing school with a 4.0. She exemplified the importance of hard work and dedication. She showed me what it meant to be a strong African American woman. She now works for OrthoCarolina, she's the happiest she's ever been and I couldn't be prouder.
When times were hard, she managed to provide me and my sister all the necessities we needed. She made it her number one priority to focus on her family and her education. Though this, she instilled in me the values of education and what it took to be successful. Her dreams of being a nurse and caring for me and my sister didn't stop her from reaching her goals.
This was the path to my uniqueness. Over achieving is my uniqueness. This not only inspired me to not only be better than my father but better than my mother as well. My mother's dedication to her education encouraged me to strive to do the best I can and set the highest goals for myself. My father's absence motivated me intrinsically from my fear of failure. I am undoubtedly an overachiever. Perfection is what I desire and nothing will stop me from achieving it.
I've been doubted. My strength has been tested, but I've always been able to overcome because I won't let myself fail. I refuse to let myself fail. My love for over achieving won't let me, no matter how difficult the battle. Grades are my tools of triumph, the show underlying realms of challenges some couldn't even dream of. Being the first out of my family to receive a college degree is my goal and my motivation for over achieving will help me reach that goal. I am an African American woman. A strong African American woman that has been through hardships and shortcomings. My education is something no one can take from me. It will forever be mines. I desire more education, I desire to win and I will. Nothing can hold me back, nothing can stop me. I am Essence McClung. This is my story.
Prompt: Right now, what is uniquely you?
What's uniquely me? What's unique about me? This is a question I've struggled to answer for a long time, a question I've always tried to avoid. Why? I was always afraid of giving the wrong answer or not saying the right thing. Always afraid that if I answered truthfully, people may look at me different and think " Wow. That's it.". However, over the years I've learned that my truth is simple and there is no way to escape that. Although the truth to my uniqueness may be simple, my story is not. This is me, this is who I am.
The biggest challenge I've ever had to face was growing up in a single parent household, but being raise by my mother alone is something I wouldn't trade for the world. Growing up this was normal to me, even though I knew I was missing that father figure. I often found myself trying to fill the void of my father not being active in my life. I never understood how a man of so much intelligence couldn't be as active as he possibly could in his daughter's life. I always blamed myself for my father's absence.
My father was supposed to be the first man I fell in love with. He was supposed to be my protector, my comforter. He was neither. Although I knew my father supported me and loved me unconditionally, it was hard to find truth in him because I felt like he failed me. It was the years that passed that helped me to stop believing I was the reason for his absence. Within those years, I learned the meaning and importance of responsibility.
This led me to realizing that all I needed was my mother to guide me and lead me to success and she did. It is true, I am a product of an absent father, but my mother filled both shoes being both my mother and my father. She managed to care for me and my little sister though failing nursing school and losing her job. Through all of this, she never gave up, although she may have wanted to.
My mother decided to try again at nursing school, despite all the challenges she was going to face. My mother faced her reality and for the first time in a long time, she realized that all she needed to do was dedicate herself to her work and she did. My mother graduated nursing school with a 4.0. She exemplified the importance of hard work and dedication. She showed me what it meant to be a strong African American woman. She now works for OrthoCarolina, she's the happiest she's ever been and I couldn't be prouder.
When times were hard, she managed to provide me and my sister all the necessities we needed. She made it her number one priority to focus on her family and her education. Though this, she instilled in me the values of education and what it took to be successful. Her dreams of being a nurse and caring for me and my sister didn't stop her from reaching her goals.
This was the path to my uniqueness. Over achieving is my uniqueness. This not only inspired me to not only be better than my father but better than my mother as well. My mother's dedication to her education encouraged me to strive to do the best I can and set the highest goals for myself. My father's absence motivated me intrinsically from my fear of failure. I am undoubtedly an overachiever. Perfection is what I desire and nothing will stop me from achieving it.
I've been doubted. My strength has been tested, but I've always been able to overcome because I won't let myself fail. I refuse to let myself fail. My love for over achieving won't let me, no matter how difficult the battle. Grades are my tools of triumph, the show underlying realms of challenges some couldn't even dream of. Being the first out of my family to receive a college degree is my goal and my motivation for over achieving will help me reach that goal. I am an African American woman. A strong African American woman that has been through hardships and shortcomings. My education is something no one can take from me. It will forever be mines. I desire more education, I desire to win and I will. Nothing can hold me back, nothing can stop me. I am Essence McClung. This is my story.
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