Who You Are Matters

     On August 16th, 1996, I came to be of part of civilization. I came from a Guatemalan- Irish immigrant mother and a Mexican- American father. I was born on a hot Friday morning in the city of Downey not too far from USC and grew up in the streets of Maywood. The graffiti, the gangs, the dirty unkempt atmosphere left my mother and her lawyer boss, Diana, concerned for my brother and I. Diana did everything in her power to make sure my brother and I had a better education and since the age of 4 we moved to the San Fernando Valley and attended a prestigious private prep school on Mullholand drive. Since then, it was always engraved to pursue a higher education and to keep on going, excelling, growing and having goals. It was engraved. It was a lifestyle. 

As kids we’d always been accustomed to playing “pretend”. Since attending Berkeley Hall,  I always saw myself going to bigger places where no one else in my family has gone. I saw my self as a vet, a heart surgeon and anything my adolescent mind could conjure up. I also saw myself as a mother at the age of 5 and let’s be honest- I can barely take care of my self and dog now- that. Was a bit ambitious. Now, as I’ve matured, had a little morel life experience and have come to an end on my college career I can (realistically) see myself going into the Television business world. I plan on getting there by continuing to gain real world experiences an intern for the companies I have, gain more practice by participating on Annenberg TV/ Trojanvision again. I also plan on getting there through my character by the simple act of just applying. A person can train and gain tons of knowledge but sometimes I feel like if they’re not a great person doors will remained closed. 

As much as I have thought or had those terrible teen years to distinguish and differentiate myself from my parents, I have grown to realize I am  like them in many ways and not like them in others. I have gained many of the soft characteristics from my father and many of the hard persistence from my mother. I am a Leo and both my parents are water and air signs so we clash often in ideals and personalities. Many of my family members have mentioned that I think and am different in regards to the way I think and have lived and planned my life. I love animals and treat many with kindness and expect truth and justice in return as my father. I like things to be fair and equal like him. I think I am like my mother in the sense that I can demand and hold the attention of the room and use humor to do that. I am proud that I am different in the way I communicate and am in the relationships I hold. I have adopted unhealthy habits but try to excessive kindness and generosity like a muscle. 

I’d like to think I operate and  developed my own expectations for myself,  but honestly, I think we are all  operating under someone else's expectations towards our societies’ rights of passage. 

   I relate most to a panda. Pandas have an insatiable appetite, they appear to be sedentary but are very active and love climbing. They cuddle and are very intelligent. They live remotely and they have dark under eye circles. 

As kid I was very hyper active and I loved to climb. When I got my dog Candy in the 2nd grade we’d take her to our local dog park where a huge slanted tree existed. I loved that tree and would climb and hang as far as I could. I loved that tree so much that I would create playdates around this tree and invite friends to take my dog to the dog park just to play on this tree. Til this day, the tree is still there. However, it’s roots have lifted and the tree lays on its side.