HomeMy WebLinkAbout0042 ?*T ring Aca emic Achievement
Who has been
the most influ-
entialperson in
-� �- your academic
career
"Cancer.Destroyer of hope,wrecker of lives,crusher of dreams and families. When most
people think of cancer, these are some of the thoughts they generally associate with
the disease. Not one woman. One woman dared to find the silver lining of the tempest
looming ominously overhead. This amazing woman didn't cower away from the adverse
and admittedly hopeless appearance of an ill-timed circumstance. This woman is my
mother and a great influence upon how I have become a strong young man today,mold-
ing my morals and shaping my unfaltering work ethic. When my father fell prey to the
icy grip of cancer,she always seemed to make ends meet. Exhaustion began to set in,
but she wouldn't be held back and took a second job. That wasn't what got me.It wasn't
just her determination or her seemingly relentless stamina - it was her composure,her
never losing her sense of quiet confidence. That is something that cannot be taught but
is rather something of an intuitive nature-something that is found among the great and
admirable leaders of the world. That is why my mother,Colleen YvetteThomas,has been
the most influential person in my academic career."
'
How would you
like to change ' / / *"
the world?
"I believe that people today concentrate so much on earning money and buying the
newest stuff that they forget about people. You spend money and it's gone. A pile of
green paper does not remember your name, make you laugh, challenge, or entertain
you. As much as you may love it,money will never love you back. If I could change the
world,I would move relationships with others up a few spots on everyone's priority list. If _
people focused more on getting along with their colleagues than on increasing the zeros
on their paychecks,I believe the world would change for the better."
38 Seniors