My World

It has been said many times that it takes a village to raise a child, and in my case that has definitely been true. There are many places I could be right now but, because of the people who helped raise me and the experiences I have had, I am on the right path and headed toward greater things in my future. I have a big family that has shaped and molded me into the person I am today. My village, made up of many mothers, fathers, teachers and countless friends, has prepared me well for what lies ahead.

I was raised in a very nice neighborhood on the south side of Richmond by my mother and father. I was adopted by them at birth, straight from the hospital because my birth mother couldn't take care of me. The next year on Valentine's Day my parents brought home my sister, who is 18 months older than me. We are biological sisters with the same mother but we are unsure who our fathers are. Growing up it never bothered my sister or me because we were told at a very early age and no one ever made a big deal out of it. Despite recent attempts, we have yet to get in contact with our biological family.

As a child I was always active in some way, whether involved in some type of leadership group or on a sports team; my mother kept me busy. As early as kindergarten my mother put me in t-ball, ballet, jazz, tap dancing, piano lessons, and girl scouts. T-ball wasn't really my forte at the age of five but I did enjoy it and it taught me a lot about perseverance. On the other hand, dancing was something I really loved. I had a teacher that was dedicated to disciplining her students and making sure we were perfect in every way. I stayed in dance lessons for about three years before I moved on to other activities. The piano lessons, inspired by my mother who is an outstanding pianist, were also very fun. I went through about three or four teachers who all taught me good posture, good timing, and that practice makes perfect. After five years of that, I picked up the trumpet, and after that the drums, the bassoon, and the eventually the harp. All of the music teachers I have had basically instilled in me the same thing; music can be the best, and sometimes the only way for you to express your true feelings. Girl scouts also played a huge role in my life. I was a girl scout for thirteen years and I must say I didn't quite enjoy every minute of it. The arts and crafts were always fun but I never really connected with the other girls. At first I stayed to myself but eventually I had to break out of my shell and talk to them. The camping trips we went on helped a lot in the process because as I got older a lot of the younger girls looked up to me, since our troop leaders were mean and the girls were afraid of the dark, the bugs, and everything else! In the end Girl Scouts helped me build better social skills, although I'm still a little shy. It also taught me to be mindful of other people less fortunate than I, to be considerate and respectful, and to always be true to myself.

All of the people that lead the activities I participated in along with all of my former teachers have all taught me some vital life lessons. The people that have affected me the most are of course my parents and grandparents who have always been a big part of my life.