Who Am I

Jesse, California, Age 14

A person's upbringing greatly affects the kind of person they will become. It can influence them to become something great or to fail. In my case being homeschooled has helped me have time to discover things I am good at and to keep focused on what I want to do in life. My unique family and upbringing have affected the way I think and the way that I look at the future.

Having a unique family has had a big impact on who I am. When I was only 6 months old my one sister, two brothers, and my mom and dad went on a three year sailing trip. My father works with boats and had always dreamed of cruising or sailing for a long period of time. Apparently I was quite the little sailor, because when I was l about one, I was able to run up and down the boat without falling, probably because I learned to walk on the boat. We sailed to Mexico and other local islands. It was a great opportunity because we got to experience a completely different culture and lifestyle. We also got to go to the beach nearly every day! It was also an amazing opportunity for our family to spend a lot of time together.

Being homeschooled along with my now quite big family of four brothers and three sisters has also affected my life in important ways. I've thought about going to a public school before but then think about all my friends in public school and how they don't have much time for anything else. The flexibility of being homeschooled allows me the freedom to follow my interests. It also allows me more time to do other things besides doing regular school subjects. Ballet and dancing are two activities I enjoy that I can put more time into and become better at because of my homeschool schedule.

In my everyday life I really try to stay focused on my future like what college I want to go to and what jobs and/or possible careers I might be interested in. I have considered a career in ballet or becoming a physical trainer. I have also considered being a nutritionist. Even though I am only a freshman in high school, I've already had a college tour at both Pepperdine University and Loyola Marymount University. I can’t wait to start going to college and preparing for my future. I can’t wait to see the plans God has in store for me.

My strong family upbringing has affected the way that I look at my future. I have learned how to pursue dreams and focus on the big picture. I know that it's not all going to be easy and just a walk in the park. However, I know that I can do it and I'm going to be fine.