For as long as I could remember, money was tight in my household, and once my younger brother and sister joined the picture it only got worse. Both of my parents chose a path in life that involved not going to college. My father was a local mechanic and part time cars salesman; my mother worked as a waitress and stayed at home to take care of my siblings and I. Vacations were never possible, and we would always live paycheck to paycheck.

Growing up my parents would tell me a good education and a college degree was important in getting a good job. When my father lost his job after my grandfather passed away it became more relevant just how necessary a degree was in the job field. It was very difficult for him to find a well-paying job that would support our family. If it wasn’t for my grandparents helping out, I don’t know where we would be today.

My family’s financial stress growing up helped me strive to gain a higher education. I’ve always enjoyed math and problem solving. Trying get ahead, I took all three years of accounting, along with competing in UIL events. To gain my CPA I would need at least six years of college. Going into my senior year is nerve racking honestly. College will be here before I know it, and I feel like I’m only going to only get one shot at earning a degree. My grandparents offered to help pay for college, but being able to take any pressure off of them by being able to pay for a portion of the bills would be something I needed to do.

“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand” – Vince Lombardi. My most important goal in life is to be successful; I don’t ever want money to keep my children from doing something they would enjoy; I want my children to grow up without worries. I want them to have what I didn’t; that’s why I am pursuing a higher education beyond high school.