Undergraduate Essay Question – Who has had the greatest impact on your life?
As I continue to grow and mature, I begin to wonder who exactly I am as an individual. I question why I think the way I do or have some of the opinions that I express. I’ve come up to the conclusion that individuals that I look up to or who I feel have had an influence on me will play a large role in the adult and the overall person that I become.
My grandmother, (Mrs. Estelle Lyons) has had the greatest impact on my life. Mrs. Lyons was a strong-willed person full of love and kindness. Her Christianity for the love of God out-weighed a lot of things she’s done and has become in life. My grandmother is the women who have had the most influence in my life as well as the person to whom I would turn to for guidance. My family and I have repeatedly overcome obstacles which life, in general, tends to place in front of us. In spite of her death in April of 1998.
Mrs. Lyons is the teacher of old family morals, values, unity and respect. Born and raised in Sarasota, Florida and coming from a family of eleven siblings, she was one of the youngest. My grandmother is a phenomenal woman and she gave up her whole life to not only raise us but she also helped raise her sister’s kids while they pursued higher education and she didn’t even get to receive a high school diploma.
Through my mother, my grandmother’s spirit lives and through her I find the strength to continue and pursue things that seem impossible. She has helped me to realize that I really enjoy learning about things that happened in the past and the hardships that people used to face. These things have helped me to grow to a better person and a better student, and I appreciate all that my grandma has done. My grandmother’s perseverance through the most difficult situations has influenced me to strive for things that seem hardest to conquer. “Nothing in this world is handed to you” are the words that she constantly incorporates into me. My grandmother would have been my biggest supporter and because of her, I believe that college will help me fulfill my ultimate lifetime dream, which is to become a lawyer. College provides diversity, multiple opportunities, and a welcoming community, which can be used to my benefit.
My grandmother tells me that “above all common sense is most important in this world”. Without common sense, one could pass up many opportunities and make a lot of mistakes that are easily avoidable with common knowledge. Without the use of common sense, people would not be able to solve the easiest problems or even attempt to try to solve the hard ones. I have high respect for my grandmother, not to mention esteem and she is definitely by far the “greatest person who has had the most impact on my life”.