This is my mother who has been and still is a big influence in my life. My mother is 60 years old and she is an inspiring person. What I find most amazing is that my mother became one of the first computer programmers. I remember when computers were still new and not everyone had one. My grandfather owned his own pharmacy and because it was a family business my mother was expected to also become a pharmacist. When my mother came across an add in the paper about a "new" type of technology that has been developed and needed to have people program, my mother took a leap of faith and decided to take the risk to change her career field. She became very good at programming and worked her way up to becoming a supervisor. Because she was a woman, she often had to struggle in a male dominated domain. When the cooperation she was working for went bankrupt, she was 50 years old. After applying for several jobs, she found herself struggling against younger and cheaper to hire competition. Instead of giving up, my mother decided to found her own small business. Her life has not been easy but she never gave up. This is why my mother become a role model for me and inspired me to work hard. Even today, I talk to my mother about any struggles that I have during my work and she encourages me and gives me advice to get through life. It is inspiring to see that if you work hard, life will reward you.
This is my brother Georg. He has been a big influence in my life because he helped me understand what a big sister is for. He made me a strong and caring leader. My brother is four years younger than I am. I still remember going to the same school. When he was in 5th grade and I in 9th, we had a snack break at the same time. Every day, my friends and I would sit in the auditorium and he would come up to us with chocolate milk. He used some of his lunch money to by me a carton each day. Then, he would bring it up to me, turn to his friends to smile and wave at them. He was proud to be able to "hang out" with the older crowed. Even though, I told him multiple times that he does not have to buy me chocolate milk if he wants to come over and talk to me, he insisted. Growing up, he always looked up to me and my sister for advice. This made me feel very special because I know he loved me no matter what. It also helped me understand that I do have responsibilities in life and be strong.
The next big influence in my life have been my grandparents. I only have a picture of my grandfather but I still remember my grandmother as well. My grandmother had an important influence on my life because she was my first death experience. I remember being at my grandparents house every summer. When I think back, I can still smell the cookies my grandmother used to bake. The house was always warm and inviting. I felt safe. I remember that me and my siblings used to play at a pool in the garden while my grandma made homemade cookies. When she was done baking, she would dome out on the balcony and throw done some cookies that we would then eat. When my grandma died, I was 6 years old. She was send to the hospital for cancer. The hardest part for me at that age was to understand why we were not allowed to see her. It took me a long time to come to terms with her death but it made me also understand how important life is. Now, I cherish every day that I have.
My grandfather was an equal big influence in my life. Even after my grandmothers death, we were always invited in his home. My grandfather lead an amazing life. I love to hear him talk about what he has accomplished. My grandfather is 91 years old, has an artificial hip and still lives on his own. He walks everyday and just recently given up hiking in the mountains. It is amazing to see what he can do even in his advanced age. Every time I visit him, we talk about his life. He did serve in World War 2 and has many stories on how lucky he was at times. Listening to his stories made me aware that all the problems that seem to make my life difficult seem to be minor compared to what he had to go through. His stories helped me understand that I should be grateful for what I have.
The last influence I want to mention is a man named Mr. Knecht. He used to me my math teacher and I don't have a picture of him. When I went to school, I could not stand math or my math teacher Mr. Knecht. He always came into class being chipper and in a good mood. He was excited about what he taught and very challenging in his tasks. It took me years to realize how much influence he had on me. His attitude and passion for teaching made me realize years after I left school inspired me to be a teacher as well. Even though I never liked math, I still remember all the things he taught versus the math problems other math teachers taught me. He was one of the few teachers challenging me and I had to rise up to the challenge. This gave me more responsibility because I had no excuse for failure. The only one I had to blame for not doing well was me. He is the reason why I started to work hard on myself to succeed.
