Who else can influence your aspirations in life than the person you admire the most? For me she was my mother. At the same time that I was sitting in school and dreading every second of it, my mother was working full time as a nurse while studying for her bachelor's degree. It was always clear to me that my mother studied a lot. It was where it took her that made me want to change the way I evaluated my academic success. I had a great example of a strong work ethic displayed directly in front of me. Searching for a source of motivation for so long made me feel oblivious. It was a day I'll never forget: when I burst into tears watching my mother walk across the stage at her graduation. All the long hours spent at the kitchen table poring over textbooks would now earn her the title of registered nurse. While sitting in that auditorium, I had come to an epiphany. I wanted to be just like my mother one day. I would do this by taking full advantage of my education. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay It was the same year that my teachers showed they believed in me and placed me in an honors class for middle school. My recent realization of my mother had taught me that I had to work harder than I ever had if I wanted to achieve the success I was so proud of my mother. My two years of middle school were full of ups and downs. Yet, I managed to achieve a result that I could never have imagined for myself. I would enter High School with 3 Regents Credits. I had done it! Well, I started doing it. Those three credits: Spanish 1, Algebra 1, and Living Environment were all I needed to enter high school with an open mind. “Things won't be so difficult if I can keep this momentum going!” And they weren't. I have maintained straight A's in my completed three years of high school. Who would have thought? Having grown over the years, I can now say that I believe in a successful future for myself. I feel confident in pursuing a career in medicine. I am aware of the hard work it will take, but I am prepared now. I no longer feel lost with my schoolwork. Now I know exactly what I plan to do and what it will take to get there – that confidence and motivation I definitely gained from my mother. It brings me great joy to see myself where I am now, as opposed to where I thought I might end up being. This turnaround can be attributed to events in my childhood that shaped me into the person I am today. I hope I can be in a position to repay my mother one day.