My father was diagnosed with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and cirrhosis of the liver. The doctors then gave him two options; if he began taking his medications and stopped drinking he would receive the necessary treatments in order to enjoy a lengthy life without alcohol. Option two included taking his medications but not holding off on his drinking problem, the outcome of this would be my father passing a lot sooner than expected. My family and I were able to come together and realize the seriousness of his drinking problem. Once my father’s drinking decreased, he was a completely different man, creating a strong foundation for my family. As my relationship with my family improved, the rest of my life soon followed. During that time I started working at an elementary school that happened to be in a rough part of town and coaching a U12 boys soccer team. I quickly realized that I enjoyed working with the youth and noticed myself having positive productive relationships with troubled students due to the fact that I was able to relate to their problems in certain aspects.
I feel as if my external distractions as an adolescent led to difficulties in my academics, which resulted in my struggle to graduate to high school. However, these struggles have helped me to grow as a student as well as appreciate my education here at Cal State Monterey Bay. After a rough start back at my local Junior College in Modesto, I managed to get focused