Personal Narrative: My Personal Enviroment

The environment I grew up in was not one of the most conventional family environments for a few reasons: I grew up on a native reserve on an island in Alaska.I live with my physically disabled mother, who is my inspiration. Some people might say that this is a setback for me, but I believe that it has helped me to become the best version of myself I can be. In fact, a large reason why I have become so self-determined is because of my home environment. I have bigger, better dreams because of how I have lived my life, and instead of holding me back they have inspired me to achieve greater things in life.

I have grown up on an island in Alaska, a native reservation. When you first think of being Native American, you would not automatically assume this would be a
setback in any sort of way, but unfortunately, there are not many Native Americans who even obtain a college degree. According to www.educationworld.com, less than ten percent of Native Americans get a college degree. With the American national average being over twice that for earning their degrees, there are not many people I know who have gone off to college and graduated. When I head off to college I will be a first-generation college graduate. I know that the process will be foreign and slightly intimidating, but I also know that being a first-generation college graduate is an accomplishment to be proud of. This has given me even further motivation to move forward with my journey of learning.

My mother is physically disabled and is incapable of leaving her bed without assistance, she is also unable to walk or grip onto things heavier than two pounds.
She has been this way since I was twelve years old. Despite the hardships that have come with having to help her, and around the house more often, it has shaped me to become a more responsible person. She is also my biggest inspiration, because even when she first began to get sick and was bound in a wheelchair, she was still a very determined and independent woman who went to work everyday. She did not allow her disabilities to hold her back. And me being an able-bodied young woman, seeing her achieve what she could in her condition, made me push myself in my academics so that I, too, could have a job where I was happy, secure, and felt independent and proud of what I was accomplishing. I feel I have become more responsible because I know what I have to do everyday to help keep my family life in order and to help her. Despite her sickness, and what some may view as a burden, I have instead chosen to view as an opportunity on to improve on who I am. I have developed time management skills and work ethic because of the life I
live.

Both of these factors have contributed to me living a rather unorthodox life, and may also be viewed as setbacks or challenges for me to face. But fair weather never made an experienced sailor, and so I believe that these factors have allowed for me to grow as a person. I am who I am today, because of the life I live in the environment it is. Rather than let these challenges hold meback I have chosen to instead, let these adversities inspire me to push myself harder academically. So that I can go farther in life and be content with the life I lead. I will never be upset about growing up on a small reservation, on an island in Alaska, with my inspirational, disabled mother knowing that it has shaped me to become a more motivated and better person.