Personal Narrative: The Rothfuss Family Profile
The Rothfuss Family Profile While progressing through this course, I have learned a lot about child development and also looked further into different aspects of my family life, of which I had not done so prior to CFD135. Through the textbook readings, PowerPoint presentations, online quizzes, and discussion postings, I have realized that there is not only a lot more to child and family development than I had previously realized, but also a lot that I have taken for granted as a child growing up. By studying the composition of my family of origin, their occupational statuses, the community I grew up in, the connections I have with extended family members, the health status of my family members, and finally the personalities of my family members,
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I can confidently say that I now have a far greater understanding of my family profile and the different factors that made me the person I am today.
In our textbook, Family Life Now, the author, Kelly Welch, states that, “all definitions pertaining to family are unique to each person due to their particular experiences” (Welch 6). I think that this is true when it comes to my family. My family of origin, which is defined by Welch as, “the family into which we are born or brought into by adoption” (Welch 6), consists of my father, Ervin II, my mother, Elizabeth, my older sister, Taylar, and my younger sister, Tessandra. My father is 52 years old and graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in business. My father is not only the hardest working person I have ever met, but he is also one of the best leaders I know. Through hard work and dedication, my dad has eventually become either the president or the owner of every business he has worked for or started on his own. My dad was my idol as a child, my basketball coach in middle school, and today is just an overall good role model for the type of person I hope to someday be. Needless to say my father has influenced me tremendously. By demonstrating how much someone can accomplish simply through hard work and persistence, my dad has influenced me greatly to strive to be successful in life. He influenced me growing up to work hard in sports and to be competitive in all my extra-curricular activities. In high school, he influenced me to get good grades, and, because of him, I was able to graduate at the top of my class. Lastly, in college, his rigorous work ethic has influence me to want to do well in my classes and obtain a high GPA, so I can be the best med school applicant possible. My mother, on the other hand, is not as serious or intense as my father, but rather kind. She is 53 years old, and her love for her kids shines through in her day-to-day activities. It is apparent to the people around her that my mom has a huge heart. My mother has influenced me to be a kind and genuine person to the people around me. She has taught me how to treat people well, and also demonstrated how to help those that are less fortunate than you. Growing up, she influenced me to start a club called Ambassadors of Kindness, which was a club dedicated to the promotion of kindness and the prevention of bullying after my school tragically lost three students to suicide within a couple months. Her kindness and generosity for others has also influenced me to become a part of an organization called Miracle League, which is a baseball league for special needs children in Escondido. My older sister, Taylar, is 22 years old, and is a very determined person. Her determination and athleticism has taken her far in life. She was able to get a full ride scholarship to play volleyball at the University of Nevada Reno, and right now she is currently one of the top setters in the Mountain West division. Growing up, Taylar influenced me to eat healthier, and today, she has influenced me to go to the gym often and to stay in good condition and health. Lastly, we have Tessa, who is 15 years old and has a very ditsy and friendly personality. Tessa is currently a high school freshman, and has influenced me in the development of my responsibility and leadership skills. In the text, Welch says that, “Each event—marriage and divorce; birth and death; a new job or home; loss of love or physical health; the transition from one life stage to another— sets off a response that will affect every member within the family system” (Welch 250). My parents had a strong marriage at first, unfortunately, a “de-escalation of intimacy” (Welch 434) occurred, leading to their separation. After my parents got divorced, that is, a “socially sanctioned method that legally terminates the marriage” (Welch 424), things became a lot harder for my family, especially for Tessa, and it became my responsibility to look after Tessa and make sure she was doing okay. Through these hard times, I learned a lot of different life lessons, and because of Tessa, I was influenced to become a more responsible person.
The different occupational statuses of my family members have definitely influenced my development as well. My dad’s occupational status, again, has influenced me a lot. My dad has started numerous businesses on his own throughout his lifetime, some of which have grown to become very big companies. About 10 years ago, my dad started his own bank, which eventually turned into a large chain of banks located all throughout Northern Arizona, and, although the stock market crash of 2008 hit his company tremendously hard and led to a career change for my father (from banking to community development), his hard work and success in starting up his own company has influenced me to want to do the same. Which is why, this year, I started my own company. It is definitely a work in progress, but ACB is a clothing company providing high quality clothes and accessories primarily to the surf, snow, and skate communities. It is because of my father’s drive and work ethic that I was influenced and had enough confidence to take out a loan and build my own company as well. My mother, on the other hand, was a stay-at-home mom for most of my life (up until the time of my parent’s divorce). However, because she was at home most of the time, this provided her the time to be able to complete all of the “household work”, such as cleaning the house and nurturing her children (Welch 402). It also provided her the time to work on the private companies my parents owned together. Because of this, “male domination in the home and in the work place” (Welch 54) was never a way to accurately describe my household. My dad spent his time at his bank, and my mom did her part in raising us and helping with the other private businesses. This allowed for specialization, which is “a marriage in which each spouse can take on tasks and concentrate on those things they do well” (Welch 258). By being able to care for us and work at the same time, my mom demonstrated how to multitask and taught me how to do the same with my schooling and business. Volleyball has been Taylar’s only occupation her whole life, but has taught me what true dedication is and how far it can take you. Lastly, Tessa has only been a student her whole life, but has primarily influenced me to be a better leader and to try to assist her through school, in hopes that someday she will graduate at the top of her class as well.
I grew up in Prescott, Arizona, a small town located in Northern Arizona that has a population of only about 40,000 people. Prescott is primarily a retirement town, with the majority of the people being elderly. However, because there were a lot of elderly people and not too many younger kids, it made the children that were there all very close with each other. I went to school with basically all of the same kids from elementary school to high school. This influenced me to form close friendships with a lot of different kids, and because of this, some of the best friends that I have today are guys I have known since I was five or six years old. In fact, the three kids that are helping me with my company are people I have known since first grade.
Extended family is defined in Family Life Now as, “a family that extends beyond the nuclear family,” (Welch 10). Growing up, some of my family lived in Arizona, only a couple hours away from us, but for the most part, the majority of my extended family lived out of state. This made it hard for us to get to be able to see them lots, but the times we were all together were always very memorable for me. For me, my Uncle Steve was probably the most influential for my development. He is an orthopedic surgeon and always taught me a lot whenever he was around. Although I have always been interested in medicine since my sister was very young, my uncle also played a large role in the career path I chose. The passion and excitement he would give off when he talked about his work was inspiring. He also let me sit-in on some of his surgeries, which sparked my interest even more. For me, my uncle influenced me to want to learn more about science and the human body, and to aspire to someday be a surgeon like him.
My family has been very privileged when it comes to our overall health status.
Granted we do eat fairly well and nobody smokes or chews, but we have not had any other serious health issues. Nobody in my family has any sort of handicap or disability, and we were all for the most part blessed with healthy, perfectly normal bodies. My mother was also fortunate enough to not have any pregnancy losses, such as a miscarriage or stillbirth (Welch 339). The only health issue that is in my family is my little sister. Tessa was born with a heart murmur, and, at two weeks old, her heart stopped and she was air evacuated to Phoenix for surgery. A cardiovascular surgeon saved Tessa’s life, and ever since then, I have been extremely interested in medicine. Tessa’s health status and her heart surgery have without a doubt influenced my career path more than anything else.
Lastly, my family member’s personalities have influenced the development of the person I am today. While every person in my family has a unique personality, from my father being hardworking and serious, to my mother being kind and courteous, to Taylar being determined and competitive, to Tessa being ditsy and friendly, they taught me to try to be an overall balanced person, and to not be only hardworking, kind, competitive, or friendly, but rather a mix of all of them as I grow and further develop in my life going
forward.
I can confidently say that I now have a far greater understanding of my family profile and the different factors that made me the person I am today.
In our textbook, Family Life Now, the author, Kelly Welch, states that, “all definitions pertaining to family are unique to each person due to their particular experiences” (Welch 6). I think that this is true when it comes to my family. My family of origin, which is defined by Welch as, “the family into which we are born or brought into by adoption” (Welch 6), consists of my father, Ervin II, my mother, Elizabeth, my older sister, Taylar, and my younger sister, Tessandra. My father is 52 years old and graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in business. My father is not only the hardest working person I have ever met, but he is also one of the best leaders I know. Through hard work and dedication, my dad has eventually become either the president or the owner of every business he has worked for or started on his own. My dad was my idol as a child, my basketball coach in middle school, and today is just an overall good role model for the type of person I hope to someday be. Needless to say my father has influenced me tremendously. By demonstrating how much someone can accomplish simply through hard work and persistence, my dad has influenced me greatly to strive to be successful in life. He influenced me growing up to work hard in sports and to be competitive in all my extra-curricular activities. In high school, he influenced me to get good grades, and, because of him, I was able to graduate at the top of my class. Lastly, in college, his rigorous work ethic has influence me to want to do well in my classes and obtain a high GPA, so I can be the best med school applicant possible. My mother, on the other hand, is not as serious or intense as my father, but rather kind. She is 53 years old, and her love for her kids shines through in her day-to-day activities. It is apparent to the people around her that my mom has a huge heart. My mother has influenced me to be a kind and genuine person to the people around me. She has taught me how to treat people well, and also demonstrated how to help those that are less fortunate than you. Growing up, she influenced me to start a club called Ambassadors of Kindness, which was a club dedicated to the promotion of kindness and the prevention of bullying after my school tragically lost three students to suicide within a couple months. Her kindness and generosity for others has also influenced me to become a part of an organization called Miracle League, which is a baseball league for special needs children in Escondido. My older sister, Taylar, is 22 years old, and is a very determined person. Her determination and athleticism has taken her far in life. She was able to get a full ride scholarship to play volleyball at the University of Nevada Reno, and right now she is currently one of the top setters in the Mountain West division. Growing up, Taylar influenced me to eat healthier, and today, she has influenced me to go to the gym often and to stay in good condition and health. Lastly, we have Tessa, who is 15 years old and has a very ditsy and friendly personality. Tessa is currently a high school freshman, and has influenced me in the development of my responsibility and leadership skills. In the text, Welch says that, “Each event—marriage and divorce; birth and death; a new job or home; loss of love or physical health; the transition from one life stage to another— sets off a response that will affect every member within the family system” (Welch 250). My parents had a strong marriage at first, unfortunately, a “de-escalation of intimacy” (Welch 434) occurred, leading to their separation. After my parents got divorced, that is, a “socially sanctioned method that legally terminates the marriage” (Welch 424), things became a lot harder for my family, especially for Tessa, and it became my responsibility to look after Tessa and make sure she was doing okay. Through these hard times, I learned a lot of different life lessons, and because of Tessa, I was influenced to become a more responsible person.
The different occupational statuses of my family members have definitely influenced my development as well. My dad’s occupational status, again, has influenced me a lot. My dad has started numerous businesses on his own throughout his lifetime, some of which have grown to become very big companies. About 10 years ago, my dad started his own bank, which eventually turned into a large chain of banks located all throughout Northern Arizona, and, although the stock market crash of 2008 hit his company tremendously hard and led to a career change for my father (from banking to community development), his hard work and success in starting up his own company has influenced me to want to do the same. Which is why, this year, I started my own company. It is definitely a work in progress, but ACB is a clothing company providing high quality clothes and accessories primarily to the surf, snow, and skate communities. It is because of my father’s drive and work ethic that I was influenced and had enough confidence to take out a loan and build my own company as well. My mother, on the other hand, was a stay-at-home mom for most of my life (up until the time of my parent’s divorce). However, because she was at home most of the time, this provided her the time to be able to complete all of the “household work”, such as cleaning the house and nurturing her children (Welch 402). It also provided her the time to work on the private companies my parents owned together. Because of this, “male domination in the home and in the work place” (Welch 54) was never a way to accurately describe my household. My dad spent his time at his bank, and my mom did her part in raising us and helping with the other private businesses. This allowed for specialization, which is “a marriage in which each spouse can take on tasks and concentrate on those things they do well” (Welch 258). By being able to care for us and work at the same time, my mom demonstrated how to multitask and taught me how to do the same with my schooling and business. Volleyball has been Taylar’s only occupation her whole life, but has taught me what true dedication is and how far it can take you. Lastly, Tessa has only been a student her whole life, but has primarily influenced me to be a better leader and to try to assist her through school, in hopes that someday she will graduate at the top of her class as well.
I grew up in Prescott, Arizona, a small town located in Northern Arizona that has a population of only about 40,000 people. Prescott is primarily a retirement town, with the majority of the people being elderly. However, because there were a lot of elderly people and not too many younger kids, it made the children that were there all very close with each other. I went to school with basically all of the same kids from elementary school to high school. This influenced me to form close friendships with a lot of different kids, and because of this, some of the best friends that I have today are guys I have known since I was five or six years old. In fact, the three kids that are helping me with my company are people I have known since first grade.
Extended family is defined in Family Life Now as, “a family that extends beyond the nuclear family,” (Welch 10). Growing up, some of my family lived in Arizona, only a couple hours away from us, but for the most part, the majority of my extended family lived out of state. This made it hard for us to get to be able to see them lots, but the times we were all together were always very memorable for me. For me, my Uncle Steve was probably the most influential for my development. He is an orthopedic surgeon and always taught me a lot whenever he was around. Although I have always been interested in medicine since my sister was very young, my uncle also played a large role in the career path I chose. The passion and excitement he would give off when he talked about his work was inspiring. He also let me sit-in on some of his surgeries, which sparked my interest even more. For me, my uncle influenced me to want to learn more about science and the human body, and to aspire to someday be a surgeon like him.
My family has been very privileged when it comes to our overall health status.
Granted we do eat fairly well and nobody smokes or chews, but we have not had any other serious health issues. Nobody in my family has any sort of handicap or disability, and we were all for the most part blessed with healthy, perfectly normal bodies. My mother was also fortunate enough to not have any pregnancy losses, such as a miscarriage or stillbirth (Welch 339). The only health issue that is in my family is my little sister. Tessa was born with a heart murmur, and, at two weeks old, her heart stopped and she was air evacuated to Phoenix for surgery. A cardiovascular surgeon saved Tessa’s life, and ever since then, I have been extremely interested in medicine. Tessa’s health status and her heart surgery have without a doubt influenced my career path more than anything else.
Lastly, my family member’s personalities have influenced the development of the person I am today. While every person in my family has a unique personality, from my father being hardworking and serious, to my mother being kind and courteous, to Taylar being determined and competitive, to Tessa being ditsy and friendly, they taught me to try to be an overall balanced person, and to not be only hardworking, kind, competitive, or friendly, but rather a mix of all of them as I grow and further develop in my life going
forward.