Throughout a lifetime, every individual has countless people, ideas, things and experiences that change and mold who they are and can help to explain why they do what they do. When I think back on my life, there is no doubt in my mind that the single most influential part of my life was, is and will continue to be my father. My father grew up in a very poor family in New York. After a rough childhood, years of odd jobs and debt, and finally paying himself through college he is now a successful entrepreneur who owns his own house in beautiful Oceanside, California. The trials my father underwent to reach his goals shaped him into a powerful force with a relentless drive and insurmountable willpower. It allowed him to give his children – myself and my brother – a life that he could only dream about in his youth. His strong personal values of responsibility, honesty, ambition and respect have been imprinted on me throughout my entire life. While I was growing up, I was always given recognition by my family for all my achievements. One thing my father refused to do, however, was reward me with material objects. He is proud of me for my achievements, but he has told me on many occasion that it is what he expects. He expected a lot from me, and tells me “Alexander, I climbed from the bottom rungs of society to where we are today not so you could stay at this same rung that I'm on, but so that you can far surpass me.” I know deep down I don't have the willpower and strength that my father does because I never had to overcome the obstacles he did. But I do have him as an example and I do have, as he said, an excellent rung to start on. I've already begun climbing at UCLA, and I don't plan on slowing down anytime soon.
WDYDWYD? For me it is to get to the next rung.
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