TRACEY WILLOUGHBY
My mom has always been there for me always keeping me going. When I was down she always helped me feel better. I have autism and only my mom believed I could achieve my dreams. I graduated 4 months early because of her belief in me.
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MADISON
my sister was born with down syndrome in 1997 after being alive for a few days , sadly she passed away . She was going to be my younger sister , i was going to take care of her and love her endlessly. i feel like God gave me a purpose in life to work with individuals with down syndrome, to put my devotion that i...
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MOTIVATION
I motivate myself everyday to conquer school and the battle of life. Sometimes it can be a challenge but if you believe in yourself then you'll get through anything. My father motivates me everyday to make my day worth living. He told me that if I was brave enough that I could do anything in life. Be strong and...
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MENSAH JOSEPH MOM MABEL FORTUNE
My mom taught me to be daring,bold and unwavering.A single mom who raised three children in the face of adversity but stood tall to bring the very best out of us.I can look back today and say because of my darling mom,i didnt give up the fight.I gave it all my all and i am looking forward to that day when i am...
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NOT ONLY ME.
There was a time where I completely gave up. A time where I thought I wasn’t worthy to live up to my dreams. I was wrong. I joined a school that helped me find myself. Helped me understand who I truly was, what I really wanted to be. They believed in me so much that I was completely connected with one particular...
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A STORY TO TELL
So recently I got goosebumps. It was Friday, November 17. I was so pumped since it was the end of the week and we had planned to go out and eat for dinner. I went school like it was a normal day, but little did I know there was a shock waiting for me at school.
There’s this boy in my band, Spanish and math...
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NORA JOHNSON
Growing up with my grandparents because my mom was a drug addict . My aunt Nora would always be the one to help me realize we weren't a normal family. To always be a better person, save money . Work hard and stay away from drugs and alcohol . She came to visit almost every day and took me to her house on...
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VETERAN SMILES
During a trip to a local veteran’s hospital with my dad in 2012, a Marine Corps veteran, I noticed that many of the veterans lacked basic toiletries and lived too far from the hospital for family or friends to visit regularly.
I was only 13 at the time, but decided to make a 4‑H service project to bring smiles...
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RAMONA DUPREE
Hello, my name is Talina Simpson. My mother has taught me many things. But one value that really comes to mind is to believe in myself. She made me aware of bad people in the world that would aim to bring me down and that they would be successful if I didn't believe in myself. As a kid, when I would come home sad...
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KENNY SHIREY
My story may be a little different from everyone else. I lost my oldest son to suicide over ten years ago and with that I lost my best friend and my hero. With his loss it made me realize just how important love and family means. Til this day we have no clue why he took his own life, but I turned to God for...
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ANNETTE WESSEL
Mrs. Wessel (Ms. Peirce) said, 'If you don't like the idea, don't complain--work within to improve it.'
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MOVING BACK TO PENNSYLVANIA
When I was 11 years old, I had to move for the third time from Northern New Jersey to here, in North Wales, PA. Moving was very stressful; moreover, it had been about eight years since I had lived in the Philadelphia area. I was scared of going to a new school, adjusting to a new environment, and meeting new...
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CANCER AT 22?
My name is Zahra* and I am a warrior! I am sharing my story in the hope that if you or a loved one has been recently diagnosed with cancer, it will take you beyond the and help you through the difficult days ahead.
Exactly 4 months after my wedding, I started having killing headaches. I was in great shape...
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MY GRANDMOTHER AND MOTHER
My Grandmother was a very faithful person. She taught me to think and do for others without a return involved and she taught me to have hope and faith in good and bad times. My Mom taught me to be a strong, independent woman. She also taught me to speak up for injustice. If it pertained to me or community.
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NIGHT TO SHINE
On February 9, 2018, I was a volunteer at NFL star Tim Tebow's Night to Shine, a prom for developmentally disabled individuals. It was the most amazing, humbling experience I have ever been a part of.
These beautiful spirits believe they can do anything and who are we to tell them they can't? They sing. They...
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FAMILY
Family has always been of great importance to me and something that I value very strongly. I grew up in an all-girl household with my mom and older sister while my dad and two older half-brothers live in Italy. Living in a household just us girls has brought us together and made the bond between us very strong....
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ON MY WAY HOME
I have always reflexively helped others. No matter how big or small the action, I am driven to help others; open doors, share umbrella, let others go first at the store if they have fewer items, and have received a prestigious Magnet Award for compassion.
I was driving home, north bound on a 6 lane highway. A...
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INTO REALITY
From my earliest memory, I was always in my imagination. When I was a kid, I loved superheroes, so, not only would play as I were any particular hero, I also started making my own comic books. I liked the idea of creating something in my head and to bringing it to life. I am constantly daydreaming. I’m always...
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MY BIG FAT ITALIAN FAMILY
With every Sunday evening dinner, the value of family has been ingrained in me. My tranquil house would suddenly turn chaotic. Crammed around the table, the aroma of the meal, the loud banter, the playful teasing, and the preposterous arguments that hit ear-piercing crescendos capture the essence of my big...
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PERSISTING
I believe that persistence is a value that defines me best right now. Fo me, persistence is such an important value to have because it enables me to set a goal and chase it. Many times in past years I've fallen short of that goal, but it is my ability to be persistent that allows me to keep pushing forward and...
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INTEGRITY VS. CHEETOS
When I was probably about 6 years old I remember being the least sneaky of all children. One time I had hot cheetos and my dad asked me if I had eaten them before dinner so I lied and said I hadn't. It was obvious that I had in fact been eating hot cheetos as I was literally caught red-handed in my lie. Around...
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LIVING IN THE MOMENT
For me I really found mindfulness when I was studying abroad in Europe for four months. Never having been to any of the countries I visited before, everything was new to me. The buildings, the streets, the art, and the just the beauty of these old cities around me was unlike anything I had ever seen. I remember...
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FRIENDSHIP
One of my biggest values in life is friendship. I believe I developed the value of friendship early in life through the schools I attended. I come from a decently large suburb, but attended small private schools growing up. My grade always had about 50 kids in it from Kindergarten through high school. I went...
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FORGIVENESS IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND ALL THE TIME
When I was younger I used to be verbally bullied. Throughout my childhood different girls would come up to me and call me names and made fun of me. There were a lot of girls who did that but only three hurt me the most (let´s imagine their names were "A", "B" and "c"). The girl "A" which was the first one...
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MY ROCK
As a kid growing up, I moved 6 times. That meant finding a new house, moving into a new school with new teachers, adapting to a new place and new culture, and also making new friends. It almost turned into clockwork; every 3 years likely meant a new place for me to move. Everyone always assumes I'm apart of a...
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LIFTING UP
I am seven years older than my twin cousins. When I was young, I think 8 or 9, they were toddlers. They really liked me and me them. They would cry a lot and I only saw them for the final two weeks of the year over break because I lived in New York and them in LA.
One night I was playing with them and it was a...
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THE NEVER ENDING SEARCH FOR KNOWLEDGE
I have found that the more information we can gather in our lives enhances the quality of our lives. Education can also be called experience - the events we see around us and the situations we life through. I liken experiences to pieces of a giant life puzzle. Each piece we gather and fit into the puzzle adds...
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THE VALUE STORY
For as long as I can remember, I have been particularly close to my family. I share many passions and interests with my father, mother, and sister, and we spend a great deal of time together enjoying one another's company. As a result, the values that my parents hold have become deeply instilled in my identity as...
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NEW HOMES, SAME FAMILY
When people ask me where I grew up, I can never give a solid answer. I've moved nine times in six different states and have never lived somewhere consistently for more than 3 years. Throughout all these moves, houses would change, schools would change, and even friends would change. However, family was always a...
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SMILE
#Values
When I was in second grade and my parents constantly fought and eventually got divorced, my big brother always told me to smile. Smile, and it would be okay. Smile, try to be optimistic, and things would get better. And they did. It’s unhealthy to pout and be upset for extended periods of time, so I...
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NEVER STOP MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Coming from a family of teachers and medical professionals, the impact of making a difference has been apparent to me from a young age. Contributing to a cause bigger than myself has incredible meaning in my life, because I wouldn't be where I am without others helping me along in the darkest of...
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HOPE
Hope has been a core value of mine for as long as I can remember. When I was younger I hated going to high school and living in a small town. Hope was the only thing that got me through my 8 years of middle/high school. When I came to college I thought my life was set, but then I went through an event that...
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THE IMPORTANCE OF LOVE IN A BUSY WORLD
I think love is an incredibly important value, especially as we get older and busier. With little time to invest in activities, we might end up taking the relationships in our life for granted. However, I was always raised to remember that the most important things in life aren't monetary or even tangible.
My...
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