Growing up, I was surrounded by adults because I was an only child and my Grandmother took care of me while my Mom was at work. Conversations about money being scarce and my family members being jobless became common in my household; Moreover, I felt the baggage they carried. After a while, I learned that I was going to have to work hard in school to outgrow the cycle of not succeeding in my family. My Grandmother would reward me twenty dollars for every A I received in grammar school and 10 dollars for every B. She did not accept any grades below this; As a result, I was on the honor roll for eight years straight. My teachers would always say that I was a leader and that many of the students would mimic me. My seventh grade teacher, Mr.
