Essay on "A Person Who Influenced Me The Most"

My Grandma
    Have you ever imagined how your life would be different if a key person were not in it, like a mother, father, spouse, or child? Some people are so integral to making us who we are that without them, our very identity would be changed. My grandmother is a key figure in my life who has left an indelible impression on me. She is a woman of great influence because of her stability, her work ethic, and her independent spirit. 

    Grandma is the matriarch of our family. Because she has a close relationship with us and a great deal of wisdom, her seven children and sixteen grandchildren often seek her out for advice. We look to her for advice on everything from how to potty train a toddler to how to break up with a boyfriend. Grandma relishes the fact that we ask her for advice, but she never offers it without being sought out. She is like a rock: never-changing. My own parents got divorced when I was twelve, but I always knew that Grandma's house was a source of stability when the rest of my world seemed tumultuous. This sense of security has helped me face other challenges as they come along in life, like when we moved during my freshman year of high school. 

    Grandma also inspired me to pursue my goals. Because of the trials she faced without shrinking back, I am able to have the strength to work hard and try to realize my dreams. Grandma didn't have it easy. Because she was a single parent from a fairly young age, offices to save for her children's college educations. She received no help from the outside and was totally independent from her own family's help. Grandma always stressed the importance of education to all of us in achieving our goals. Grandma's example of hard work and her emphasis on education have strengthened me to pursue a college degree, and eventually a PhD. Even though I will have to work to get through school, I know that if Grandma worked while raising seven children alone, I can handle taking care of myself. Her tireless example is truly inspirational. She has also encouraged me in my chose career, teaching, because she feels it will blend well with family life when I eventually have my own children. 

    Perhaps the most significant legacy Grandma has left me is her example of always voicing her opinion despite what people would say behind her back. In an age where segregation in social circles was common, Grandma's dinners after church on Sundays would look like a United Nations meeting. She would include all races and nationalities, and became close friends with a very diverse group of people. If someone tried to put down another race, she would quickly voice her disagreement. This refusal to be swayed by "popular" opinion had a huge impact on me, and is a guiding principle in my life today. 

    I certainly would not be the person I am today, inside or out, without the influence of my grandmother upon my life. I can only aspire to imitate her stability, her work ethic, and her refusal to be silenced by other people's disapproval.  
              

Persuasive Essay: Gardening for Community Needs

    Have you ever wondered where your food comes from? Say you ate a tomato at lunch today. That tomato was probably grown on a farm in another state, planted and harvested by a farmer you do not know. The farmer was paid for each tomato he or she sold. Then, the tomatoes were driven in a truck cross-country to a grocery store that is owned by someone else you don’t know. By the time that tomato reached you, it had passed through hundreds of hands and collected lots of germs and unhealthy pesticides. It is extremely important to know where your food is coming from. Making space for a community garden is essential because it would encourage unity in the community, save money, and promote a healthy lifestyle. 

     First, a community garden is an easy and effective way to encourage community bonding. You probably walk by the same people everyday on your way to school, but you don’t have any reason to talk to them. If there were a community garden, you would share experiences with other people to work towards a common goal of harvesting fruits and vegetables. Many of my friends live in my neighborhood, but if there were a community-wide project, then I could meet people from other neighborhoods too. A community garden would also provide a safe space to interact. It is important for people from different backgrounds to work together to create something. A community garden is exactly the type of thing that unites a community. For example, when I was eight years old, some people wanted a new playground at the elementary school. Instead of hiring a company to install it, the community came together to build an amazing wooden playground. We not only saved lots of money and materials, but we became the only school on the north side with a wooden playground. Students from other schools came to play and I made many new friends this way.

     Another reason to have a community garden is to save money. The mayor of Lilburn, Eleanor Markin, is in favor of a community garden. She says,”Not only is a community garden a perfect way to build goodwill between people, but it is extremely economical.” Instead of paying other people to grow our food, we could do it ourselves. The initial cost for clearing out the space and getting materials and tools may seem high, but research shows it really isn’t. We will spend less than two-thirds of what we would spend hiring other people to do this work for us. If we save money this way, we could invest more in other programs.

     In addition to making the community more close-knit and money-saving, a community garden also promotes healthy eating and a better lifestyle. Food grown in a community garden is very healthy and natural. It is much healthier than fast food, which a lot of people eat because it is cheap. If there were a garden that people in the community were responsible for, then healthy food would be readily available for a fair price. According to Randal Leekhelm, directer of the Community Garden Coalition,”When people are connected to their food, it encourages them to eat healthily.” Gardening is a simple and easy way to promote good eating habits. Also, the U.S Center for Disease Control and Prevention released statistics that say 40% of adults and 23% of children do not get enough exercise. Exercising is a very effective way to stay healthy. Caring for the garden would require a lot of bending, lifting, and shoveling. What better way is there to exercise than working in the garden?

     The goal of a community garden is to make people more active and aware of what they put into their bodies. If people got into the habit of working into a garden, it would quickly become a favored way to spend their time. Come to the garden on Saturday, October 4. Demand that the city council make space for a community garden. It is important to bring the community together and promote a healthier lifestyle.