When I think about a person who has influenced my life, the first person that comes to my mind is my dad, to me my dad is my hero in many ways.

My dad has taught me so many valuable life lessons, but he also taught me how to be a man, when it comes to my dad he doesn't try and control me like some parents might do with their kids, my dad says he's simply trying to “Guide” me in the right direction, as he watches me grow up and achieve accomplishments but also make many mistakes he sees himself as a kid, he tells me all the time how me and him are so alike and how he's done all the dumb stuff i've done as a kid, and that makes me realize that my dad truly does care about me and wants me to succeed in life.

When it comes to my dad he's the person i look up to and aspire to be, he provides for his family and gives endless love to me and my sister which shows me what being a man is about, my dad has taught me throughout my life that a man is a provider, a protector and a lover and many other things, and my dad demonstrates that to me every day.

Another thing my dad has taught me is how to have a good work ethic, i'm not the most driven person when it comes to certain thing like doing my school work, or doing the dishes, or the laundry, but he sat me down one day and had a talk with me, our talk consisted of him telling me that he never graduated high school and he had to work his butt off to get where he is today in his life, now he manages a private men's club in downtown St. Louis but when he first started working there over 20 years ago when he was filling out his application he told me that he had to lie on his application and say that he in fact graduated high school when he didn't, and at that moment he made me realize that I can't coast my way thru life, if i want something i have to work hard to earn whatever it is I want, at the end of that talk he told me one thing that will stick with me for the rest of my life and will hopefully tell my kids the same thing, do what you have to so you can do what you want to, so now whenever im faced with doing thing that i don't want to an image of my dad pops in my head saying that and I get it done, no matter what it is whether it being something with work or in school. 

My dad has positively impacted my life so much that i don't even think he realizes it, he has put me on such a good track for the next steps of my life now that i'm about to graduate high school and move on to bigger and better things, it feels good knowing that i have such a great male role model in my life to guide me in the right direction.