My Career Goals My Mother And My Jamaican Upbringing Essay

When I read the question â€Å"what has brought you to where you are now?† the first two things that came to mind were my mom and my Jamaican upbringing. Throughout my life, my mother, a single parent, has been dedicated, determined, and courageous, and I have tried to develop the characteristics that she embodies. In the same way, my upbringing has pushed me to strive for excellence and has influenced my academic and future aspirations. My ultimate career goals are to become a general surgeon who does clinical and community-based research and to serve the community. As I look back to where I have been, there are many challenges I had to overcome whether it’s providing alternatives to my family’s financial circumstances, overcoming the death of a very close friend in college, medical problems, or negative feedback from others. From my experiences, the ability to succeed in life has developed a much stronger meaning. I feel I have to work twice as hard as others s o I can avoid previous hardships or financial struggles. At a very young age, my mother instilled the importance of getting an education, protecting and following my dreams, and making use of opportunities that are presented before me. The hardships (i.e. financial and health related) that my family and I encountered while I was younger are similar hardships that I see in nearby communities. I see families struggle from paycheck to paycheck, teenage pregnancy, gang and drug violence, high incarceration rate,Show MoreRelatedCollege Is The End Goal Of A High Standard Individual Essay1221 Words   |  5 Pagesnegative. College is the end goal of a high standard individual who wants to succeed in life and get a good job, according to society. There are certain factors that could influence the average person to go and not go to college, the extent of skills and experience, standard benefits, wages and stability . In my personal experience-- as a high school senior, family s experience, college attenders experience, and my personal life interest and options of my interest are my reasons for attending collegeRead MoreBob Marley’s Spiritual Rhetoric, the Spread of Jamaican Culture and Rastafarianism6348 Words   |  26 PagesSpiritual Rhetoric, the Spread of Jamaican Culture and Rastafarianism By Mark Haner Senior Seminar: Hst 499 Professor John L. Rector Western Oregon University June 16, 2007 Readers Professor John L. Rector Professor Kimberly Jensen Copyright  © Mark Haner, 2007 The spread of Jamaican culture and Rastafarianism can be accredited to many events and technical advances in communication. Bob Marley is one of the main influences the spread of Jamaican culture and Rastafarianism due toRead MoreEssay on Religious Justifications of Slavery in the Caribbean3525 Words   |  15 PagesChristian faith, and grossly illuminates the corruption of Christianity at the hands of the planters. During slavery many families were separated: fathers, mothers and children were attached to different plantations with the result that some never saw their family members again. The responsibility of bringing up the children rested primarily with the mothers and grandmothers. This situation gave rise to a matriarchal type of family which is still common in the Caribbean today. Formerly slaves had little