Written August 26, 2016
There have been many different events that have formed the person that I have become today, and I feel that my environment was the biggest impact on who I am. My biological makeup hasn’t quite affected me as much regarding how my personality is. Along with specific events, there have been specific people that have influenced how I have grown. Some things that have influenced me environmentally are my parents, my peers in school, my hobbies, work, and college.
I was adopted at 2 days old, and I often think about what I would be like if my birth parents had kept me and raised me in their own way. I know that I would be very different, but I am thankful for my adopted parents and how they have raised me. My parents style of upbringing made me considerate, polite, and compassionate. Without their influences on me, I don’t think I would be who I am since being a compassionate human being is a big part of who I am. Had I not been raised the way that I was, I don’t know if I would be as respected from other people in society since I wouldn’t be as polite or considerate of others.
My friends and general peers in school influenced me a lot on my likes and dislikes in everyday things. My friends, who I shared similar interests with, helped me to expand my social skills and interests. My peers taught me something I find a bit more valuable, which is to be tough. My school years before college consisted of a lot of bullying from my peers and a lot of criticism for how I looked or for my interests. Rather than letting this be a negative impact, I have turned it into a positive one. I have learned how to defend myself, my friends and my passions. My peers taught me how to learn who I can and cannot trust, and how to be strong and not take things to heart too much.
My hobbies helped me to grow as an individual in my personality because my hobbies typically include getting involved with many different types of people and experiencing the world head on. One of my biggest hobbies is music. I was in marching band in high school and my first year of college, which taught me many things such as time management, responsibility, patience, and how to feel important no matter how small ones’ part may be. Another hobby is photography, which forces me to go out and experience a given environment and grow to be a well-rounded individual.
Another big influence from my environment on who I am today is having a job. I work as a retail associate at a dollar store in my town, which requires many things of me. It has allowed me to learn responsibility, social skills, and organization skills. These skills are all useful for me as I get older and experience more things and take on more responsibility, and I am grateful that I have been able to earn these skills.
Lastly, going to college was a big impact on who I am personally. I started (and plan to finish) college at Kennesaw State University, where I was living on campus and had an entirely new environment from my parents’ house to grow from. I had to learn how to live on my own while also sharing a small space with another person, which was a big ordeal in itself for me. As someone who suffers from mental illness, going away to college also helped me to overcome some of my illness and learn how to deal with the illnesses that I have to be a high functioning person in society.
Ink and Crystals 