<p>Keep in mind this is a first draft!
Any and all feedback is appreciated, thank you so much :)</p>
<pre><code>My mother is the most supportive and compassionate person that God could have blessed into my life, though she has made her fare share of mistakes I would not trade her for anyone as she has shaped me into the person I am today. Growing up, my father was not present in my life and my mom struggled with an ongoing addiction to alcohol. When my mom was not drinking she was the best mother ever; but when she was (which was often) I could never be sure if I was going to see her the next morning. My mother and I moved in with my aunt and uncle when I was 11 years old - my older brother was in jail and my mom had just lost her job. It was a small home with just three bedrooms and 8 people, but it was the most stability I had in my life.
School was my favorite place to be growing up. Whether I was at a motel thirty minutes away from my school or across the street my mother always made sure I went, and she never moved me from my school. School had never come easy for my family; my brother struggled to maintain passing grades in high school and my mother dropped out of college before earning a degree because the pressure was too much for her. School had never been this way for me. Up until my sophomore year of high school I had never received a grade lower than a B. School began to get tough but I was still doing better than anyone in my family had ever done. With the lack of motivation from my family I sometimes slipped and let my challenging classes get the best of me, and I made excuses for myself.
I am so thankful to have had the teachers and counselors that I have for pushing me to live up to my full potential. If it werent for them I would probably not be where I am today. They pushed me to take challenging classes and get help when I needed it, rather than just giving up. It is because of them that I want to further my education and get my teaching credential. I want to be able to help people the same way I was helped. I want to be the teacher that never gives up on a student and challenges them, just as I had been.
I know firsthand that life is hard, and challenges will constantly present themselves, but using the negatives in life as excuses for things will only keep you from seeing the positive. My mom has not used alcohol in almost a year and we are closer than ever. My father and I are in contact and talk once a week. My senior year of high school is slowly coming to an end and I am blessed with a loving and supportive family. I know what I want to do with my life and have the motivation to strive to achieve these goals. My story is unique but it has shaped me into the person I am today, and I am blessed with the strength to use it to help others.
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