Growing up in a household where there were failed hopes and dreams, I was the kid that was bound and determined to fill my family's dreams. From my earliest memory, I can remember my family expecting me to do great things where they did not succeed and not wanting to fail no matter the cost. It has taken its toll on me but I have learned not to crack under the stress often, I still crack when everything hits me but I need a little break sometimes.

My grandma who is a devote Catholic has always made sure our family knew to be thankful to God and be relatively religious. She has had to face more things then she would like to admit to even her own family but I believe that it is because she is humble. Her faith and constant reminder of God has often seem to overbearing and or smothering to me, my reason for believing it to be either one of those things is due to I am at the age where I don't value faith as much as I did as a child or will as I get older. However, I do value my Grandma and her hopes for me to grow in my faith so hopefully I filled her expectations of attending a private Catholic College.

My grandfather, as you will likely see this I am currently trying to full fill your goals as an athlete. From as far back as I can remember you were the one coming to games and buying us our gear; you always were coach and someone we could get a lecture from on what we could have done better in our sports. From the day I was born you said we had a special bond, that bond is our love for sports and our heritage. I've played soccer and ran for the longest time but didn't take cross country serious till my junior year of high school when soccer became to stressful to play, you were the one who bought my shoes from then on for cross country and still soccer for that last year in high school. Even though I sprained my hamstring early on in the season and have been sick I will practice harder, and run faster for you.

My mother, like I said about Tata you will see this before Grannie will. You wanted to major in Criminal Justice and be a lawyer (you said this my senior year of high school), but your plans were changed because of me and the boys. I am majoring in Criminal Justice to become a lawyer like you wanted but with a twist, instead of just being a family attorney I will also become a supreme court justice if I play my cards right. You set the bar in high school for cross country so like I didn't say in my five word speech when I signed here it is...

I started running cross country because I needed it for conditioning in soccer but then I lost a great friend my junior year so it made me run harder senior year. But between you and I, my body is capable enough to run so mom I'll run in college for you till my body can't anymore.

Well mom I'm pushing myself for that degree and in cross country, but like those phones calls we had we both know my knee might not make it to senior year or junior year; I'm still going to run till that day.

Everything I have set myself towards were their goals and hopes, I am striving to fill these expectations I have taken on; in the beginning it was hard and not my own but now I have my own twist on it. I have set personal goals but the expectations I have set out to fill are still way to important. So mom, Grannie, Tata I want to talk to you guys but in order to do this I might just call or text you once a week. Being a college kid is hard. Love you guys!!!