The family you are born into can either make or break the opportunities given to a child. My parents have been a constant guide in my life thus far. Without their unconditional love and sacrifice I don’t know where I would be today. I owe my past, present, and future success to the support of my entire family, but especially my mother and father.
I’ll start with my dad. My dad has continuously sacrificed his own comfort for me and my siblings. When I was young he was a managing partner at the biggest procurement company in Rwanda. He made the decision to leave all that behind and attempt to start a new life in Australia. He did this when he accepted a scholarship to pursue higher education. He obtained a student visa which opened up the immigration process for him and all of his immediate family members to go to Australia.
He did this because he wanted my siblings and I to have a premium education, one that couldn’t be obtained in Rwanda. This man’s name is Evariste. Yes, just like the mountain.
The first couple years in Australia were tough for our entire family, but especially for my dad. Walking more than 3ft without running into someone else was uncommon in our household. The walls felt like they were inching closer and closer every week. My dad’s determination for us to have a better life was fierce. This fire motivated him to work two day jobs while pursuing his MBA part time.. I would often hear the door creaking in the early mornings but was never fully awake to investigate. Until one early morning when I had to use the bathroom, I heard those creaking noises. So like any 6 year old I went to investigate and what did I see? I saw a tall figure in the living room. At first I was startled but then came to realize it was my dad. After asking him what he was doing up so late, he simply replied, “I just got off work,” and it hit me, he was the one making the door noises every morning. This early morning interaction proved to be one of the most monumental moments of my childhood. From this I learned the value of hard work, perseverance, the drive to achieve success regardless of situation, the value of family, and how to sacrifice for the ones you love.
Fifty two years ago in the same country of Rwanda, lived a daughter of 10 . This young teenager had to wake up before dawn and walk several kilometers with her siblings to the nearest community water taps and walk back with nearly five gallons of water on her head. In countless ways she sacrificed her childhood and teenage years to make sure her family stayed off the streets. She would often have to work in her uncle’s corner shop instead of spending time with her friends. When she was 17 she dropped out of high school to go to nursing school for 6 months. She did this so she could start making more money to help her parents support her younger siblings in hopes of giving them a better childhood than she had experienced. This woman’s name is Laurence and I’m proud to call her mom. From her I learned that success is not determined by a diploma, but by the grit, courage and determination of an individual. From her I learned to always embrace the unknown and to persevere even when you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. People like my parents are the light in my tunnel. Because of their unconditional love and the many lessons they have laid before me, I can genuinely say I am truly growing into the man I know they are both proud of. I know I still have a long way to go, but they have laid the foundation. Thank you Mum and Dad
Shoutouts:
All my teachers and staff: I truly appreciate all the trendomous support and encouragement you have shown me throughout my time here. I would not have become a better student and person without you all so thank you.
Mr Quan- We have only known each other for 10 months but I feel like you have been my advisor since 9th grade. I appreciate you for putting up with some of the crazy discussions we have during advisory. You are one of the few teachers who has a similar sense of humor to us so thank you.
Mrs.Galvez- I think I have had a class with you for all 4 years which is lowkey crazy but I am extremely grateful for the relationship we have built. I love all of our inside jokes. I appreciate you for always finding ways to challenge me and for keeping me accountable. Thank you.
Mr Halloway- I know I’ve only had one class with you but English III helped me become such a better writer and along the way I found a genuine interest in literature and writing. Thank you.
The basketball team- I wish I could go through you guys individually but we would probably be here all day. Ever since I got here as a freshman, being apart of this team has felt like family. Playing with you guys these past few years has been one of the best experiences of my life so far. Let’s kick some butt this season.
To the Basketball community and the parents: Thank you to all the parents for welcoming me into this family with open arms. Moving here all by myself freshman year was a big change for me. You guys helped me get accustomed to my new environment and made me feel comfortable. Thank you to all the families for your hospitality and for welcoming me into your homes and families.
Coach Kitani: Man I dont even know where to begin. From the first day we met all the way out in Cerritos I had a feeling that you would play a large role in my future. You have been more than just a basketball coach for me. You have been a life coach and a father figure. You have always told it to me as it is and have continually pushed me to reach my potential on and off the court. Thank you. I know we have had our ups and downs but I wouldn’t change any of it. You have always been there for me especially on those dark days when I was feeling home sick and alone. I am so lucky to have met you and had the experience to play for you. Love you, Coach.
To my older siblings, Kevin and Doreen: I don’t think I would be who I am without you guys. Kevin, you introduced me to the game of basketball. I started playing because I wanted to be like you. I will never forget the memories of us playing 1v1 in the backyard and mum having to turn off the lights and yell at us to go back in house because you were just dunking on me and knocking me to the concrete. Those tough games made me stronger and made me fall in love with you game even more. Even though I hate to admit it, you have good rizz. Doreen, you are the only sane person in our family. Thank you for always being there for me and helping me not get into trouble, especially in those primary school days. I sometimes couldn’t tell if you were my sister or my mum with the amount of lectures you gave me. I am so proud of the things you are doing and the person you are becoming, love you.
Steve and Kathy: You guys are like my second parents. Thank you for welcoming me into your family and truly making me feel like one of your own. Living with you guys is an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life. See you guys in December.
Mum and Dad: I am extremely grateful for your constant love and support. I know this may sound cliche, but you guys really are the best parents in the world. If I lucky enough to have children of my own, I truly hope I can be half the parent you guys are.
Finding out who you truly are doesn’t happen overnight, it takes a great deal of patience, thought and active practice. There are so many people and activities that have guided me and will continue to guide me as I try to create the person I want to be but none have been more influential than my parents.
My father has been a constant guide for me in my life thus far. He has sacrificed his own comfortable well being for me and my siblings. He was a managing partner at the biggest procurement company in Rwanda but he decided to leave that behind and attempt to start a new life in Australia by accepting a scholarship to pursue a higher education. By moving to Australia and obtaining a student visa, that gave him the chance to become a permanent resident and bring the rest of the family over to Australia. He did this because he wanted my siblings and I to have a premium education, one that couldn’t be obtained in Rwanda. The first couple years in Australia were tough. Walking more than 3ft without running into someone else was unheard of in our household. The walls felt like they were inching closer and closer every day. But my dad was so determined for us to have a better life that he worked 2 jobs during the day and worked toward obtaining his MBA during the night. I would often hear door crackings in the early mornings but was never fully awake to investigate. Until one early morning around 2am I had to use the restroom and I heard those cracking noises. I went to investigate and saw a 6 foot figure in the living room. At first I was startled but then came to realize it was my father. After asking him what he was doing so late, he simply replied, “Just finished work,” and it hit me, he was the one making the door noises every morning. This early morning interaction proved to be one of the most defining moments of my childhood. From him I learned the value of hard work, perseverance, the drive to achieve success regardless of situation, and the value of family and to sacrifice for the ones we love. 45 years ago in the same country lived a daughter of 10
Mom: had to find water (river) community twitter taps, and food for the family. A line of people want to get water so if u come first u get water first but if not you would have to wait a long time. Walking 5 miles, wake up early 6am.
When in college for nursing struggled for food as food provided was really bad. Beans and potatoes only not cooked right (mon-sat). Only got meat on sundays.
Elon Musk, CEO of multiple companies, appeared on the "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast (#1609) in Feb 2021. He discussed numerous topics including AI, space exploration, and technology. Musk asserted that Artifical Intelligence could pose a threat to humanity if not regulated properly and shared his views on its potential impact. He also talked about his companies, including SpaceX's plans for Mars colonization and Tesla's focus on sustainable energy. He discussed his work with Neuralink, whic is aimed at developing brain-computer interfaces. Musk's purpose in the podcast was to share his ideas and thoughts on technology and its potential impact on society in order to promote progress and innovation. The podcast is intended for a general audience with an interest in technology, science, and futurism. The tone was very conversational and informative, with Musk sharing his views in a honest and straightforward manner.