Adam Zeid

Thomas
UWRT 1104
29 September 2016
Powerful Parents

Reflection 2
The peer editing conference was really helpful because I knew my paper was lacking
something and they helped to pinpoint what it was. I added details about my parents as well as
the setting of where I was raised and I think it helped a lot. I removed some of the content that
blatantly said my points and replaced it with descriptions that showed. The paper still isnt final.
I think I can work on the connections to make it smoother and focus more on how everything I
touched on has influenced who I am.
Reflection 1
When I first heard about the topic of this essay I of course thought about what in my life
has influenced me. There are sports, school, clubs, etc. but nothing has had more of an influence
on me than my parents. Of course this isnt very unique because of course everyone is influenced
by the people that raise them, but I couldnt think of anything else to write a four-page paper on.
After writing a first draft, Im not very happy with my essay. I struggled to reach the length
requirement and I still fell a little bit short. When writing I did learn more about myself and of
course how my parents have had such a large impact on me. I also learned that I struggle to
write about myself; I think I prefer writing research papers and such. Additionally, I couldnt
seem to find anything to include in my writing where I could utilize En plein air, so one of my

questions for my readers is if they have an idea of how I could implement that. Also, what topic
should I add or go into more detail on? And does anything in the essay not fit?

Diaper changer; Bike riding teacher; Lunch packer; Soccer game chauffeur; Shoulder to
cry on after your first breakup; Driving instructor; Biggest fan. There are a lot of things our
parents are, and there is no doubting the fact that they have influenced who we are and how we
live our lives. Yes, factors such as movies, sports, and hobbies can play a significant role in how
weve grown as people. But, there is nothing and no one who I can think of that has made more
of an impact on who I have grown to be than my mother and father who raised me.
What if I had different parents? I could be really into golf because my dad is. We would
go play together on the weekends. I could love to draw and paint because my mom is an artist. I
could be a cat-lover because my parents chose to adopt three of them when I was young. But I
am none of those things. I love to play soccer because thats the sport my parents signed me up
for when I was five. I am a dog lover because my parents adopted Bennie when I was three. I can
bake a cake or grill a steak because my parents always had me help in the kitchen. I love to
wakeboard because my parents decided to buy a boat and build a lake house. I am a mathematics
major because, aside from my excellence in the subject, my dad has preached to me about the
future in an analytics and statistics career. Almost everything about me can be traced to my
parents, and how they have influenced who I am today. After all, the apple never falls far from
the tree.
My father, Aiman, was born and raised in Egypt. Coming from this background, the way
he sees the world is different. Hes more cautious, protective, and opinionated and he always puts
his family before himself. At the same time, hell goof around and act like a child with his light-

hearted spirit. My mother, Marianne, was born in Arizona. She grew up on a farm, raising
chicken, cattle, and horses. She is a woman who is not afraid to get her hands dirty, shes
independent, and she always has an answer. She is also a veteran. She enrolled in the Navy and
worked at the pentagon. At the same time my father was studying at George Washington
University and it was in D.C. where they met. They have two completely different backgrounds,
yet go together so well. Years later, I entered their lives. For the first eighteen years of my life I
grew up with my parents and older sister in a suburban house in Apex, North Carolina. That
house is now filled with memories. Christmas mornings with a tree glistening with soft lights and
sparkling ornaments, Bennie laying down in the corner snacking on the treats from his stocking
while the rest of us slowly clutter the floor with ripped wrapping paper, unveiling the gifts
within. The air is filled with Jingle Bell Rock and the aroma of a burning cranberry scented
candle on the mantle. However, not all memories are joyous. The house also carries times of
fights with my sister or arguments with my parents over poor decisions I made. Regardless, mom
and dad were always there, teaching me, influencing me, and raising me.
I am driven. I am motivated. I am ambitious. This aspiration wasnt born entirely within
me. It was inspired and cultivated by my parents. My father earned his BS in Civil Engineering
and a Masters degree in Business Administration. He has a successful career as a consultant at
SAS and has built a life for himself, and he constantly talks to me about the steps I need to take
to succeed like he has. It really all started in elementary school. Every quarter I received a report
card with a grade of 4, 3*, 3, 2, or 1 for each class. My parents would give me a dollar for every
4, seventy-five cents for every 3*, and so on. Of course at that age this enticed me to do well.
Once I entered middle school, my parents said I could get my first phone if I got all As. After
this point the incentive for me to earn good grades transitioned from wanting to please my

parents, to my own understanding of how important my academics really were. I always had my
parents there to keep me focused and make sure I kept school as my first priority. I accumulated
many honor roll certificates in high school and graduated in the top ten percent of my class
because of their support. Now my parents have gone from paying me a dollar per grade report in
elementary school to paying thousands of dollars towards my college education. Even though my
parents arent around to ask about school as much and to ensure that Im doing well, I still push
myself do to my best work because I want to make them proud as well as be successful, like I
have seen my parents become. Of course I am externally influenced by the aspiration to build my
own career so that I can support myself, but nevertheless, I will always strive to please my
parents. Making the people you care about happy is such a strong motivator.
As you grow older you start to make more decisions for yourself, but for many of them,
especially the important ones, you still come back to the guidance of your wise parents who you
trust will always have your best interest in mind, no matter what. When I have problems with my
friends, mom always had an answer. When I had no idea what I wanted to major in, their
guidance steered me in the right direction. When I had difficulties with my job, their advice
helped relieve me of my stresses. From the advice my parents have given me, I have learned
about their morals and the way they view the world, the decisions we make, the risks we take,
and the consequences we sometimes must face.
After living as long as they have, my parents have their perspectives on life already
deeply instilled. Of course they want me to form my own ideas and views, but especially for my
dad, its hard for them not to influence me. My parents are very conservative and they always
love to talk to my sister and I about their views on everything from health care to gay marriage,
and everything in between. A lot of the perspectives that they have shared with me have

influenced what I believe, after all I am more conservative myself now. However, there are
definitely topics that I will disagree with them on but I attribute that to the generational gap.
Overall, the way I view the world is surely impacted by the perspectives my parents have taught
and shared with me.
Aside from my parents, my best friends have influenced who I am immensely. When I
think about myself, I dont attribute the way I act to any celebrity, movie, or activity that has
influenced me in any way. I strongly believe that the people in our lives and the connections that
we form with them are what have the greatest impact on who we are. In high school I had two
best friends: Johnny and Amy. These are two of the most golden, genuine, and pure-hearted
people someone will every meet. They bring joy to everyone they encounter. I admire qualities in
both of them and they have influenced me in such a way that I strive to be more like them. I try
to be friendly to everyone I meet and caring for people no matter how well I know them. Theres
a connection between people unlike anything else and the influences that we have on each other
are much stronger than anything else because of how emotionally connected we are.
I love my parents more than anyone because of how they have raised me and helped me
to grow as a person. The lessons they have taught me. The perspectives they have shared with
me. The love they have given me. Everything they have done for me has made me who I am
today. No one has been more influential on who I am as a person. I could not be more thankful
that I was blessed with the parents I have, and who I have become because of them.