My family isn’t unique by any means.

My father works as a general contractor for

commercial construction, my mother is a stay-at-home mom caring for me and my siblings.

Probably the most interesting thing about our structure is that while my father has the final say in

everything, my mother is the one at home with us most of the time, meaning that she knows

more about how we act and how things actually happen in the house than my father. So when he

does make a decision, there are times when my mother must pull him to the side and explain the

situation, or how she gave a command counter to that. But other than that, I’d say our family is

basically stable.

Even though I’m the secondborn in my family, I’ve always been looked up to by my

younger siblings. My older sister is 8 years older than me and my next youngest brother is 6

years younger, so I’m in a bit of a gap. Because of this, I didn’t really have a strong relationship

with any of my siblings, so I grew up having to fend for myself really. Because of this, I had to

become pretty independent and resourceful to the point that my parents still come to me if they

want an opinion on something or if they’re having a problem.

Because of this independence and knowledge, I’ve always been the type of person to try

and solve any problem I come across. This intellectual challenge has always driven me to be

better and smarter than anyone else, not so I can say I’m better, but so I can help others. I don’t

like being “The smart guy” but if it helps others I’m willing to.