My mother has definitely been the most influential figure in my life in many ways. She was born outside
             United States of America in a culture where only sons were sent to school because they were considered to be the only heirs to the family fortunes and wealth. But on the other hand, daughters were not sent to school but expected to get married at a young age and bring wealth to the parent's home, such as money, gold and a lot of cows in terms of dowry.
             She tells me that, she managed to go to school walking long distances without shoes and without the knowledge of her father, but the mother. She studied on borrowed books because the father would not provide the money to buy books and school fees for girls. Girls were made to work very hard on small farms. My mother had to work double hard during holidays to help the parents and siblings since she was the oldest in the family. She was a very hard working daughter who always fetched water and firewood from wells and forest respectively to help her mom cook and feed the family.
             Despite all these hardship, she managed to stay in school and passed well whereby she earned a government grant to continue with her high school and to junior college education where she earned her secretarial science diploma.
             To conclude, if my mother would make it under such conditions, how about me with all the facilities available to me in this country and doing nothing but just eating, sleeping and going to school. I have to learn and get educated beyond my mother's education and make her proud that her influence on me has made a difference.
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