My family community was and still is wonderful. It was a great support system and really helped me to become the person I am. My parents both never let me think I couldn't do whatever I set my mind to, granted they didn't keep it a secret that it would take work. My sisters helped me deal with things that sometimes I didn't want to talk to my parents about. They both married wonderful men and one sister has two amazing kids.

     I was lucky enough to grow up with amazing friends. They were like my second family. We felt more like sisters than friends, and we could talk about anything. They were always supportive, and even when we fought, we knew we loved each other. What my family didn't teach me, my friends did, and I learned a lot about the person I am still becoming from them. All my close friends from high school and I still talk and college and serparation have in many ways made our friendship stronger, even thought I miss them very much.

     My neighborhood community was equally beneficial for me growing up. It was and is still safe and clean; my neighbors are genuinely good people and everyone cares about everyone else and there was no crime or violence. However, there were no children my age and demographically everyone was pretty much the same; older people, Caucasian ; in short my neighborhood was stuffy.