My influences.

Today someone asked me who was the biggest influence in my life.

Well, I have narrowed it down to the 3 that have changed my life the most. 

The first...

Mrs. Pehrson. She was my fifth grade teacher at R.E.Tobler elementary from 1999-2000, and she changed my life. I know it sounds random. Who really chooses someone who taught them in elementary school as that much of an influence. But she is the first teacher I remember who truly cared about her students. She is the one who gave me my love of all things math. She used to let me help grade afterschool, instead of going to safekey (because I literally hated it). We spent hours over the course of that school year talking about... just anything. She didn't know it at the time, but during that year, my grandma who lived with us died, and my heart was so broken that I thought I was going to die right along with her. Then shortly thereafter, my parents got divorced. Without her, I don't know what would've happened. I don't know if she even remembers those moments. She's taught for so long, and had so many kids cycle through her classrooms, but I had some of my best school memories in that classroom all because of her.

The second.

Richard Luna. He was my softball coach (in addition to my dad) for the younger years of my life, and I will never forget him. Yes, he taught me the fundamentals of softball. Yes, he made me "hit the pole" and run laps like you wouldn't believe. But he is more than that. He was the man that when I was pitching and BURNED OUT and just wanted to quit... He was the coach who wouldn't let me. He was the coach who was your best friend and your toughest critic. He drive us crazy, and made us love him at the exact same time.

The third.

George Baker. He was my US history teacher my junior year, and my Government and Street law teacher my senior year, and to him I am forever thanful. From him, I grew my love of history. He instilled in us that we needed to be informed. We needed to know where we came from to know where we were going. He taught me how to be a good American, and for that I will be forever thankful. 

I have a had a lot of people influence my life. It's hard to narrow down, and choose the people you think were the best of the best. But these three... in addition to my parents were the people who made me who I am today whether they knew it or not.

Thanks for reading.