ashley-85As Thanksgiving is upon us, it is once again time to give thanks, and I want to give thanks to those in my past and in my future who have helped me get to where I am today.

I am very thankful for those teachers who were always there to help me, two specifically. A teacher in high school was probably the first person that made me feel like I truly belonged and had faith in me and in my future.  This year I have a sociology professor that has helped me find the right path for me and my future.

An obvious group to thank are always friends, who are always there to support and help me when I am down, and family, although there are some who have made this a difficult process, there are others who have made it worth it. Especially my brother, who I pretty much would be at a lost if it weren’t for him.

Of course I want to thank CSO. Not only do they give me help with paying for school, but they also give me the opportunity to help others like me, which is what I want to devote my life to doing.

Lastly, I want to thank my uncle, who passed away. He was the father that I never had. I am eternally grateful for what he did for me and I am not sure I would be here if it wasn’t for him. I never got to thank him but I am more and more thankful everyday and I wish I would have told him that.

So my advice to you: thank the people you are grateful for. We take so many people and things for granted. I know at times it might feel like it is you against the world, but you will find that some of the people you least expect to be helpful are sometimes the most helpful.