There are a lot of special people in my life, my mother, my father, my best friends, and many others. They are all special to me in their own unique ways. But the one person who is very special to me is my older brother who also participated in the DMSF. My brother is my role model and is very important to me. He has shown me to work hard in order to accomplish my goals and to give it my all.
He has made a big impact in my life and he is the reason why me and my younger brothers have opportunities ahead of us. He has shown me over and over again that anything is possible if you set your mind to it and never give up. Despite the lack of opportunities that my neighborhood is given. My brother was able to find a way to get ahold of resources that would help him, including applying for the DMSF. He worked hard and was able to attend Marist High School, be a part of the caddie program at Daniel Murphy, and was then able to apply for the Chick Evans Scholarship where he worked hard and earned his spot.
His dedication in school and his hard work at wanting to have a bright future is what inspires me to try my best in school so that I can have a bright future as well. I am very proud of how far he has come knowing that he is the first in my family to attend college. He had to go through the struggles of having to find his own path so that he can have a chance at a bright future and he accomplished that. Not only is he on the path for a bright future but he’s helped me get opportunities as well.
He’s pushed me to work harder knowing that if I get out of my comfort zone I can accomplish great things. My brother is always there for me and never fails to make me laugh or simply put a smile on my face. I know that I can count on him for anything and everything, I will forever be grateful and appreciative of that. He is who inspires me to keep working hard in school knowing that if I stay committed to my goals I can accomplish almost anything.
I can count on my brother to tell me the experiences that he has had during his time at Daniel Murphy and at Marist High School so that he can give me tips or heads up on things. My brother has made the greatest influence on my life and I hope to accomplish just as great things as him or even more. I plan on studying to become a nurse or an educator as well and giving back to my community once I am successful. That way there are more opportunities for the people in my community so that they can have good futures ahead of them.
Ariel Lemus – Marist High School – DMSF Class of 2029
Photo Credit: Ariel’s Mother