I was born and grew up in Savannah, Georgia on an islands mere minutes from the ocean. As a child I learned to love the water and the endless marshes that expand to the tiny islands that form the horizon. The salt in the air, the waters on beach seem, and the stars in the sky call to me, and all humans I believe. There is nothing more peaceful than the sound of waves breaking on the sand with the constellations burning above. Our species, as a whole, needs to search our collective soul and rekindle our love for nature so that our children can cherish Earth's wonder.

My family struggled to make end's meet. We lived from paycheck to paycheck to umemployment check to food stamps to paycheck. There was a distinct time in which we never had all our utilities; our parents would pick which ones to pay and which ones to lose. It was usually the water or eletricity bill that was cut, as we always had several dozens of gallon containers filled and gas heating and cooking. It was a dysfunctional household, in more ways than one, that left me embodied with several virtues that formed the antithesis of what I experinced.

I consider myself extremely fortunate. These conditions would be a utopia to many.

The most important lession I learned from my father was an analog. (The power of analogous thinking can not be understanded in cognitive science and wow the affect it had my five year old self...) The analog was simple but profound. He told me one day when I had lost control of my emotion and sercome to rage, that anger is like a volcano at the center of your life. It sleeps in all but will only erupt if you lose control of your temper. Once you've lost your temper the volcano will erupt and destory everything in your life. It can never be undone.

From my mother, I learned an entirely different lesson. I learned this key part of success from observation. She labored all day and all night fighting to keep the lights on and the food stamps coming. She fought endlessly with the deeply corrupt banking system that wanted nothing more than to unjusticely foreclosing our house. (Sorry to any of my future employers, but some actors stained the whole industry.) She searched everyday for spare pennies. In fact, the only reason I was able to move to Gerogia Tech was because she managed to buy an old Hindi panting from Goodwill. Seemingly, insignificant the painting sold for over $6000 at auction, enough to buy an relible car. She taught me to never give in, work harder than you ever thought possible, and above all these keep hope.

Humility | Kindness | Compassion | Respect | Discipline | Honesty | Commitment | Empathy