Foundation of success

Morgan Rooney
MSMU Class of 2020

(11/2018) The holiday I most look forward to is Thanksgiving. Of course, Christmas, Easter, and my birthday (if a birthday is even considered a ‘holiday’) are up there on the list, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found that the way many people celebrate is materialistic. Gift giving is great but I’m sure that many of us feel pressured to get all our friends and family what they want to avoid their disappointment. This is something I haven’t gathered at all from Thanksgiving. In my family, at the very least, it is about getting together and spending time together. This is so important to me because the support of my family is the thing I am most grateful for and I certainly wouldn’t be in the place I am today without their love and support.

Thinking back to my youngest days, where my earliest memories were being made, I think of being walked into my first day at Kindergarten, filled with confusion and nervousness. I built up my anxiety so high from the night before. What I remember most is my dad not leaving until I was settled in and comfortable in this new, strange environment.

Not too long after beginning Kindergarten, I also remember us sitting together on the floor of our great room. He was being patient with me, teaching me how to tie my own shoes so that I could soon do it by myself when I needed to. I remember being taught how to swim shortly after that, and how to ride a bike independently.

I remember being encouraged to be creative: draw, make music, play imaginary games. I remember being taken once a week to my grandma’s house to sit at the piano and learn new songs. When I got older and joined my middle school orchestra, I always had my family in the audience. They encouraged me to push forward and become a better musician.

When I turned 15, I was very motivated to get my learner’s permit and begin driving. I remember feeling unprepared to drive on a real street (as opposed to parking lots or neighborhoods), yet I was told to do so, because if I never left my bubble I would never move forward. I would drive about 30 minutes every night to pick up my younger sister from her extracurricular activities while my dad would sit in the passenger seat and give me critiques on the daily route. With all this support and daily driving, I felt so much more comfortable and safe.

When I was 17, I remember being sat down by my dad to research a variety of universities and areas of study. I hadn’t a clue what I wanted to study or who I wanted to be. I had thoughts all over the place and growing anxieties as I felt as if I was running out of time (which sounds ridiculous now). I remember my dad helping my fill out my college applications and reading my college essays, carefully proofreading the small mistakes I overlooked the first time. I remember taking a road trip across Texas to visit different universities and getting tours around the schools I had the potential of being accepted into. I remember leaving my grandfather’s burial at the Arlington National Cemetery to drive to upstate New York to visit a private university I had been accepted into and then back to Maryland in time to catch a flight back home.

I remember being dropped off on my first day of college and going through my first few weeks. I’d call back home once in a while if I was in need of help with an assignment.

When my freshman year was coming to an end and I was having another crisis of not knowing what I wanted to study or who I wanted to be, help was only a phone call away. I talked with my dad about what I enjoyed learning and what I struggled with. I told him about what I was good at and what I couldn’t seem to understand no matter how hard I tried. I received useful advice and changed my major shortly afterwards to something that I know I will stick with, because I love what it has given me.

When I was interested in going on a trip to Europe to further my French comprehension, I was strongly encouraged and supported in doing so. I went to Europe over the summer and made some of the best memories of my life and created strong relationships. Without the help of my family, I would never have made it and would never have had the experiences that will remain in my memory until the end of my life.

I could sit here and list thousands of ways I have felt supported in my life and that would not be sufficient in explaining how grateful I am to have this support system, which I know not everyone is fortunate enough to have. I am grateful that I know I will be supported in my future decisions (given that they are within reason) and encouraged to ultimately follow the path I wish to take, knowing that it will likely change along the way. I am grateful that I was not pushed to go after a career or field of study that I was not inspired or meant to be in. To have affirmation with me when I make my important decisions means everything to me and only pushes me to go further. I hope that one day, I will be able to provide what my family provided me to my own children so that they can be encouraged and will want to be successful in whatever way they see fit. Support is my foundation of success. It made me independent in all the best ways.

I would encourage everyone not to focus on the things that you don’t have, but the things you do. It makes all the difference.

Read other articles by Morgan Rooney