The person that I would like to thank the most is my step-father Mark. I consider Mark my father. My parents got divorced when I was two and my mom met Mark shortly after. I know my real father and I was often forced with my two older brothers to see him, and to this day I never felt like myself when I was around him. I often felt like an actress playing a role in a movie, instead of being able to play myself. I have seen the behaviors and characteristics of my real father and it makes me uneasy when I think that his blood runs through my veins. My life would be completely different if they had stayed together and I congratulate my mom for building up the courage to leave.

            Mark is like no other person I have ever met. He is the complete opposite of my real dad. He is kindhearted, giving, warm, welcoming and always ready and willing to offer a helping hand. If you needed the shirt off his back he would give it you and wouldn’t expect anything in return. He is intelligent, hardworking, and he may not be the richest man in the world, but he is the happiest and I that is someone I aspire to be like. As a kid he always seemed like one of the kids, which I’m sure my mom hated because that meant she had four kids to take care of instead of three, but we loved it. He always made everything fun for us.  Mark made huge sacrifices for children that were not even his own and it took me awhile to learn this because I never really understood it growing up. He always made sure that we were happy, healthy and had everything we needed. To this day he still worries about these things and works hard to help support us as we venture out on our own. My mom often says that I am more like his daughter then my half sister, Marcy because of the mannerisms I have picked up from him over the years. When I think about it, it makes me happy because that means I have a piece of him where ever I go.

            I can remember when I first applied to Rowan as a transfer student and I asked my real dad to help pay for school and he just replied, “no.” He told me to take out loans and deal with it like everybody else. I was just so shocked by his answer, how could he be so cruel and unwilling to help me, when as a child he would buy our love by giving us money, for no reason what-so-ever and now I come to him asking for his help because I am his child and would like to better myself and he denies me. I got off the phone crying and went downstairs. The first person I saw was Mark and he got up and gave me a hug and told me everything would be alright and that he would do his best to make it better. He couldn’t stand to see my upset. I was so naïve to think my real dad would help me, but Mark did and he kept his promise.  I talked to my real dad one more time after this incident and once again it did not go well. I told him that he didn’t even know me, how upset and disappointed he had made me and how I that I thank god everyday that Mark came into our lives. He didn’t care or apologize he just made it worse. He continued to say that he was not going to give me one penny and to let Mark go bankrupt, so that I could go to school, and my last reply to my father was, “I know he would do that for me, unlike you!!!” I have not talked to him to this day and I don’t plan on it. As far as I am concerned I have a dad and his name is Mark and there really isn’t any room for another one.

            I work hard everyday because I want him to be proud of me. I know he is already because I can hear it in his voice when he says, my daughter Genny did this and this when he talks about me, but the characteristics he has instilled in me keeps me going.