When I look back on my childhood upbringing, the notion of education is woven throughout. My parents always talked to me about why school was important and in a way that I just assumed college a given — not an option.
My parents are both from poor, urban households. My mom grew up in housing projects with 8 other siblings and my father was born in the cutest little East Austin home ever. He had 9 other siblings and my grandmother birthed each of her 10 kids in this humble abode with no running water. To say that my parents both came from humble beginnings would be a tremendous understatement. My father has a 10th grade education and has labored and worked as an entrepreneur everyday of his life since. My mother, on the other hand, always knew she would rise above her circumstances and go on to college one day. And that, she did. She was an adult in her late 30s when she finally walked across that stage proudly with her degree in hand. We, as her children, were so proud and in awe of her hard work and perserverance.
I've always known for myself that I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I think I get that from my Dad for sure! But, even in knowing that from a very young age, I also always knew that I wanted to go to college and get a degree. I felt that education would empower me to go on to reach the goals I had. I worked full-time right out of high school {my parents could not afford to send me to college} so that I could take college courses part-time. I did that for several years until I'd finally earned my bachelor's degree. That same summer, I got married and that was certainly the best summer ever!
Fast-forward to today. I'm the mom of 3 boys and we talk about education on a regular basis. We talk about college options and how the world is at their fingertips and they can choose to study anything their hearts desire! Education is truly power. We talk about how there are so many colleges near and far that they can go to when the time is right. And, I wouldn't be me if I didn't also ingrain my entrepreneurial spirit within them. I tell them that they can and should strive to be their own boss one day and that an education is going to help them realize that dream.
It's heartwarming to me that for third year in a row, the Neutrogena® Wave for Change® campaign is helping rebuild the lives of thousands of kids in need. For every Wave for Change® video view on http://www.neutrogena.com/waveforchange or on http://www.facebook.com/neutrogena, $1 will be donated to GlobalGiving to support U.S. educational organizations: Knowledge is Power Program, Para Los Ninos, and Education Through Music. For each participating Neutrogena product purchased, another $1 will be donated to GlobalGiving. Simply visit http://www.neutrogena.com/waveforchange or http://www.facebook.com/neutrogena to activate the purchased products with one simple click.
Check out this video to learn more:
How has education impacted your life?
{Disclosure: This is a compensated post in collaboration with Neutrogena and Latina Bloggers Connect, however all thoughts and opinions expressed are those of my own. No one is the boss of me!}