I have always grown up in an incredibly loving, supportive household. From sports to academics to everyday life, I have always been able to count on my parents to be there uplifting me and encouraging me in every endeavor. Even through my toughest moments, when I thought that I couldn't do it or that the mountain was just too high to climb, my mom and dad were there for me every step of the way reassuring me that I could do anything I set my mind to.

So when it came time for college it was no different. My parents made it absolutely clear that the college my sisters and I attended was totally our choice. The only thing they required was that we picked somewhere that we would be happy--somewhere that would set us up for the future we wanted no matter where that may be.

However, the free choice was not what meant most to me. Not only were my parents willing to let my sisters and I go anywhere that our hearts desired, but they made a promise to us that we would come out of four years at any university 100 percent debt free.

This is something that I did not take lightly at the time. I knew my parents believed in me, they had been proving that through their above and beyond actions my entire life.

But now that I am here at Texas A&M working to obtain a degree while juggling work, friends and everything in between, this promise could not mean more to me.

I see my friends who are putting themselves through college. I see how hard that is and how stressful it gets on top of schoolwork and everything else that's being thrown at us during this time in our lives. It is not easy and I could not have any more respect for my friends and all of the people who do this for themselves than I do.

So to see this and to know that I have parents who are willing and able to support me financially through this time of my life has come to mean so much to me. I know they have had to make so many sacrifices, work harder than ever before and be totally selfless to accomplish this and it means the world to me.

And that is why I work as hard as I do. It is for them that I study so tirelessly in all of my classes. It is for them that I not only take on school but challenge myself to work and go out for internships during the year to set myself up to succeed after college. It is for my mom and dad that I try my absolute best every single day--so that I can make them proud and show them through my actions how much I appreciate this huge thing that they are doing for me.

I will be forever grateful to my mother and father. Not only have they raised me to believe that I can do anything that I set my mind to, but they have given me everything they possibly can to make all of my dreams come true. So thank you, mom and dad, for your constant, unconditional love and support. It means more to me than you will ever know.