My hero is a woman with a twelfth-grade education. That woman is my mother. She hastaught me a lot about life and the world.

My mom may not be much of aCarol Brady or a June Clever; she's a woman who can say she has sometimes chosenthe wrong path. Growing up, she didn't have the best life. Her father wasmurdered, leaving her mother with five kids to raise. My nana often worked twojobs, leaving my mom to care for her sisters and brother.

When she wasyoung my mom became pregnant, forcing her to drop out of high school. Her motherkicked her out without money or a place to go. She married my older sister'sfather only to divorce him a short time later.

The six years my mom andsister, Summer, were alone and struggling. My mother went back to finish highschool while my nana took care of my sister. During high school, she met andstarted dating her future husband, my dad.

After high school she and mysister moved to Austin where my dad was attending college. They got married andalmost nine months later, I was born. My father adopted Summer, and three yearslater we moved again. After a few years of hard work at her job, my mom became amanager.

She started taking college courses to become a better manager.Then my parents divorced. I became quiet and depressed; I had always been Daddy'sgirl and now he wasn't here. That left my mother with two girls toraise.

She started working a second job so she could give us everything weneeded. Those were hard times and she often felt like giving up, butdidn't.

We lived in an apartment until we got our feet back on the ground.In five years we moved into our own house. It was her house to decorate and livein however she wished. Compared to our tiny two-bedroom apartment, thistwo-story, three-bedroom house was a mansion. We even had our own backyard wheremy dog could play.

We are now in our third house that we love to call ourown. My sister is a junior in college. My mom has accomplished so much, and canbuy things she didn't have growing up for us.

Because of my mom, I feellike I am a better person. Everything I have I owe to her, and everything Iaccomplish is because of the way she has raised me. The day I become a directorand win my first Oscar she will be the first person I thank.

Although shemay not be perfect, my mother is a strong woman who has put me and my sisterfirst in her life. For that I honor and respect her. My hero, a beautiful andstrong woman who knows what rough times are like, is my mother.