I’ve been sick for the past week. I woke up this morning coughing and fighting to catch my breath. I put my hand on my chest gasping for air; when I finally caught my breath I smiled and cried a little because in that moment I knew I meant everything I said in my presentation yesterday: “I’m going to tell you right now, I want it so bad I’m going to die trying,” when speaking about my education. I also thought about what my father told me one day while we were having breakfast: “I always dreamed about being a speaker, but I don’t have that gift. I’m not educated, but sometimes when I sleep I have this dream that I’m in front of people speaking and they are listening to what I have to say.” My father was never given the opportunity to live out his dream, but what kind of son would I be if I didn’t live it out for him.