Growing up, we are all faced with images of superheroes. Spiderman, Superman and my favorite, Dash from the Incredibles. A superhero is described by the Merriam-Webster online dictionary as “: a fictional hero with extraordinary or superhuman powers; also: an exceptionally skilled or successful person.” I can say I met a superwoman in real life. It changed my life and taught me an impactful message that I decided to share with you. Born to a teenage mother, this superhero in the making has faced challenges since the day she was born. My mother experienced things that most of us only hear or read about. As a child, she tragically encountered extreme levels of cruelty and various forms of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of her father, someone who was supposed to protect her. This played a significant role in his image of who he was. This person, who was supposed to protect her, insulted and scolded her when she was three years old. When he was a teenager, he didn't seem like anyone's hero. My superhero was angry. My superhero was betrayed (or confused?). My superhero was injured. Of course, on the surface, everything seemed normal. You see, his mother worked at LTV Steel and his father was a worker at General Motors when he wasn't preaching as a minister on Sundays. My hero's mother emphasized the importance of reading and made sure she traveled when she was young to expose her to a world of choices. I guess with this start it seems natural that she finds her way on the road to becoming what I consider to be a superhero. You see, most of us spent our preschool and elementary school years playing dress up or taking dance lessons or for you lifers, running around... middle of the paper... your mother, my journey won't be as difficult as yours. I will never have to know the resolve or resilience it takes to transform a life destined for disaster into a life of love and influence. And the fruit of his commitment is evident. Case in point, I'm graduating this year, my sister is graduating this year, and my grandmother is graduating this year and starting a Master's program in the fall. And my mother? She was able to graduate from law school and is completing the vision she envisioned for herself. But for my superhero, this is not what he would consider his greatest accomplishment. According to her, her greatest achievement is that there is expectation for the generations that will follow us. He believes, as I do, that his decisions will affect my children and my children's children such that attending a school like Laurel or going to college is normal.