I have lived in the small city of Brawley, California my entire life. The town itself is rather unremarkable, with a population of roughly 26,000 and surrounded by farmland and desert . Nevertheless I have made extraordinary memories and bonds that I had not considered until I left. From kindergarten to the 12th grade I went every school week to my speech therapist and over the years it has significantly improved my speech impediment. During grade school I worried about my stuttering and what others would say, as a result I did not make friends. This changed in junior high when I started becoming more outgoing; it was here that I met my best friend Jacob. I made more friends and I transitioned from being quiet and reserved to more energetic and easygoing. We would play games together, talk about random things and watch movies, something we still do. In fact I completely changed throughout my four years of high school. During high school I participated in sports such as cross country and track, as well as joining clubs such as Tech Club and Key Club. It was during high school that I developed into the person I really am today and the person that played the most important role of doing that was Jacob. If I was told entering high school that by the end I would like an album with a cover of a disheveled man sitting in a bathroom holding a fly swatter, take an interest in East Asia culture, become enthralled in a show about girls fighting in tanks, and a myriad of other crazy things I would have said that is absurd. However, for better or worse, he has made a tremendous impact on my life, personalty, and tastes, and I am grateful for that.