I was originally born in San Antonio, Texas to my parents Tammy and Richard Hernandez on August 25, 1998. My family moved to Pearsall when I was about 1 year old so we could live closer to family and my parents could work without having to leave me alone with a babysitter, leaving me with my grandparents instead. Living with my grandparents was like any traditional Hispanic household, except we spoke mostly English and only learned a few words of Spanish. By traditional Hispanic household, I mean many people in a relatively small house, with the kitchen being the heart of the house and the elders of the house being the most revered and respected. Growing up in Pearsall, Texas in the late 90's allowed me to live in a small town while still experiencing the city life, being born and still living near San Antonio, to establish a close relationship with my extended family and getting to experience a public school in a close community. Pearsall is a small town about 50 miles from San Antonio, and although I wasn't born here, I grew up here and it's where I call home. I wasn't even old enough to remember the first time we moved to Pearsall and that's why my grandparents' house is what I call my 'first home'. Pearsall isn't the smallest town ever, but it's certainly not the biggest, especially when I was growing up. The oil boom recently allowed our city to grow, but back then, for fun, I was always outside in the garden, which piqued my curiosity about insects. “Before the oil boom, the neighbors were friendly and you could play outside without fear, it was a traditional small town, and that’s something I miss.” (Sanchez) It is worth mentioning that during this period my parents were still working...... middle of paper ...... getting good grades has always been important, each of the adults in the family has always pushed so that we could have a good education and that is a lesson that I carry with me. “Education is really important in determining what you want to do and what career you want to pursue.” (Sanchez) The city I come from may not be the best, but I will still work hard. That's something else I attribute to my family and my heritage, the importance of having a good work ethic. That's basically who I am: a shy, quiet, small town, Hispanic kid who would do anything for his friends and family. I will never forget my roots wherever I go in life and for that I thank my family. Growing up in Pearsall, Texas allowed me to enjoy small town life, establish close family relationships, and experience being in a small public school, and that's who I am..