As a person, wife, mother, teacher and mentor, I am a person who wears many hats, but my

values remain constant. I am a respecter of persons, and a believer that all cultures, creeds and religions
are to be respected. I believe that all people are capable of learning, and that we can all learn from
others. I am passionate about helping others whenever I can, because I do not know when I will ever
find myself in a position of need. I believe in being fair, and I realize that at times this may be
misinterpreted by some. I believe that everyone deserves to be heard, even if I do not agree with their
opinion. I believe honesty is golden, and with honesty, the usage of couth is a must have that is learned
and to be applied. Out of all, the one that stands out most is integrity. This is the attribute I try to guard
the most. It is how my family, my students, and society views and judges my actions. All of these
attributes define who I am as a person. It also helps shape my path, as well as the trail that I leave for
those who follow or choose to follow my walk, and my practices. I realize that as long as I am a member
of society I will forever be an influence, be it positive or negative. As stated by Heraclitus, The
character of a man is his destiny, and as Lickona explains our potential to influence others, Every
interaction, whether part of the academic curriculum or the human curriculum of roles, rules and
relationships, has the potential to affect a childs values and character for good or for ill (Lickona, 1991,
p.70)
As I grow as a person, I will continue to self-evaluate, as well as remain open to opinions, as I
asked my students at our end of the year exam whether or not I met or exceeded their expectations as a
teacher, and mentor; and toughest of all, I will ask what areas I neglected to uphold. As parents, my
husband and I have created a habit to ask our children these very same questions at the dinner table
from time to time. It allows us to remain attune to reality, let our children know that we respect their
views and can accept criticism. This is perhaps the hardest feat to accomplish, in my personal opinion,
when developing and improving my walk of character. To quote Maria Razumich-Zec, Your reputation
and integrity are everything. Follow through on what you say youre going to do. Your credibility can
only be built over time, and it is built from the history of your words and actions (Integrity:A Lifetime of
Wisdom).

Reference
Integrity:A Lifetime of Wisdom. Retrieved from A Lifetime of Wisdom: Your reputation and integrity are
everything. Follow through on what you say youre going to do. Your credibility can only be built
over time, and it is built from the history of your words and actions.
Lickona, T. (1991). Educating for Character: How our schools can teach respect and responsibility. New
York: Bantam Books. Retrieved May 14, 2014