Christian Andalon

My mom, Celina, is one of my heroes. She was born in Guadalajara, Mexico to a family of 12 siblings who moved to the United States with my grandparents to look for work. Once they arrived, my mother and her siblings began to work in order to support the family. My mother was married to my father at 17and had her first son. From then on she had four other sons, of whom I am the third. My mother has always been an extremely hard worker and her motto has always been "Si vas hacer algo also bien," which means if you're going to do something, always do it right. She never wanted us, her children, to feel forced to do things but to complete our tasks with grateful and compassionate hearts.

Now that I have grown older, I am able to understand why she taught me such an important lesson. My mom has always been compassionate beyond measure and has continually demonstrated that from childhood onward without fail. While growing up she would constantly sacrifice her wages in order to buy my brothers and me clothes or other necessities while she neglected her needs. Since arriving in America, my mom has been learning English, became a citizen and works as a florist. She arranged flowers for the Grammy Awards Show and other Hollywood events and stars. I am so proud of my mom and her accomplishments. Besides being my mother, she is also my friend. That's why I am so grateful and love my mother.