My Father

There are three factors that influence someone's personality; their experiences, environment and heredity. Due to the expansiveness of this world and the broadness of the human family, the billions of people on earth all have a different, unique personality. God has blessed me immensely, and placed me in an amazing family. What makes my family so great, and is responsible in large part for who I am, is my father.

Born in the countryside of a small village in southern Ireland, his first house had dirt floors and no indoor pluming. Though he eventually moved into the village, his house was still small, especially with five siblings. Being a small town, it was full of farmers, and being an Irish town, it was full of alcoholics. It seemed as though anyone born in that town was damned to follow that narrow path. He was blessed enough to be a part of the first class in Ireland to receive free secondary (high) school. Though not a failure, he was not an exceptionally stellar student. Not content with anything less then his best, my father started to push himself harder in his studies, and most importantly, to pray. His favorite saint became my namesake and patron, Saint Joseph of Cupertino, patron of students and aviators. Hard work and prayer obviously paid off -- he received a scholarship to attend the California Institute of Technology, more commonly known as Caltech, where he earned his Doctorate. He learned his lesson about the importance of hard work --especially in school-- and prayer, and passed it onto his children. In large part because of his example, I have viewed education as a critical part of life that allows one to do more with one's life.

Especially during my youth, my father has been a critical factor in shaping who I have become. In life we are constantly learning, and when one has a wise person to guide them, the learning process becomes much more valuable. One of the greatest ways to learn a lesson is to mess up, and then be disciplined; my father was always there to help with the discipline. While it is not enjoyable to be disciplined, in hindsight it is extremely valuable.

Often in life people complain about something that needs to be done, yet do nothing about it. My father is not one of those people, and has ensured that I do not end up as one either. When he saw the need to change the culture of today, he did not get on a big soapbox and preach about the woes of society. Rather, he motivated himself and started John Paul the Great Catholic University. He established changing culture as its mission, and with God's blessings has come very far. Being a wise man, my father realized that we could turn the tools Satan is using against humanity, and use them against him. Many people doubted him, claiming that one could not up and start a university. Not only did he prove them wrong, but he also got many non-believers to help him achieve his goal. This wisdom, self-motivation and dedication has made a huge impression on me, and has taken root in who I am.

Many people did not have the best family life growing up, so I thank God every day for the family he blessed me with. In my life I have had interactions with a wide variety of people in a variety of situations, yet the most influential person I have encountered is my father. He is most responsible for who I am now, and who I will be in the future. My father is a great man, and if I am half the man he is, I will be more than content.