"American" Creed

To me, the "American Creed" is whatever a person interprets it to be. On a larger scale, though, "America" is just as open to interpretation. In this country, no matter your background, you have the ability to make a rewarding life for yourself, be that by making money, achieving personal satisfaction, or safety for your family.

My dad grew up in very poor circumstances. Neither of his parents were college educated, and they really didn't have any kind of money. He was barely able to get into Cleveland State as it was. However, he didn't allow that to stop him. He pulled himself up from nothing, going on to write multiple books, owning his own business, and writing several bylines for news publications such as the Plain Dealer. He also worked at CSU for a time in the marketing and advertising department. My dad truly showed me that your circumstances are not a predestination, and that a better life is always possible. He managed to completely turn his circumstances around, proving that America provides boundless opportunities for a person to educate and make something of themselves. 

My mom has been a career businesswoman who recently found a new outlet for personal satisfaction afforded by her life of hard work. She grew up, similarly to my dad, without money or educated role models in her life. Further, Medina, her hometown, was extremely religious at the time, and she had no real worldly exposure. Also like my dad, she educated herself, earning an MBA and working over 25 years to become the global policy director of the consulting firm Ernst & Young. However, she recently expressed some kind of personal outlet missing in her life, and elected to reduce her working hours in favor of a new hobby: pottery. My mom has always expressed a desire to create art, but felt she never had the talent. However, she felt she finally found an art form she enjoys, and her decades of work have afforded her the ability to turn our garage into a studio for her retirement. Her story truly shows that America allows for personal satisfaction everywhere, so long as you work for it.

America can also be a place of refuge and safety for those who need it, such as my great grandpa. He lived in Armenia during the time of the Armenian Genocide, and his wife and daughter both vanished during that horrific period. He then fled to the United States for safety, and ended up remarrying. He survived a truly awful situation, and sought America for safety. While difficult, he was able to remake a life for himself in the sanctity of our country. My great grandpa is a perfect example of the safety that America provides to it's citizens and refugees alike, allowing dreamers to achieve a better life here.

The American Creed is really whatever you make it, be that monetary success, personal satisfaction, or safety and the hope for a better tomorrow, our country is boundless.