Today we’d like to take a moment to applaud the parents who despite many challenges, did they best they could and did right by their kids. We asked folks to share stories of what they feel their parents got right and have shared highlights below.

Avery Grundmeyer

My parents have always no matter what encouraged me to do what I love. When i told them i didnt want to go to regular college i wanted to go to New York City instead and go to pastry school they didnt think twice about supporting me through that all the way. My mom has always been my sidekick and now sometimes gets more excited to try out a new recipe than I do! My dad has been my best friend ever since i was a baby. When i told him i wanted to open a storefront for my bakery he never once doubted me but held my hand and told me we would do it together and he hasnt left my side since. Read more>>

Brian Chaaban

Growing up with entrepreneurial parents has been a defining aspect of my life, shaping my values and influencing my career choices in numerous ways. Their inspiring journey has instilled in me the importance of creativity, hard work, and independence. From a young age, my parents encouraged me to think outside the box and explore my passions. They believed that creativity was a catalyst for success and constantly nurtured my imagination. Whether it was building elaborate structures for school art projects or collaborating on unique, custom Halloween costumes, they always celebrated my creativity and pushed me to embrace my uniqueness. Read more>>

Sarah Hannah

I was always an outcast at school. The Misfit, the Weirdo, the Loner. I had a few friends, but was never a “best friend”. On the playground, I was the oddball standing in the grove of trees talking to the animals, while all the other kids were playing team sports. In an effort to support me, my dad would always say, “Always be a leader, even if no one follows you.” What that instilled in me was the freedom to follow my own heart, and to recognize that one of the most important things we can do for ourselves is to answer the call of our soul to follow the path we feel drawn to, even if it doesn’t make sense to anyone else. Read more>>

Natalie Garcia

My parents are a huge inspiration. They impacted my creativity in the way where they allowed me to be imaginative and think out of the box and I free to explore. My parents are very creative, outspoken and even performative in a way. They rebel against social constructs and harmful beliefs that could have negatively held me back especially in my creative and artistic career. They allowed me to be me and it was a challenge sometimes for them to see their daughter not live a traditional lifestyle, but they also didn’t live traditionally. Read more>>

Lani (Lanez) Tons

I often keep my family and personal life as private as I can, mostly because it’s one of the “only” private things in my life. However, the values and noble traits they’ve instilled in me are what allow me to thrive, especially in the public eye. My parents both have planning and timeliness down pat. From an early age I can recall making lists and making sure my schedules (education, extra circulars) were mapped out ahead of time. I also love waking up before sunrise, and am proud to be an early bird. This bright and early mentality has made it way easier for me to produce, plan or shoot in the early morning, as well as embody the energy I need to be the best version of me. Read more>>

Jeanna Hine

My parents are both entrepreneurs. They’ve dabbled in so many different businesses throughout the years and have always done well for themselves. Over the years they’ve taught me a lot on how to be successful in anything I do. And here are some of the things they’ve taught me… My parents taught me how to be resilient, hardworking, and dedicated, they also taught me to stand up for myself and my work. In the corporate world, losing sight of your self-worth and purpose is easy. You get lost in the monotony of it all and often are under-appreciated. Read more>>

Unhae Park

Since I was a kid, my parents have been always so supportive of my decisions when it comes to my future. I knew since I was very young, that I love games and films so much and I want to contribute to creating one of them. However, I didn’t know how much effort and luck it takes for me to enter the industry. I see that incredibly talented and hard-working people still have a hard time getting their first job, and even a hard time keeping the job in this fast-shifting industry and market. I realized that even if I work hard and study more, sometimes I just need to be lucky, which is not always fair. Read more>>

Christie Poole, LMFT

It’s easy in our culture to focus on where our parents missed the mark. But I’m glad to share two of the greatest lessons my mother taught me: to work hard and persevere through hardship. My mother began working in keypunch for Russell Athletic as a late teen in the 1960s. By the 70s, she had become the first female supervisor for Russell and was manager over their payroll and security in their Information Systems Department. She had no college education, yet she worked her way up in the male-dominated company while housing, clothing, and feeding a family of 5 on her meager income. Even though she had a prestigious position and was well thought of in the company, as a woman in a small town, her pay often did not stretch as far as it should have. Read more>>

Quinn Saine

I come from a tennis-playing and artistic family; my father and grandfather have been honored with a place in the Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Furthermore, my mother was a competitive player in her youth, and both are talented photographers. I cannot express enough gratitude to my parents for their unwavering support in nurturing my passions throughout my life’s journey – be it in photography, travel, or on the tennis  court. Read more>>

Kameron Williams

Well I honestly can’t say what my “parents” have done for me because I was raised by a single mother. She raised all three of us (me and my older two siblings). But my mother did everything right. She made some mistakes here and there but she did everything right by us. It’s hard to see it from time to time but she taught me a lot of stuff. My mom states that I’m more like my father lol so I have a lot of his traits. But in all honesty, she taught me the simplest things that can be the most impactful (daily chores, being on time, saving money, mental strength, patience, and talking to God). My friends tell me that my mother did a fantastic job raising me. And even though we clash (my mother and I) I couldn’t have agreed more. Love you mom. Read more>>

London Monroe

I started rapping when I was 6 years old. My dad was recording music of his own and I asked him to give me shot on the mic. He wrote a quick chorus and gave me a shot to rap it. He said I did a great job and encouraged me to finish the entire song. From there I made my first song called Fleek. Both, dad and mom have supported my in my music career. My dad even lined up more opportunities like starring in commercials , short films and magazines. I have so much fun and thank my parents for everything. Read more>>

Tonia F Walker-Singleton

Raising children can be very challenging. Now that I am grown, I have a newfound appreciation for all the life lessons my mother instilled in my siblings and I. Many days, I watched my mother work tirelessly to ensure my siblings and I had a stable foundation for life and the future. My mother taught us invaluable lessons like having a relationship with Jesus Christ, work, and family. Also, she taught us the importance of treating others with kindness because you never know who will have to come to your aid, walking with integrity, being true to your word, and always being grateful and humble for everything. Read more>>

Lay Hoon Ho

As a young child, I remembered my parents nurturing my budding interest in art and creativity. My mom, especially, noticed how colouring books kept me happily occupied for hours, and she showered me with countless colouring books to fuel my imagination. At just 6 years old, my world changed when my mom spontaneously signed me up for a children’s coloring competition while shopping at the mall. I’ll never forget the anticipation as we awaited the results. Though I didn’t make it to bronze or silver, I couldn’t believe my ears when they announced my name for the gold! That memory remains etched in my heart to this day. Read more>>

Monica Brizz

I’ve had the luck of having very supportive parents. I know sometimes my art made them uncomfortable ( mostly when I went through my anime phase in high school, sorry mom ahaha). When I was young my mom used to do a lot of artistic activities with us, every weekend she would find a new medium for us to explore, either sculpting, painting, collage, etc. Seeing her so happy when she was teaching us inspired me to keep doing art, and now it’s become the thing I love the most and my full time job! Read more>>

Markesha Miller

My parents did so many things right. However, the biggest thing that stands out in my mind is planting the seed of belief in me that I can do absolutely anything that I set my mind to and they placed the resources in place for me to do so. At a very young age, probably around 3 or 4, I was fascinated with cash registers. I remember my father going to an auction one week, as he did weekly, and bringing home a cash register for me. I played “store” for years after that. At the age of 5, I decided that I wanted to work in the pharmacy as a high-school student. My mother encouraged me that I could and that I should. By the age of 16, I was a pharmacy tech at Revco. Read more>>

Tiffany Anderson

Since day one, my parents have always been my biggest supporters. They instilled in me a sense of pride in my work, and they’ve always encouraged me to shoot for the stars. My mom read to me everyday growing up. I devoured books alongside her that were above my reading level and learned a wealth of vocabulary. Our times reading together are some of my favorite memories from my childhood. Read more>>

Lauren Rubinstein

My parents have always been open minded and completely supportive of my decisions in life and most of my choices. Not to say they didn’t challenge me from time to time when I might not have been making the correct ones; or so they thought, But they always stood by me and said I could do anything, especially in the arts.. they always thought that was my niche even before I ever did.. When I decided to take a break from traditional college to find my way that lead me to photography, they where 100% on board. Having someone there, behind you, that you have trusted your entire life saying that is ok to be nervous, but to take the leap anyway, was a huge catalyst for me to move forward with the decision to go back to school for photography and then start my own business. Read more>>

Dexter B Jenkins

My parents Samuel Jenkins & Annie Jenkins instilled in me the value of faith and modeled hard through real estate ownership and entrepreneurship. My mother was a deeply faith filled woman who took me to church on a weekly basis. Always imploring me to keep God at the forefront of my activities. While mom spoke about faith. Dad modeled the finance side of things for me. My father has been a barber for 50 plus years and has owned real estate for as long as I can remember. Read more>>

Alexander John Courtney

– My mother did the most selfless thing a mother could do; at birth, she put my twin brother and I up for adoption. Because of her situation at the time, she couldn’t care and provide for us in the way she wanted to. She carefully selected a mom and dad for us, and kept my twin and I together! Impact on me – 1. no matter what happens in life, my default mood is humble and grateful. 2. I pay extra care to the work I teach – I give it 110%, 100% of the time. 3. I am passionate and present with everything I do. Read more>>

D’Arcy Toffolo

Throughout my entire childhood, my parents reminded me of how special I was. By the time I was in grade school, I had established a point of view of myself that I was truly unique, and that I could be a leader for others. I was reminded at an early age that home was a “safe haven,” that I could bring anything back to my parents and they would listen and support me. With this solid foundation, I think I was better prepared to navigate some of the challenges I faced in school – be it academics, social, or otherwise. I remember in 3rd grade being bullied for having a moose pencil. (It was a cool thing – a moose atop a pencil.) I think some kids may have stashed that pencil, never to be seen again. Read more>>

Domoneicqua Williams

My parents provided such a safe space for be growing up that I often times feel like I can overcome and take control of the world. Growing up I lived by the saying, “If my parents don’t kill me for it, I don’t care what anyone else thinks.” Because I wasn’t afraid of my parents, there wasn’t much I would be ashamed for, so the world became my oyster. One thing that always sticks out to me was that my mom would always ask us about what was happening if we got in trouble, broke something, or anything. She would always tell us, “If you did it, don’t lie. You will receive a consequence if you did it but it will be worst if you lie and I find out you lied.” Read more>>

Diane de Mesa

I’m glad that my parents taught me the value of education when I was growing up. Even when I was young, I already knew my passion for music. But my parents pushed me to finish an academic degree because they instilled it to my values that one must finish a diploma to have a brighter future. They did not discourage me from doing music altogether, but they promoted that finishing college is the best way and it is what will give me a stable job. Right now, I am working as a professional registered nurse while doing music on the side. It gives me a work and life balance to be able to do both, my career and music that I love. Read more>>

Julia Linger

My parents are the core of who I am. Without their support I have no idea where I would be. I mean, probably in their house. From a young age, my parents were always driving me to rehearsals or shows. My dad has been my number one supporter, and number one subject in my writing (in which he always somehow lets me do). He also encourages me to dream big, which I wouldn’t be able to do without him. Read more>>

Pametria Brown

There are several things my mom got right, from setting standards, to valuing education, to entrepreneurship. My mom owned a childcare center and charter school throughout my childhood until I was in college. She taught me the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, valuing others and giving back. Her school was where I learned to engage, educate, and entertain children. I also witnessed her advocating for herself and her community all while teaching young Black children the importance of saying daily affirmations, loving yourself, and learning about your culture. It is not lost of me that my first book was about teaching young girls to love their natural hair and that I host self-esteem workshops for teen girls. I am truly my mother’s daughter! Read more>>

Sequoia Range

My mother always taught me to be practical in my approach to life. Being a kid that lived in her own fantastical, creative world, I struggled to make connections with other people and to feel like I had a place to belong. I struggled to reconcile with the reality of the world I do live in, and for many years I hid inside my own mind and neglected to cultivate my outward existence. However, years of my mother teaching him what being practical actually means, how to budget financially, how to set realistic goals, how to maintain a childlike imagination in an adult world and be realistic about making dreams come alive, began to work for me. I stopped looking at her as a dampener on my creativity, and began looking to her as a mentor and an asset, and our relationship has blossomed into something much more intimate and special the last year. Read more>>