Bethany's National Merit Scholarship Application essay

I laugh as I read this writing prompt, because I am not sure whether my father, Kirby Crowley, is my greatest influence, or the obstacle I have overcome. He is the most intelligent man I know--the strongest. He is also Manic Depressive.

As his daughter, I built up a psychological hardiness as I lived through his rages and depressions. Experience with his disorder gave me emotional intelligence and a thicker skin than most. I learned to smile even when I was falling down. A sense of humor is a great tool when facing adversity and I know that from experience.

Kirby Crowley is also a genius. My attention to detail and perfectionist tendencies were inherited from him. He can do everything from engineering to interrogation to teaching. As far as I can remember, he trained my siblings and me to think independently. If we had a problem, he often refused to give us the solution outright. "Figure it out," he would tell us, "Don't say 'I don't know', because you do, so figure it out." This frustrated me when I was younger, until I realized that he had taught me valuable problem solving skills.

This man is someone I can not help but love. In contrast to the memories of him putting holes in the walls are tender recollections--such as when I had bronchitis and could not breathe and he wrapped the two of us in a blanket and we sat on the porch in the cold air. He may not be the best at saying "I love you," but it shows in his sacrifices and it is in his voice when he says he is proud of me.

I can truly say that I am who I am today because of my father, Kirby Crowley.