As a child, my mother had a wonderful impact on my life. People always say a woman can’t raise a man to be a man. My question is, what defines a man? My mother instilled several attributes in me that are consistent with not just “manhood”, but humanity. She taught me to be selfless, responsible, motivated, respectful, and balanced in my actions. These core values helped me become successful today. As a Naval Officer and co-founder of RepayVets, these core values have been a guiding force in my life.
My mother displayed selflessness in several ways. I never felt like an only child because we had a continuous stream of family in our home. My mother understood that it takes a village to raise a child. RepayVets takes on that same selfless model. We recognize that Veterans will be coming home from deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and they will need jobs. If they can’t find jobs, they will try their hand at entrepreneurship. We want to rally a crowd of givers willing to help them live out their dreams. RepayVets recognizes that a dollar is not much, but 1 million people giving 1 dollar can change lives!
My mother was responsible in every sense of the word. Though she held two jobs most of my life, she never missed one of my games and she always helped me with my school work. She was only twenty when she had me, but she filled the duties of two parents. Her motivation still astonishes me to this day. About 3 years ago she decided to quit her day job and start her own cleaning service. Her work ethic and motivation enabled her to succeed. RepayVets is here today because of my mother’s inspiration. Her actions helped me realize my dreams.
As I mentioned before, no matter how busy her life was she made time for me. As I was growing up, I witnessed my mother balance more than my favorite juggler at the circus. She was and still is a mom, friend, aunt, cousin, entrepreneur, sister and all around great individual. Astonishingly, my mother performed each role extremely well. And I strive for this too. I aim to excel at home and at work without neglecting either. I hope that my wife, colleagues and friends look back on my life one day and feel the same way about me. As far as I am concerned, every day is a Mother’s Day. Her service to me as a mother and this country as an Army Veteran mean more than words can ever express on this Memorial Day.
Bio: Lt. Marlon Terrell has a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and a Master’s in Professional Studies, Leadership Development from the University of Maryland, College Park. He currently serves in the United States Navy and is co-founder of RepayVets, an organization which helps veterans become entrepreneurs. He lives in Maryland with his wife, April.
Leave a Reply