by Christian Picazzo ’25

The woman I admire most in the world is my grandmother, my nana Maria. My nana  is incredibly goal driven, hard working and always seems to know what to say.

Moreover, although life has been difficult for her at times, she has always found strength in her faith. For example, when she lost her son a couple years back, she fought through her pain and grief to become a stronger person for those around her, me included. She has served as an inspiration and role model for what it means to be a loving and caring parental figure. Furthermore, although she can be strict,  she expresses it with love and in a way that is meant simply to push me to be better. 

Some of the things that make her an amazing mother figure in my life is her ability to just look at me and understand what’s wrong. She can recognize when I’m feeling as though life is too much, when I’m feeling overwhelmed. Her desire and ability to do that, to sense when I’m down, means more to me than I could ever describe. 

The fact that I have her brings me hope and comfort, and the feeling that no matter what, things are going to be ok.