By Danielle Sheally

There comes a time in everyone’s life when a best friend or sibling backs down their driveway to start the next chapter in the journey of life and, until they’re gone we don’t realize how much they really affected our lives. My brother Willie always connected with people well. He was the person that automatically made a awkward situation feel totally comfortable and, for the class of 2013 he was definitely one of the most recognized people.

As I look back on our time together, two things my brother taught me that are imporant are: stay confident in any situation, and always form some kind of relationship with the people in our lives.

For me, staying confident in certain situations helps me rationalize with the issue at hand. For example, if I have to do the project that involves public speaking I always try to get interested in some aspect of the topic. That way the project is easier to talk about. If it something I’m really not interested in though I always try to crack a couple jokes related to the topic so it allows the crowd and I to become more relaxed.

Forming relationships with teachers and colleagues is something that I always try to do, because it may come to help when I least expect it. The relationship also help me know what kind of personality my teacher of friend has so, if I want say something I know whether to refrain from saying it or not. It’s always good to have if you just want to blow off steam.

So, my brother may not realize it right now but, he’s actually really helped me in my life.