Anggie Pineda is nineteen and grew up partly in Guatemala and the other part in California. She shared with us where she first lived and where she moved. She also shared who was her biggest influence, which was her mom, and also how that person influenced her. She also shared what was the most important lesson she learned in her life.
Transcript: An influential Effect
Andie Mendez: What’s your name?
Anggie Pineda: My name is Anggie Pineda.
AM: How old are you?
AP: I’m 19 years old.
AM: Where did you grow up?
AP: I grew up in the United States, but I was born in Guatemala. I came here to the U.S at a young age.
AM: Who is a big influence in your life?
AP: Someone who is a big influence in my life would be my mom. She is someone who I admire and someone who I appreciate very much.
AM: How did they influence you?
AP: She influenced me by being a strong independent woman who has always been there for me and my brothers through good and tough times. She always found a way to help us in school, to take care of us and raise us. She has shown me how to always keep my head up even when times get bad, to have faith that problems are temporary. The sun always shines bright after a rainy dark day.
AM: What was the most important lesson you have learned in your life?
AP: The most important lesson I have learned in my life is to always value everything you have and not just everything value everyone you have all around you. Family, friends, everyone that means a lot to you. This is probably one of many lessons I have learned in my short 19 years of life but this is one of the important lessons because people tend to not pay much attention to how valuable enjoying the time spent with your loved ones actually is. There’s a phrase that people mention that says “make the best of every moment count” or something along those lines. To me when I hear that phrase I feel like it’s something more than making a memory. It’s actually enjoying the blessing of life, the opportunity we have to wake up everyday and interact with the people around you. The people you love. This is important because nothing lasts forever and others wish they were able to have that opportunity to spend time and appreciate the things people around them do for them but because of certain situations they aren’t able to be with them and do what they want to do with that loved one. People leave, people grow up, people change and sometimes creating memories and enjoying every second of that is something to be grateful about and you carry those memories for the rest of your life.The present moment is the most precious thing there is.
AM: What is one of your beliefs? Why?
AP: Beliefs is a very open talking but yet private. Beliefs can make people react in a positive or a negative way. It all depends on if the person agrees with you or disagrees. One belief that I have is what you plant is what you harvest. This is one of my many beliefs. Just like that phrase we hear a lot “ treat others how you want to be treated” is very much true. This is because I’m a strong believer that if you do something bad to someone or you treat someone bad you will get that in return sooner or later from the same person or a different person but sooner or later you will get whatever you gave back. When you plant something, for example an apple tree. You expect the tree to give apples, you don’t expect the tree to give oranges because you planted an apple tree. Therefore, if you have planted hate towards other people and you have been a bad person don’t expect people to shower you with love when all you have given is hate. I believe that we should treat everyone nicely and respectfully so we can get that in return.
