I was raised in a deeply religious home by conservative, Republican-voting parents. They raised five daughters, and one thing my sisters and I all agree on is this: we were taught to value education, independence and service. Though my parents did not attend college, they raised us to be self-suffic ient. We worked in high school, paid our own bills, and learned to take pride in our community. My father served on City Council, and civic responsibility was modeled, not merely spoken about. ...read more read less