My Heritage Essay Notes

The student's crest includes:
- The Quetzal bird
- A boar
- Pepian (a traditional Guatemalan dish)
- A lion
Family motto: "love, family and kindness"

The first section of the crest includes the flag of Guatemala and The Quetzal.
The Quetzal is the national bird of Guatemala and is embedded in Guatemalan culture.
The student's family is represented by it, as it is beautiful, and so is their culture.
The quetzal was a symbol of power for the Mayans.

The boar is a symbol of bravery.
The student included it because their family is brave and courageous.
The family has a long line of smart, brave, and courageous people.
The student's mother moved from Guatemala to the United States without speaking any English.
She learned English and studied hard to become a dentist in the United States, which the student considers amazing and brave.

Pepian is a traditional dish from Guatemala.
It is made up of beef, potato, green beans, and broth and is usually accompanied by tortillas.
The student loves Pepian because it tastes delicious, and their grandma makes it for them.
It can be found in many places across Guatemala, especially in Antigua, Guatemala, where it can be found in restaurants.
Another food from Guatemala is the tamale, a traditional food that is rarely eaten because it takes a whole day to make.
Tamales are only eaten once a year during New Years.

The fourth section of the crest represents my first name, which means "nobleman” and is associated with leadership and strength.
The student chose to talk about their first name because it is the same name as their patron saint, St. Patrick.
The name Patrick comes from the old Irish name “Patraicc” which was popular in Ireland after the year 1600.
The student's parents chose the name because they liked it and thought it was a good choice.
The student feels like their name represents who they are, and they are proud of their name.

The student's great-grandma LaVetta Snyder was born in 1915 in Nebraska.
She was one of 12 children and grew up on a farm, having to help take care of the farm and her younger siblings.
She lived through the Great Depression and World War II.
At 24 years old, she worked in a factory in Indiana during the war.
She met the student's great-grandpa and moved to Southern California at the end of the war, where the student's great uncle Stan was born.
Both the student's grandpa and great uncle grew up in Wyoming, where the student's great grandma was a teacher.
She later moved back to Nebraska around the year 2005.
The student visited her in Benkleman, Nebraska, in 2023.
She passed away last month at 109 years old.
She was a very kind and loving person.

The family motto is “love, family, and kindness” because our family is nice and we love to do things together.
At least once a year, the student's family travels to Guatemala to visit with their aunt, uncle, and cousins.
The family also gets together in Oregon with the student's dad’s family for special occasions and to celebrate birthdays.
The student's grandma and grandpa live with them.
Both sides of the family get along and celebrate some occasions together.