She let out a heavy breath as she set down the moving boxes. Though the work was tedious, it was worth it. She and her family were helping her sister move into her new apartment. It was definitely a family bonding experience.

Freshman Lucía Patiño, has quite a big family. With three siblings, she has gone through many different experiences that have shaped who she is today.

Ever since she was young, she’s been the peacemaker and the “crackhead” of the family.

“I’m normally the burst of energy at home and always end up doing stupid things that make everyone laugh,” Lucía said.  “I always prioritize making sure everyone is happy and we’re all in agreement on things.”

As she grew older, her relationship with her siblings also changed. 

“My relationship with my siblings has definitely gone from them seeing me as their ‘youngest sister’ to someone they can relate to,” Lucía said. “I can talk and relate with my siblings more now, as well as with my parents.”

Lucía is very close with her sister, Montse, who is currently a senior at Texas A&M.

“My sister and I have a very tight relationship and she is my go to when I’m struggling with anything and need advice,” Lucía said. “She’s definitely someone I can lean on.”

Montse’s move to college caused a lot of changes.

“I did feel a bit lonely when my sister left for college since she was who I mainly talked to all the time,” Lucía  said. “However, it did lead to me gaining tighter relationships with my brothers.”

Lucía has an older brother named Diego, who is a senior at Independence High School.

“My older brother and I aren’t as close,” Lucía said. “However he’s who I look to when I need help in school.”

Additionally, Lucía has a twin brother, Marcelo, who she’s closest with.

“We spend lots of time together, and it’s easy to talk about anything since we’re going through the same things, Lucía said. “I don’t think I could even imagine how different my life would be without him.”

Having three siblings has shaped Lucía’s personality in a good way.

“I think it’s definitely given me my outgoing trait and led me to be quite talkative at times,” Lucía said. “It’s also made me gain a huge amount of patience and helped me grow as a person.

Though having many siblings can be loud and annoying at times, Lucía has learned a lot from her experiences.

“I’m thankful for all they’ve taught me. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that you always have to look at things from everyone’s perspective,” Lucía said. With so many of us and each having different points of views I’ve learned to put myself in other people’s shoes and think of things differently.”