What Made the Difference? by Ms. Grayson

Ms. Grayson

crystal_grayson — 2026-01-08 14:27:02 UTC

I think influences made the biggest difference because author Wes had his mom, military school leaders, etc, while Other Wes had Tony, who was a drug dealer.

Nathan Z

2026-01-09 12:52:04 UTC

I think the Other Wes' absent father and working mother left him largely alone for a lot of his life, meaning he couldn't get much positive advice from adults and was left to his own decisions.

Meron.A

2026-01-09 12:52:19 UTC

I think choices they made was created much of the difrence because if the other Wes chose to listen to his brother and take school seriously may be he wouldve hae gone into college, get a bettter job and also he wouldve been limited in time that he wouldve not get into influences like drrug selling, becoming a teen parent and other.

Zayan K

2026-01-09 12:53:03 UTC

I think that opportunities made the difference, because Wes had military school, while other Wes' only opportunity to make money from a young age was drug dealing.

Ben O.

2026-01-09 12:55:19 UTC

Author Wes had a lot of mentors and good role models like his mother, but even though his brother Tony wanted him to succeed Other Wes didn't really have any good examples to follow because Tony was still making bad decisions

Steven Doyle

2026-01-09 12:56:16 UTC

I think even though the other wes didn't have much supporting upbringing. Because he grew up in Baltimore City, he has seen the terrible things and terrible actions and he grew up thinking that it was cool so he ended up doing it.

lizeth

2026-01-09 12:56:44 UTC

I think influences make a big difference because the other Wes didn't have a good role model and no one to guide him down the right path; he only had bad friends and bad examples to follow in the future.

Jonathan Dang

2026-01-09 12:56:56 UTC

I think the choices that they made had the biggest impact on their lives, as Wes enters military school and decides not to escape it, giving his life a different outcome if he had escaped military school, and the other Wes decides to follow his brother into drug dealing and crime instead of listening to his brother to go to college and pursue education.

Jeffrey D

2026-01-09 12:57:50 UTC

I think that having a mentor or a guide to help other wes with his life would have been a great help to success, but he didn't have that and had to rely on what he saw or heard on the street to teach him between right or wrong

yadash

2026-01-09 13:46:31 UTC

i think other wes' choices made the biggest difference since despite trying to better himself, he still continued to make and sell drugs, as well as deciding to be part of a robbery and murder

Yunior M

2026-01-09 13:47:54 UTC

I believe the choices they made had a huge impact on their lives. Prison Wes had a variety of options after leaving the Job Corps, but he wasn't patient enough and chose the drug game. Meanwhile, author Wes decided to change for his mom and all the people around him who wanted to see him successful.

Dropping out of high school, which limited his future opportunities and pushed him further into a life of crime.

2026-01-09 13:50:00 UTC

Ranen

2026-01-09 13:50:02 UTC

I think that since Other Wes, had a lot of jail time and past crimes,people might judge him or devalue his statments.

Katherine CR

2026-01-09 13:50:56 UTC

The choices they both made were the different factors leading to the outcomes of their lives. The Other Wes, knowing he was living in a situation of poverty, kept having children, which forced him to make lots of money in a short time frame with high stakes. He also shot a guy knowing thats an immediate ticket to jail, barring him from receiving a proper education which could've given him better opportunities sooner. Author Wes chose to remain in military school and pushed himself to excell and turn his life around.

Albin.G

1613266 — 2026-01-09 13:52:29 UTC

The choices both Wes's made had a big impact on where they are today, Wes decided to stay in military school and he received discipline, while other Wes was getting in to drugs to make fast quick money because he thought there was no need for school anymore.

Jennifer M

2026-01-09 13:52:46 UTC

I think chocies was what made the biggest diffrence in the Wes' lives. The other Wes choose to do drug dealing which led him to be in a bad path. The author Wes who was sent to military school, and then decided to try his best after he failed to escape, later got multiple scholarships.

Kevin Lemus

2026-01-09 13:52:51 UTC

The experiences of both Wes were so different because the other Wes see how sealed drugs the Wes go to school.

Phaeton

10050049 — 2026-01-09 14:11:57 UTC

While the author's mother set strict boundaries and sacrificed resources to send him to military school after his behavioral problems, the other Wes grew up without a present father figure and with an older brother who influenced him.-S-

Cesar Lagos

2026-01-09 16:18:16 UTC

It was the choices. Since they both had a choice about what to do, it was their choice. Wes had chosen to joina military school because his mom made him. Along with Other Wes havingoptionhoice to live that type of life instead of actually trying to get a job. Both families have somewhat of a similar upbringing.

156906_8 — 2026-01-09 16:18:55 UTC

I think he became a product of his environment, did what he felt necessary to survive and make money.

Sahel T

2026-01-09 16:18:59 UTC

Author Wes's mom was really hard on him. She always looked out for her son. She used a lot of discipline to make sure Wes is going in the right direction. Even when they were struggling she always found ways to get Wes better opportunity.

Maria S

2026-01-09 16:19:42 UTC

I believe their different family structure impacted a lot on who they became. The author Wes was raised part of his life with his father, who was an example in his life. Different from Other Wes who didn't have this figure to guide him through his life.

chris p

2026-01-09 16:19:59 UTC

I believe the location had made a difference in their lives because author wes lived in a neighborhood that was fulled with gang activity but him and his family protected him from choosing that life. But other wes chose to live that lifestyle and chose to not go the good route and even dropped out of school which is something author wes didn't even think about

Isabella Lemus

2026-01-09 16:20:44 UTC

I think that influences in the Wes's lives made their life different. The other Wes looked up to his older brother that was in the drug business. Mayor Wes wanted to make his mother proud and started participating and liking military school that she sent him to.

Allison Diaz

2026-01-09 16:21:00 UTC

I think that the choices each of them made were the biggest difference in Wes's lives. Their choices are the ones that either brought them down or up

Madelin B.

8258141 — 2026-01-09 16:21:25 UTC

I think that family made the biggest difference in Wes' lives because the authors mother worked really hard and sacrificed many things for that Wes could have a better education sending him to a private school or to the military. While the other Wes grows up in a poor and dangerous neighborhood with no present father and with an older brother that influences him to a dangerous path.

roger

10088245 — 2026-01-09 16:21:30 UTC

I think that having a one person who can support hem for change hem actions and decisions for making better and can teach him between right or wrong

Jai

2026-01-09 18:03:34 UTC

I think one off the bigger influences that the Other wes had around him was definitely his family and what they were doing around him, as well as the environment

yedidya ayanee

2026-01-09 18:04:20 UTC

wes had the chance to continue the lifestyle he was given after jobcorps camp. yet he still sold coke to get by for his family because the money he was making "wasnt enough"

Christian Barahona

2026-01-09 18:04:40 UTC

he wants getting paid much in the job crops so he decides to sell drugs again to get more money,and fast money

Aiden N

2026-01-09 18:05:17 UTC

The other Wes was born in a less ideal area compared to Author Wes, which largely influenced both of their lives positively or negatively.

Jocelyn C

2026-01-09 18:05:27 UTC

I think that the choices he made, made a difference in his life becahse he chose to keep doing things he knew were bad but stayed doing it.

I think choices because the other Wes chose to listen to his brother and not take school like a game, and take school seriously as it has to be.

2026-01-09 18:06:39 UTC

I think that other wes, your mom had more supported him

2026-01-09 18:06:41 UTC

Anaya c

2026-01-09 18:06:50 UTC

I do think location had a lot to do with Wes upbring. He normalized having to go through those things and when you grow up around something for so long it becomes supper normal for you

William C

2026-01-09 18:06:56 UTC

Author Wes had many good influences in his life; his mother was a hard worker, and she also sent him to military school. In military school, there were countless great influences for him. Prison wes however had many bad influnces. His father just didnt care about him. His brother Tony was already a drug dealer in baltimore, and wes said he wanted to be like him. He also was influnced by the streets

Chris

2026-01-09 18:07:25 UTC

For me I believe he made some absolutely bollocks decisions. He chose to do them drugs, he chose to sell them, he chose to have coitus unprotected, he chose to shoot that guy, and he chose to quit the Job Corps. I feel it is a matter of self discipline and his influences. But everyone has a choice and he chose incorrectly almost every time. I mean sure, your influences play a big role in your decision making but you have to choose the right thing to do. That's why they call them choices.

Armaan

2026-01-09 18:07:26 UTC

I think influences played a big role in both Wes's lives because governor Wes had Influences such as his mother who disciplined him to be a better man and go to military school and in military school the sergeant told him it would be good if he stayed and for the other Wes he had his brother tony who was a negative influence he sold drugs and showed Wes how feared he was and that made Wes look up to tony

Emily Barrow

2026-01-09 18:07:34 UTC

I think the choices they made had a huge difference in how they turned out because the other Wes chose to make cocaine and continue engaging in the drug game. However, Wes Moore chose to focus on school and join the army, creating a better life for himself.

Breanny Ramirez

2026-01-09 18:08:01 UTC

I think the choices Wes made helped him be a better person because even though he didn't choose to go to military school, he decided to let it help him and change him. But the choices that the other wes impacted him in a bad way because he chose to sell drugs again instead of staying at job corps.

Andres Melgar

2026-01-09 18:53:41 UTC

I think the other Wes' brother made the biggest difference because Wes saw how his brother Tony was making money and wanted to follow his brothers path because he felt like he had no other choice and he would get a lot of money

michelle

2026-01-09 18:54:48 UTC

Influences because other Wes had very different people in his life than Wes that made them both guide and follow different paths and decisions.

alejandro h

2026-01-09 18:55:02 UTC

I think that other wes's who didn't have much people to look up to other than tony who was selling drugs he leaned into that sort of life and kept going father into it.

2026-01-09 18:55:16 UTC

I think the choices they made played a role in their differences because Wes chose to stay in military school to be disciplined while Other Wes chose to go back to the drug trade even after promising himself to stop.

Elvin C

2026-01-09 18:56:26 UTC

I feel like the other wes's experiences with of all of the poverty and violence in baltimore and how he ran a whole drug business contributed to him ending up doing something that would land him in jail

Tina G

2026-01-09 18:57:05 UTC

Author Wes had positive influences in his life, like his mom and other mentors. Prison Wes didn’t have many good remodels or people to tell him to do otherwise

Dilver C

2026-01-09 18:57:31 UTC

I think influences made the difference because If Wes had met the other Wes's friends, maybe he would have followed the same decisions