An Eyewitness By: Gloria J. BesleyGloria has lived an extraordinary life that is unimaginable to the average person. She is the eighth of ten children and the first in her family to finish high school and graduate college. Her mother was of Native American heritage and partially blind. Her father had a 2nd grade education but worked full-time at the railroad and operated a productive farm. Her family owned two homes, one in the city and another in the country. They were able to travel by train and take vacations from 1945-1960, which was extraordinary for families during that period.Gloria was taught that she could have anything she wanted with hard work, so she worked hard, challenged obstacles, and refused to accept failure as an option. While facing many challenges throughout life, she recognized fear as her greatest obstacle. She refused to allow fear to stop progress. Gloria has been a trailblazer in the accounting profession, real estate industry, and tax law. Gloria is an advocate for equality, human rights, and justice.