I Am Not Like A Community College Student

My parents Immigrated from Poland to the United States in search for better opportunity for the children that they planned to have. When my parents finally made the move, they started with nothing and no one to turn to; they did not even know how to speak English. All my parents knew for sure was that they were going to raise three children in America and do all they could possibly do to motivate and make them passionate for school. My parents have always wanted their children to achieve the careers of their dreams and be able to support their own family as well as be happy with their lives. My parents have struggled with money their entire lives, which is another reason why they did all they could to get to America and motivate their children for schooling. They did not want their children to struggle with money the way that they did. But this led another issue, affording college. My parents did not have enough money for their children to attend college. Because of this, I have done my best in school to earn outstanding grades and do my best to earn scholarships.

My parents always wanted to give their children the life they never had. I am Mexican-American, both of my parents immigrated from Mexico to the U.S. before I was born. I have numerous relatives, including my older sister, who do not have the same opportunities I have to achieve success because they are undocumented. For them, college was only a dream that could never be attained. Being the first U.S. citizen out of my entire family affected the way I thought about life. It was expected that I would attend college because I was the only one who had access to all the resources granted to American citizens. Although, I agreed with my family, the pressure to succeed and be a role model to my younger siblings was overwhelming.

Coming back to the U.S. for the second time in my life after nine years was perhaps one of the most challenging obstacles I have ever had to face. Not only did I have to accustom myself to the language but also to a newer, differentiated culture. Also, with that came some bullying and taunting that did not pull me down but instead opened my eyes to see what a strong and enduring person I could be. With help from my teachers and my supporting family as they helped buffer my experience and transition to a different world, I was able to overcome the typical immigrant challenge that thousands have to face.

While living in Vietnam, my family was well off. I did not have to worry about anything except for performing well in school. However, after moving to the US when I was about fifteen, my family struggled financially as my parents had a difficult time finding jobs. Knowing all the struggles that my parents were going through, I tried my very best in school. Moreover, I also helped my parents by taking care of house chores. Instead of staying after school for extracurricular activities, I came home early to take care of my younger sisters, help them with their homework, and make dinner for my family while my parents were off at work or night classes at community college. I started doing a lot of things that I had never imagined I would ever do as a teenager. I saw myself changing slowly, becoming more of a responsible

My parents came to the U.S. with nothing but the money in their pockets. We lived with my three aunts for a year, until my father could figure what to do. He decided to start a convenience store to try to provide for his family. He was not making as much as he was in Korea, but he had to make do with what he had. Due to this lack of income, I had to attend four different elementary schools: one in Korea, two in Baltimore County, and one in Howard County. Even though two of them were in Baltimore County, I still could not maintain my friendships because I could not drive, and my parents had to work all the

Living in a low-income family, my life was constantly being turned upside down. Whether it was living without hot water, electricity, or even a home at times I’ve had to work through it all in pursuit of my dreams. Coming home to a situation in complete disarray was a standard for my household, and when something wasn’t burning down in a fire, then life just didn’t seem real. Being pushed around has meant going the “extra mile” to succeed in life. This has meant taking a four-mile bike ride to the Santa Clara library to finish typing up a research paper for my English class or even boiling pots of water to have a lukewarm bath. While these skills are not necessarily the most difficult, they have molded me into being a person who won’t allow setbacks to stop me from achieving my

Anyway so I was in Kuwait, had left behind my family which included my Mom and Dad, a wife and two little kids to work as a typist (official title sales coordinator) . It was a period of great upheaval in my life, when I think of it; the upheavals had been going on for some time. But the stint away from home, being completely dependent on my own self for everything changed something in me in fact, everything in me. I could no longer claim I had any resemblance to the person who first set foot on that dry and unforgiving desert

During this time my mom dealt with unemployment for almost two months. She now has a good baby-sitting job and I’m extremely proud to say my mom has done everything in her power to raise my brother and I. She has become a more independent driven woman, whose growth has shown me that the struggles that life brings are actually opportunities to be better. I face my challenges with confidence because I know I can only learn from them and they will shape the person that I want to become. I no longer face obstacles but

We were forced to move eleven different times, evicted from our homes because my father was not able to afford the one we were in at the time. It reached a point where my parents saw it would be best to leave the state. Once we returned to New Jersey, my father decided to open a medical practice; it took off faster and stronger than he could have imagined. In spite of this, the pressures of money prevailed in his eyes. It seemed the hardest days were in our past, but this was

The fresh February breeze brushed my face as I rode my bicycle, headed towards my department. In the meantime, I saw a young girl in school uniform holding her father’s hand and heading towards the bus stop; and suddenly my thoughts took me to my school days. My father used to drop me to school every day in his “hero puch”. We were a middle class family wherein my mother stayed at home and took care of all of us, me, my father and my younger sibling. She always encouraged me to work hard and become an independent individual. Being the elder child, I had the responsibility towards my family. My father’s struggle from a tea stall owner to a successful businessman always inspired me to work hard and keep my chin up. He always said “Results don’t matter, what matters is your hard work”.

When I was in first grade my parents bought a local shop on Main street whose owners were retiring to Florida. As a first grader, I did not know the impact that would have on my life. I do not think my parents realized how life changing that decision would become. A normal childhood was not in the picture for me I soon realized as I hopped off my bike every time I saw the police officer walking down the sidewalk so he would not give me another warning… on top of the countless others, he had given me before. When I wasn’t out riding my bike I was stuck inside working with my mom. From an early age I learned the ropes of how to interact with costumers and by the third grade, I thought of myself as pretty business savvy as it got for a third grader at least.

It was devastating for my family to start over from point zero after all we’ve been through to get to where we were and all out efforts and moments of hardships.In the process of settling down, I had to be there for my parents at their lows. It struck me that I had to take responsibility for myself and those around me as an adult. I had to solve my problems solemnly and take responsibility for my actions despite all the pain and pressure that I had to take in and keep it in and let no one notice it. I also tried to keep my academic life untouched of this pressure that was caused after the migration and settling down from a much lower lifestyle that we had before migration, but they were moments that it had affected my academic performance. Also I felt the responsibility to become successful and not give up since my parents sacrificed so much for me to get here. I didn’t want all their efforts and all the pain and hardships that we took in go to waste, thus I feel that I have to pursue my studies and not give up no matter how hard it

I started my education in a refugee camp when I was six years old and graduated from high school at the age of eighteen. Since then I have learned the value of education in the competitive job markets. After spending almost two decades of a chaotic life in a refugee camp, I immigrated to the United States of America as a part of a resettlement program offered by the United States government with the hope of a bright future, freedom and opportunity.

Without the support of my father and the drastic change in my life, I understood that the only way to improve my quality of life was to study and find the passion to which I was going to dedicate the rest of my life. After careful thought, I decided to move to the United States. Leaving my family, I came to this country in search of knowledge, contacts and “greater opportunities”. During these years, I have been confronted with many obstacles, but I have been able to resolve them thanks in part to my dedication. When it comes to achieving my goals, I find it in myself to push myself until that goal it met. I consider that there is no lack of opportunities for someone that believes in their capabilities and is aware that nothing comes without sacrifice, meaning that hard work and dedication are required in order to achieve goals.

With so many ways to describe who I am, I think I will start off with the basics. I am a college student that attends Drake University. I would identify myself as hard-working, responsible, and persistent. At the beginning of the term, I identified myself as how I felt in the moment with answers such as tired, hungry, and bored. Yes, those were traits I identified myself within the moment, but now I try to look far and beyond the present. I want to identify myself as someone who strives to achieve everything she ever wanted, including graduating from college, with honors and getting involved within the college community. I want to be able to identify with things that have meaning and substance that I have always strived for including being determined and self-reliant.