Undergraduate / "the city of Las Vegas" - Describe the world you come from [21]

Prompt 1:
Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

Hi everyone, this is my essay, I worked really hard on it, I would appreciate any advice. Tell me if you think theres a thematic rift between the first two paragraphs, because someone told me that, but I dont think there really is.

Thanks alot everyone!

As your driving into the city of Las Vegas, your first thoughts are always "Wow! Look at all those pretty lights", But what you wouldn't imagine is that you were about to enter a twenty-four hour party. That's exactly what it is here. Not just for the tourists that come, but also for the residents that live here. I have lived in Las Vegas my entire life, and I never realized how much the environment you are surrounded by when you are young, could shape the person you became as you grew older. Granted, every city has its problems. It is our choice as individuals to decide what groups we fall into, what experiences we involve ourselves in, and what roads we take, but growing up in a city that seems to be have a center focus on the party lifestyle isn't easy, especially for young adults my age. I was lucky enough to have grown up with so strict of a father that it was impossible for me to get in any kind of trouble. Most of my friends growing up, even childhood friends have ended up in very bad positions. I believe that it's because families here aren't as well connected to each other like families from some other states, though I am not sure why this is. Yes, Las Vegas is a beautiful, cultured, exciting place, but there are a lot of things that people misconceive when they come here.

Thankfully, I have always had a strong supportive foundation of family, and I have always had many things to engage myself in. My family and I were constant travelers; we traveled from places like Kona, Hawaii, all the way to places like Sydney, Australia. And I believe that having this privilege to travel all around the world has really sculpted my passion for Marine Biology. I've always had a passion for science, as well as literature, but it wasn't until I took my first dive on Catalina Island that I truly knew this is what I wanted to do with my life. Being underwater is like nothing you've ever experienced before; the scene is calm and quiet, and all you can hear is the sound of your breath as you inhale and exhale. I find myself in complete euphoria when I'm underwater and discovering new things. It was my sixteenth birthday; my family and I took a trip to an island off the coast of California. My father always knew I had a passion for the ocean, so I was ecstatic when he told me that we I was going to become SCUBA certified.

It's at times like these I really begin to feel grateful for what I have, Although I've grown up in a city with constant negative influence, I have also grown up with a wonderful family who has done everything in their power to make me the best person I can be, and with that I feel even stronger because I know that, yes, sometimes, our community, our lifestyles, and our surrounding's have a huge influence on who we become, but also that people also can grow on their own, and overcome any adversity.