Undergraduate / "I arrived to a place of opportunities" - college essay prompt 1 for uc [2]

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

"Five years ago my mother, sister and I arrived to a place of opportunities, no-one in my family has gone to college, so I want to be the first one to succeed and become a leader to my siblings. From the first time we arrived I had a dream, "I wanted to have a better future for my family and I," but life always has obstacles, that my family hasn't been able to overcome: my father lost his job and hasn't been able to find one, my mother she is sick from a strange disease and doctors haven't been able to figure out, as a result she can't work and is receiving disability. I was unprepared for what the future had for my family and me. This dramatic change has thought me many things, that now I realize, my family's struggles has gave me the courage to become a stronger and more persistence person and student. From the first time I figure out that my family was in trouble and without an exit, my dreams and accomplishments banished. Illness of a parent and changes in life style, make myself think about quitting school and going into different directions. Everything started in my sophomore year, my grades started dropping, school wasn't that much important any more; I went from being an "A"and "B" student into a "C" student."I had just failed my teachers and family. How would I tell my eighth grade teachers "I'm not going to college, life is hard and unfair," How would I tell my parents "I give up." Now I was reflecting and analyzing my issues. I started to realize that I was just confused and mislead. My teachers and family helped me get in the right direction. This issue has made me a better person and able to make hard decisions "when problems seem to overcome you, never run from them but confront them," this is what I learned from this problem. Now I was ready to meet my dreams no matter how hard they seem. My sophomore year was a disaster but after a great lesson in my life. I was ready to meet my dreams no matter how hard they seem. Now each day I wake, I been having lots of responsibilities, for example: after school I have to clean the house, cook, take care of my siblings; because my dear mother can do nothing respect to her illness, and after this I have to do my homework. I also worked as a clerk during summer school at the end of my junior year. Now that I was seventeen years old I wanted to help my economically by bringing money to the table. This experience has made me a more responsible and mature person from others. I know that this experience is going to help in the near future. This awful experience has helped me shape my life and also challenge myself for further issues, but now I know what is important to me "getting higher education," I am ready for anything that comes into my way, this has prepared me for the future. Now that I am a senior I have even more reassurance into going to college and having my kids dream true "becoming a engineer." Without my family, friends, and teachers I don't know what other direction I would've taken. I know that my family's issues are going to inspire me to become a better student. My family has taught me to never give up, be responsible and have hope. I miss the days when my family had peace and had no economic problems, but I'm also thankful for having a family united even more when problems seem to overcome us. "When life is about to over trough you always stand taller" this is what my parents always told me. As life passed and problems seem to overcome, they don't actually mean that they are for the bad but to help you learn from them and always try to get the best out from problems. If you think negative, well you are going to get live, but if you think positive no matter how hard it is you will always succeed.

Undergraduate / "I've lived in a Mexican culture" - this is my friends 1st college prompt essay. [2]

prompt essay #1

I come from a family of five, that's including me, and I've lived in a Mexican culture throughout my whole life. The culture itself has taught me many good things like when you grow up you have to be independent and that work comes first. As a kid my family has always told me "do right and not wrong." That includes like going to college that way when I finish my pursued career I will be able to get a well paying job so I can support my family. Throughout my entire life my parents have always wanted the best for me in life and always tell me "get a higher education then what we had." Now that I am older I am able to think that education is really important and necessary in life, because I have seen their jobs and I realize how hard it is without a college education. They aren't very pleasant jobs, that is why I see myself getting a higher education.

Ever since I was young I was forced and punished to do my homework because work traditionally comes first in our culture. Now that I am older I am thankful for my parents forcing me to do my homework because now I realize how much importance it really is for my future. Without my family's support I would not be here where I am right now. They have helped me throughout the years until a couple of years ago due to their limited high school education, and because of the economic crisis. Although they haven't been able to help me lately, all I need now from them is their love and support.

Family culture has been a big influence on me and what I want to do in life. I say this because I see how people in my family who haven't finished their high school education suffer, and struggle with life and bringing money to the family. That has really made me think, "Do I want to do what he is doing?", and in reality who wants to have a hard life. Another problem is when I see a homeless man in my community, for some odd reason it reminds me of a person who didn't get their education. That is why my family really pushes me in school to get a good education so I don't end up like that homeless guy. My family has also influenced me into going to college because they want me to break the family chain that is full of non college graduates.

Throughout the Mexican culture I have learned that with lots hard work and responsibilities comes a very bright future. For example, during the summer when I worked with my father at the company I worked really hard and when the summer was finally about to be over it all paid off with a very good pay. I thank my father for taking me to work because that helped me see how life really is and while having the job it taught me how to be even more responsible.

Even to this day I have never doubted that I wasn't going to college because of the way my parents and culture has raised me. Thanks to my family I have learned many necessary things in life like how to be responsible, hard work pays off, to never give up on education no matter how hard it gets, and to think big and be something in life. Now that I am going further in life I'm hoping that I will see life differently and more maturely. The first step in furthering in life is to think about what I want to be in life. That is why I want to become some sort of engineer because that's where I find most my interests in. Now that I think about it, it has been a lifelong aspiration for me.