Undergraduate / Common App: "Indicate a person..." The Finest Legacy. [3]

Prompt: Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
The Finest Legacy

"Our beloved Japanese teacher, Sensei Takahashi, passed on two hours ago...R.I.P" the text message read. These words of misery darkened the car and blocked out the buoyant tunes from the stereo. Before I shed into tears, I made a closed fist, subtly placed it on my chest, and stuck my head out the window. Amid the swift wind, I whispered, "Sensei, you can rest in peace. I will keep your legacy safe and sound." Even in such a time of melancholy-a time of the death of an influential individual-I was able to spell out the words "Optimism", "Hope", "Courage", and "Resilience" and carve it in the core of me to help me overcome this emotional hurdle; all because of Sensei Takahashi.

Three years ago, I recall myself sitting in Japanese class flipping through the textbook reading aloud vocabulary as a class. "Kotoshi; this year", we chanted together. Such a relaxed atmosphere is engendered by one individual in the classroom: Sensei Takahashi. Sensei's genial smile when she reminds me to tuck my phone away, her melodic laughter when I tell her jokes, and her lighthearted voice when she greets her students with a "Konichiwa" are her features that consistently remind me that she is still intimately besides me, helping me back on my feet and pursue the fruitful potentials ahead of me. Nowhere in her classroom can you find spider-webs hiding in corners, musty clusters of dust piled on papers, or resentful students hoping for the bell to ring. One day after class, Sensei angelically appeared next to me and asked, "What's wrong?". Her instincts knew it, knew that I was distraught after being reprimanded by my English teacher, after a fight with my best friend. She invited me over to her bean bag and settled me in. I entrenched myself deep and basked myself in Sensei's thick curds of aromatic Sakura perfume. "Be positive, bounce back, look forward, and endeavor" she says encouragingly. And of course she offered me a handful of her fruity gummy bears to sweeten my bitter mood. From her words, I named the orange one "Optimism", the red one "Hope", the green one "Resilience", and the yellow one "Courage". I am no master at enduring my parents' divorce, a tough loss of a twelve-year friend moving to the other side of the country, or juggling school, sports, friends, and family along with expectations. But Sensei's spirit shines the light at the other end of the tunnel, wiping out the darkness around me. It is waiting for me to approach it, embrace it and start anew strongly. "Nothing in this world should cost you your tears or frustration", she says. What did a bicycle for my fifth birthday mean? What about the red envelopes filled with money from Chinese New Year? Nothing; compared to the priceless spirit lit by Sensei.

Today, school, sports, friends and family are all tugging on my arms, vying for my time, and reminding me that my daily to-do list is unfinished. Whenever I'm on the car-ride home from an arduous day at school, I feel the tug-of-war hosted on my arms, but not the strains nor resentment. Instead, I learned to be opportunistic and use hardships to my advantage to avoid stress and frustration. The doorway separating my weaknesses from my potentials has shut, and I stand robustly on the side with "Optimism", "Hope", "Resilience", and "Courage" guarding the threshold, barring any chances of me succumbing to thoughts of surrendering.

-Elton Lou

Undergraduate / UC Personal Statement#1: My Ailing Childhood [2]

Close to our departure time from Taipei, Taiwan, my aging grandfather in his screeching rocking chair called my brother and me over to his vicinity. I sensed the feeling of melancholy as our household of three-me, Edward, and my mother-were about to depart back to the United States after a rare visit back to our very own country; back to a life of economic precariousness. Edward and I dragged ourselves across the wooden floor and sat under his tense and emotional eyes. One minute of silence ensued as I witnessed my grandfather's eyes tearing up and heard my heart thump faster than ever.

My grandfather has always been the shadow guardian of our household of three. He acknowledges that ever since my birth, my parents have been in persistent search for a solidified economic settlement to enrich my brother and my childhood. Each and every day for thirty-something years, he would drag his slouched and fragile body down the roads of Taipei City in search for a lottery ticket that would bring magic to our household of three.

Before I was old enough to stay home alone and babysit my brother, my mom would thunder home after her arduous day of work at a busy video shop. She would often times bring home our favorite fresh KungPao Chicken with rice and broccoli soup, and other times just her stale leftovers from her lunch. Though not as fancy as the dinner of other families' in the Bellevue community, I cherish every square inch of it with all of my heart as I acknowledge this is the best my mother was able to bring home. Hoping that my mom would stay home and spend the night with Edward and me, my wishes were in vain as she left for a night shift of her second job. Seeing her shut the door behind her broke my spirits, and I resumed my tedious studies in my room.

Growing up in an affluent community such as that of Bellevue, I was surrounded by peers who lived fanciful lifestyles. Feeling low and unqualified, I would walk down the hallways of my school envying the lavish clothes and sophisticated cell phones they would possess while I had none of those. However, I was never fazed by my community's extravagance. I grasped tightly onto my values of education and success for the future to come. Though my childhood was accompanied by economic hardships and societal obstacles throughout, they in fact stimulated my willpower to stand-out and thrive in my community. I fought and fought and climbed up to rank 9 in our senior class. I am a recognized tennis athlete in the region, and I assume various leadership positions in my school and community. All of this I attained at an underprivileged status. But not everything stops here. The prospects of my educational and social future are well-shaped.

My grandfather finally lifted his lips and sorrowful words spilled out of his mouth. My ninety-year old grandfather communicated to us his potent hope for us to succeed and provide a more comfortable life for our exhausted mother. This message was more heart-felt as he mentions this as his wish before his imminent death. I enveloped his words and brought them back to Bellevue. Since then, I've perceived everyday-life as a step toward comfort and security in our lives. I have never stopped fighting and never will stop.

This past spring, my grandfather was lucky enough to visit us in the states. Seeing our animated family, he feels his wish approaching him. And I drew inspiration from his lively visit thinking that my goals are nearing. I hope to draw myself closer to the finish line through the prestigious schools in the state of California.