Undergraduate / "My father's profound effect on my life." - UCONN essay [3]

Hey all, this is a college essay I decide to submit for UCONN. The topic is

"Describe a person or event that has had a profound effect upon your life."

"Rishna, what is your motivation for doing the things that you do?" I've been asked this question by many of people who've known me for awhile. I always answered "Well, I've grown up in environment where the only people who were your heroes, inspirations or role models had to be famous and on TV. But my hero is my father."

My father was born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where education was considered scarce due to the economy of the country. My father worked hard throughout school and took full advantage of opportunities that involved education. He moved to United States of America with my mother in the 1980's where he pursued his dreams in the land of opportunities. Growing up, my father made sure that all his children were involved in activities that were surrounded by education. A distinct memory I have was when there was a really bad snowstorm in Connecticut. We didn't have a car, but my father put both my sister and I on both his legs, my brother on his shoulders and treaded through 5 feet of snow just to make sure we would get to school. His dedication and yearning for his children to have education always astonished me. He always told us that education is the key to life and no matter what, you must always keep learning and working hard towards your goal. The quote, "Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one." by Malcolm Forbes applies to my life and what my father embedded in my mind because he told me that education expands your horizons and combats ignorance.

My father was in involved in the Haiti earthquake in January 2010. This event had a profound effect on my life because it made me realize that life is not always guaranteed and if I want to achieve goals in my life, I must continue and use the tools given to me in order to accomplish them. Dad always pushed me to work harder than my potential and that everyday spent in school is a lesson that can be applied to life. His favorite quotes were "The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives." by Robert M. Hutchins and "Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." by John Dewey. My father worked hard so that he would grow up to see his children actively shape and mold their lives through education. He wants his children to receive better education than he ever did while he was in school.

It's an honor and blessing to be the daughter of this amazing man because his hard work and dedication to wanting his children to live a fulfilling life and receive a really good education never cease to amaze me. I'm working hard towards my goal of attending the University of Connecticut and enjoy everything that this prestigious school has to offer me. I'm involved in school activities that I wouldn't normally do and I'm learning new studying techniques that would enable me to be more successful. I view the University of Connecticut as a place of diversity that encourages students to have an open mind. I only dream to become as great as he is and accomplish half the goals that he has done throughout his lifetime time so far. My father told me that the best gift in life that I could ever give to him is education because it would give him the satisfaction of knowing that he did his job of raising his children well. But now it's my turn to give back to my father by going to a school I've been dreaming about since the six grade.

***All feedback and constructive criticism is welcomed. Thank you so much!***