Undergraduate / parents, environment, culture influences who you are [2]

Prompt: how has your family history, culture or environment influence who you are

Who can affirm that they were born with their set of values? When I think about my childhood, I realized that many factors influence the way I am. Since I was young, punishment was the NUMBER ONE word I was scared of, as a result my mother used this fear against me. Under those circumstances, I learned many valuable qualities such as respect, moral values and good manners. Till this day I can hear her voice telling me what to do. Additionally, I lived in a poor country for many years, I witnessed many unfair situations. Unfortunately, I use to hear how people from other country talk bad about us. I gained strength from this situation and I decide that one day I will make all the other country think different about us.

It is said that we are the sum of our relationships. Being raised by Haitian parents and lived in a Haitian community, I shared many of their characteristic. Indeed, I was this close to be named Jean-Baptiste. Additionally, I like listening to kompas, eat diri ak pwa (red beans and rice) and I believe I can treat any illness with specific leaves. Given this point I am the product of my environment and my family.

thx for taking your time to read it
do do u think i respond to the question?

Undergraduate / 'I spent one month living in the street' - admission ucf [5]

is it a lot or just enough?
what can i do to make it better?
please give me any suggestion that can make it better.

prompt: if there has been some obstacle or bump in the road in your academic or personal life, please explain the circumstances.

I remember this day, Tuesday January 12, 2010, like it was yesterday. He started like one ordinary day, the smile was on my face as always while going to school, and everything was perfect until the moment the ground started to tremble like a table with missing leg. The screaming of the neighbor intensified, in a few second families and friends had died. After this day my life had never been the same. I spent one month living in the street, which became the place where I ate, I played and cried for those who were deceased. At a given time I even thought it was the end of the world. Consequently my mother sent me to my aunt in the United States to continue with school. Was this a good solution? Yes, I am positive. I admit that I confronted many obstacles, my first months were not stress-free, I had to get used to live away from my parent, I had to familiarize myself with the language, I had to make new friends and adapt with the school. However, the benefit worth the cost; coming here helped me grow, I realized that things that I taught was important for me like: a large house, money, jewels and clothes were only vanity; the most important thing in my life became my relation with my family. I also started to talk to other people that explain to me that education is the key for success in the life, for this reason I worked three times harder in school. There is a purpose for everything that happen in life, I had never believed that struggle makes someone stronger until this earthquake, it was a difficult and dramatic moment, however it taught me how to be a strong and courageous man.