Kimh
Nov 19, 2011
Undergraduate / UC Prompt 1 Constant Moving: a reflection on the importance of education [3]
This is my new revision please help me
I had to help my parents pack up clothes and belongings again. The landlord has raised the rental price and demanded us to move out. "But I just some new friends and I like it here. Do we really have to move ma?" I've said this phrase so many times but the answer never changes - "Yes, say your goodbyes" said my mom.
Up until the time when my family and I settled here in Sacramento about 4 years ago, we were constantly on the move- as much as twice a year. Because of this unstable life, I had to learn how to become self-reliant and accustomed to consistent changes.
From facing the struggles in the Philippine refugee camps to escaping to Manila City (where I spend most of my childhood) to finally entering America in 2005, I probably had lived in fifteen different apartments and attended ten different schools. By the time I reached ten years old, I realized that living as refugee in the Philippines was taking a toll on my education and future. Fortunately, my family and I did not lose hope and after sixteen years of waiting, we finally emigrated to the United States. Now, I have an equal access to a better education and a chance to a brighter future. With this mentality, I invested all my effort to perform optimally in school.
I remember my first day of middle school of in Los Angeles, I walked into the English class and said, "Hi, my name is Kim Thuy Ho" in my heavy Filipino-Vietnamese accent. My peers called me a nerd because quite conveniently, I was also wearing a pair of broken glasses. Overtime, I was classified as a loner, and then bullied on. I felt alienated; however, I did not tolerate any of these mistreatments. I stood up against the bullies; I reported them to the counselor, and consequently, they faced suspension. Even though making new friends was hard, I did not feel the need to fit into the social norm. I stayed true to my studious and straight-forward character.
After this bullying experience a new passion grew within me - to solve conflict through resolution, not through hatred. This inspired me to advocate against hate crime. Over the summer of 2011, I collaborated with other youths in the Sacramento community and presented a plan on how to prevent gang violence in front of the Neighborhood Services Department. They agreed to adopt our plan which is to provide more job opportunities and keep more youth involved in school. After this internship, I joined Youth R.I.S.E and I will be facilitating a workshop called Hate Crime Forum in Sacramento High School on December 7th. Our goal is to make an impact on the youth to promote unity and encourage tolerance on diversity.
Higher education is my link to contribute back and make a change in the community. If I was not destined to come to America, I would not have gotten the chance to go to college. Nothing would have ever changed. My life would have been always unstable. Every summer, I would have to haul my belongings and find a new place. But now, I have the chance to afford a stable and promising life. Most importantly, going to college will lead me closer to attaining a higher education, which in turn, will allow me, as a humble individual, to continue my passion to advocate against hate crime.
This is my new revision please help me
I had to help my parents pack up clothes and belongings again. The landlord has raised the rental price and demanded us to move out. "But I just some new friends and I like it here. Do we really have to move ma?" I've said this phrase so many times but the answer never changes - "Yes, say your goodbyes" said my mom.
Up until the time when my family and I settled here in Sacramento about 4 years ago, we were constantly on the move- as much as twice a year. Because of this unstable life, I had to learn how to become self-reliant and accustomed to consistent changes.
From facing the struggles in the Philippine refugee camps to escaping to Manila City (where I spend most of my childhood) to finally entering America in 2005, I probably had lived in fifteen different apartments and attended ten different schools. By the time I reached ten years old, I realized that living as refugee in the Philippines was taking a toll on my education and future. Fortunately, my family and I did not lose hope and after sixteen years of waiting, we finally emigrated to the United States. Now, I have an equal access to a better education and a chance to a brighter future. With this mentality, I invested all my effort to perform optimally in school.
I remember my first day of middle school of in Los Angeles, I walked into the English class and said, "Hi, my name is Kim Thuy Ho" in my heavy Filipino-Vietnamese accent. My peers called me a nerd because quite conveniently, I was also wearing a pair of broken glasses. Overtime, I was classified as a loner, and then bullied on. I felt alienated; however, I did not tolerate any of these mistreatments. I stood up against the bullies; I reported them to the counselor, and consequently, they faced suspension. Even though making new friends was hard, I did not feel the need to fit into the social norm. I stayed true to my studious and straight-forward character.
After this bullying experience a new passion grew within me - to solve conflict through resolution, not through hatred. This inspired me to advocate against hate crime. Over the summer of 2011, I collaborated with other youths in the Sacramento community and presented a plan on how to prevent gang violence in front of the Neighborhood Services Department. They agreed to adopt our plan which is to provide more job opportunities and keep more youth involved in school. After this internship, I joined Youth R.I.S.E and I will be facilitating a workshop called Hate Crime Forum in Sacramento High School on December 7th. Our goal is to make an impact on the youth to promote unity and encourage tolerance on diversity.
Higher education is my link to contribute back and make a change in the community. If I was not destined to come to America, I would not have gotten the chance to go to college. Nothing would have ever changed. My life would have been always unstable. Every summer, I would have to haul my belongings and find a new place. But now, I have the chance to afford a stable and promising life. Most importantly, going to college will lead me closer to attaining a higher education, which in turn, will allow me, as a humble individual, to continue my passion to advocate against hate crime.