Undergraduate / "my family's first computer" - UC Prompt #1 How has your world shaped you? [6]

Here's my essay. Your comments and suggestions would be very much appreciated!

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.

What world do I live in? My parents have always said that I live in a matrix world. While this seemed completely nonsensical at first, I now realize that this is ultimately true. Technology, computers, and the internet have pervaded into every aspect of my life and without it I would be utterly lost.

The moment when my parents brought back my family's first computer, my small interest had blossomed into a full blown love. Playing around and experimenting with this new technology, I soaked in as much knowledge as I possibly could while harmlessly learning how to integrate this technology into my daily life.

However, dark times lurked, and the more time I spent on computers, the less time I wanted to spend in the real world. The trap of addictive computer games hovered dangerously close - a trap that I did not manage to escape. Call of Duty commanded hours of my time in a day and my trigger finger itched whenever there was no gaming mouse around. I no doubt would still be lost in those virtual maps had it not been for my parents' firm hand and my discovery of web programming.

Everything changed in high school, where I was determined to make something good come from my overpowering computer addiction. Based on the recommendations of my teachers and peers, I enrolled in the electives Data Design, an informatics and database course, and Web Authoring. Soon, my interests in games dwindled as I became genuinely invested in the knowledge presented by the courses I would soon take; so much so that I taught myself web programming and coded my own website even before Web Authoring started. Thus, by the end of tenth grade, not only had I developed a passion for web design, but I had also earned a computer award that now stood in place of the computer game cases my bookshelf.

In my upperclassmen years, having successfully overcome the pull of gaming, I looked for opportunities outside of class to expand my computer experience. For two summers, I interned at Beijing United Family Hospital's technology department, where I helped coworkers to troubleshoot problems, set up computers, and even help code a PHP-based database website which logged all the hospital's devices. It was an enlightening experience for me, as I not only was exposed to the integration of technology with the working environment, but also acquired many practical skills that would definitely help me in the future. Moreover, I became the technology officer for my school's largest charity organization, Habitat for Humanity, where I created, out of scratch, a fully functional website, and managed all their electronic documents.

Living in a world interconnected by computers, wireless devices, and social media, has played a crucial part in shaping the person I am today. My love for technology has taught me how to solve problems, given me the motivation, and most of all, inspired to become a true innovator of the 21st century.