snoopylee
Nov 28, 2011
Undergraduate / "Acceptance" UC Prompt 1: Describe the world you come from [5]
Thanks Semler4! I took it out because my friend said the same thing :)
I edited some more. Any suggestions?
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.
At the age of five, I moved from Taiwan to America with my mother, father, and two younger sisters. Growing up in America, I found myself losing my Chinese roots. I was tired of going to Chinese school and grew uninterested in my culture.
As a child, my mother often took me to her friend's house and I would play with her daughter. She is three years older and like a sister to me. When I was around eleven years old, my mom's friend became pregnant with her second child and everyone was delighted. However, once the baby was born, they realized that he could not dispose of his waste at all. As a newborn baby, he had to get surgery and his waste would go into a plastic bag from his stomach. Fortunately, he was able to dispose his waste regularly after a year. I treated him like a younger brother; I helped feed him and even witnessed his first stumbling steps. However, he was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease when he was around four years old. Despite his disease, he was still a normal boy. He loves singing to Wang Lee Hom's new songs and playing with his "Thomas and Friends" trains. Looking at pictures of him laughing with his parents in the hospital, I wondered, "How can this child smile and laugh when such a thing has happened to him?" After his recovery, I continued to go to his house and played with him and his trains. He would always remind me when I go the names of his trains mixed up. Nothing about him changed; he was still the brave, bright, and intelligent kid that I watched grow up.
Through this little boy, I learned to accept reality. He knew what happened to him does not happen to everybody, but he accepted it. Despite all the pain he went through, he came out with a beautiful smile, as if what he went through was only a small matter. Compared to his troubles, my childhood struggles were minuscule. My reality is that being Chinese is part of who I am. I should embrace that part of me and learn more about my culture. After some karaoke sessions at their house, I became a fan of Wang Lee Hom and of other Chinese artists. When I genuinely tried to learn Chinese, I found myself actually interested in Chinese festivities and traditions. In addition, I gained a new interest in the medical field. When I heard of the boy's disease, I was curious because I have never heard of it before. I looked it up on the Internet and learned that Kawasaki disease is extremely rare and is usually found in children. Reading and learning about its symptoms, I felt even more sympathy for the boy because he went through a lot of pain. After watching the boy struggle so much at a young age, my dream is to bring comfort to people, either as a doctor or a nurse.
Thanks Semler4! I took it out because my friend said the same thing :)
I edited some more. Any suggestions?
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.
At the age of five, I moved from Taiwan to America with my mother, father, and two younger sisters. Growing up in America, I found myself losing my Chinese roots. I was tired of going to Chinese school and grew uninterested in my culture.
As a child, my mother often took me to her friend's house and I would play with her daughter. She is three years older and like a sister to me. When I was around eleven years old, my mom's friend became pregnant with her second child and everyone was delighted. However, once the baby was born, they realized that he could not dispose of his waste at all. As a newborn baby, he had to get surgery and his waste would go into a plastic bag from his stomach. Fortunately, he was able to dispose his waste regularly after a year. I treated him like a younger brother; I helped feed him and even witnessed his first stumbling steps. However, he was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease when he was around four years old. Despite his disease, he was still a normal boy. He loves singing to Wang Lee Hom's new songs and playing with his "Thomas and Friends" trains. Looking at pictures of him laughing with his parents in the hospital, I wondered, "How can this child smile and laugh when such a thing has happened to him?" After his recovery, I continued to go to his house and played with him and his trains. He would always remind me when I go the names of his trains mixed up. Nothing about him changed; he was still the brave, bright, and intelligent kid that I watched grow up.
Through this little boy, I learned to accept reality. He knew what happened to him does not happen to everybody, but he accepted it. Despite all the pain he went through, he came out with a beautiful smile, as if what he went through was only a small matter. Compared to his troubles, my childhood struggles were minuscule. My reality is that being Chinese is part of who I am. I should embrace that part of me and learn more about my culture. After some karaoke sessions at their house, I became a fan of Wang Lee Hom and of other Chinese artists. When I genuinely tried to learn Chinese, I found myself actually interested in Chinese festivities and traditions. In addition, I gained a new interest in the medical field. When I heard of the boy's disease, I was curious because I have never heard of it before. I looked it up on the Internet and learned that Kawasaki disease is extremely rare and is usually found in children. Reading and learning about its symptoms, I felt even more sympathy for the boy because he went through a lot of pain. After watching the boy struggle so much at a young age, my dream is to bring comfort to people, either as a doctor or a nurse.
