I had to help my parents pack up clothes and belongings again. The landlord has raised the rental price and we had to move again. "But I just became friends with the kids down the block 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 goodbye" said my mom.
Up until the time when my family and I settled here in Sacramento only about a year ago, we were constantly on the move- as much as twice a year. Because of this unstable life, I had to teach myself how to become accustomed to changes by become self-reliant.
From the struggles my family and I had to face in the Philippine refugee camps to escaping to [City] (where I spend most of my childhood) to 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 immigrated to the United States. Now, I have an equal chance to a better education and 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 [my full name]" in my heavy Filipino-Vietnamese accent. Also, conveniently, I was wearing a pair of broken glasses. Overtime, my peers viewed me as a nerd. I was classified as a loner, and then bullied on. I felt alienated; however, I did not tolerate any of this. I stood up against the bullies; I reported them to the counselor. Consequently, they faced suspension. Even though it was not easy to make friends, I did feel the need to fit into the social norm. I chose to be self-reliant and upheld my individuality. My vision focused solely on achieving high academics.
Finally my high school year, I got to meet peers who shared the same passion for high academics as me. I was delighted. This motivated me to further challenge my academic abilities. At the same time, it expanded my personal growth as I joined different clubs and got involved in community service.
I believe that college is a step closer to meet more people who are like me: high-achiever, dedicated to school, and who are proud to express their individualism. Every time I think about education, I get a flashback of myself holding a pencil, sitting in class and thinking "What will I become after school?" Then a pair of vendor bags appears in my hands as I walk to each house to sell some hand-made merchandise to try to make a living (just like my parents did). If I was not destined to come to America, I would not have gotten the chance to go to college. Nothing will ever change. My life would always be unstable. Every summer, I would have to haul my belongings and find a new house. But now every time I think about education, I see a bright future ahead of me where I could pursue a successful career and be able to afford a stable life.
Up until the time when my family and I settled here in Sacramento only about a year ago, we were constantly on the move- as much as twice a year. Because of this unstable life, I had to teach myself how to become accustomed to changes by become self-reliant.
From the struggles my family and I had to face in the Philippine refugee camps to escaping to [City] (where I spend most of my childhood) to 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 immigrated to the United States. Now, I have an equal chance to a better education and 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 [my full name]" in my heavy Filipino-Vietnamese accent. Also, conveniently, I was wearing a pair of broken glasses. Overtime, my peers viewed me as a nerd. I was classified as a loner, and then bullied on. I felt alienated; however, I did not tolerate any of this. I stood up against the bullies; I reported them to the counselor. Consequently, they faced suspension. Even though it was not easy to make friends, I did feel the need to fit into the social norm. I chose to be self-reliant and upheld my individuality. My vision focused solely on achieving high academics.
Finally my high school year, I got to meet peers who shared the same passion for high academics as me. I was delighted. This motivated me to further challenge my academic abilities. At the same time, it expanded my personal growth as I joined different clubs and got involved in community service.
I believe that college is a step closer to meet more people who are like me: high-achiever, dedicated to school, and who are proud to express their individualism. Every time I think about education, I get a flashback of myself holding a pencil, sitting in class and thinking "What will I become after school?" Then a pair of vendor bags appears in my hands as I walk to each house to sell some hand-made merchandise to try to make a living (just like my parents did). If I was not destined to come to America, I would not have gotten the chance to go to college. Nothing will ever change. My life would always be unstable. Every summer, I would have to haul my belongings and find a new house. But now every time I think about education, I see a bright future ahead of me where I could pursue a successful career and be able to afford a stable life.
