Hey so there is no specific prompt, the university stated I could submit whatever i liked. Pleas eplease give me some feedback!!
Overly sweet, long lasting, firm, and composed of many layers, an oversized jaw breaker is what I brought when asked to choose an item that represented me. I was participating in an interview admission process for a competitive volunteer program at Kaiser, and surprisingly, I found this to be the most difficult task I had encountered yet. After weeks of continuous deliberation, a jaw breaker, not a book or a relic of my family's past, is what I chose.
The different layers of a jaw breaker represent the different layers of me. Growing up, I have been to more elementary schools than the actual number of years that I was in primary school. At a young age I had already developed a rich and vast portfolio of different cultures and people. From kids who received free lunch at school to those who lived in million dollar homes, I had a wide range of exposure. This later helped me become more social and understanding when meeting with new people. This inspired me to look for a career that involves interaction with many different types of individuals.
However a jaw breaker is not always pleasant. Your taste buds become overwhelmed by the plethora of sweetness, and it begins to taste bland. When I entered high school, all of the relocating caught up with me. I was born in Bangladesh, a country that had been independent for only 40 years, and was brought to the US when I was one years old. I had shared an apartment with another family in LA, moved to the suburbs for a little bit, and was constantly moving school to school. The inconsistencies lead to frustration building up within me. I was angry at being forced to leave friends right when I became comfortable in the environment. I was angry that my father lost his job. I was scared because I was given the task to take care of my two younger siblings while my parents worked. I had to set an ideal example for them, and whatever I do can potentially make a large influence in their life. This emotional tangent and stress I went through had resulted in me not working to my fullest potential during freshman year. But later it only motivated me to work harder.
The sturdiness of the jaw breaker symbolizes how that experience helped build a determination and strength within me to be myself and not to change my values and goals based on the situation. Throughout my adolescence, I was constantly threatened to be taken to Bangladesh if I did not behave a certain way or attain certain standards. However I learned to not let outside forces heavily influence who I was. No, I may not be able to tell you what town I grew up in, but I can tell you that I had unique experiences that lead me to develop strong morals and motives. Determination taught me to persevere through life's obstacles.
