Please watch my grammar too. All helps will be very appreciated =)
Moving from Vietnam to California - Guardian of My Life
My grandfather passed away during the Viet Nam Conflict while father was only eight years old. He took an oath to himself to spend lots of time with his children so that the same tragedy would not happen again. My father took the role of a hero, a model, and a father to grow the bond between him and his children. His daily actions and advices built a strong foundation for me to stand on my own.
The childhood I had was full of joy and love. My father was always by my side to teach me new things and to pick me up when I am down. Despite the tremendous amount of work he had to put up with, he never stopped thinking about things that he should do to make his children happy. Since I was the smallest one in the family, I used to follow my father around to different places. The actions and steps that he made never seem to not make me stare in admiration. I witnessed my father helping the people build a school in a small village near by and him challenging the Board of Education in the province to contribute funds for night classes in our town. His selfless actions and sacrifices for the community made me strive to the same. With my brother's help and my father's encouragement, I participate in a program that aims to improve education for kids with economic disadvantages around the neighborhood.
The most difficult thing that I ever experienced in my life was when my family moved from Viet Nam to California. From living in a nice home with my loving family, I lived in a crowded one family house with about fifteen relatives. All the new changes terrified a little twelve year's old boy. I was left alone in a new word which I knew nothing about; I did not even know the language! Although my father was not around to help me like before, he never stopped giving me his mental support; this became the pedestal of my motivation that I had lost.
Father departed the family to Connecticut for a better job a year after we live in California. Our relation started to tear apart because of the distance. Without my father's guidance, I got sucked into the new cultures of indulging myself in games, television, and internet. Fortunately, I was able to unite with my father soon again when the whole family moved to Connecticut, to our last destination. I saw how my father has so suffer much more, how he works from early morning until late night, and how much weight he has lost over just a few years. I came to a realization, "If father can give up all the things that he worked so hard for in Viet Nam just so I can get a better education over here, then I can give up these little things to study. I must fulfill what he hoped me to become."
I followed my father's footsteps in improving everyone's education by participating in the Homework Club and schools' Core Values, Beliefs, and Learning Expectation committee. My father used to be the head coach of the town's volleyball team. Just like him, I joined school's team and worked my way to varsity by sophomore year. However, I had to leave most of the activities to assist my mother after her birth. My father quickly took the role of babysitting my new sister so that I could rejoin my activities. I organized the school's first Unified Sport Team for every student to join; we had more than fifty members. My father's leadership in the society he was in pushed me to create something of my own. I revived the school's Mega Moody Math Challenge Team and sparked interests into the math lovers in the school that are looking for ways to shine themselves.
My father can not hold my hands anymore; however, he is still giving all his support to whatever I do. He is the Northern Star that guides me through the dark sides of the world. Although I am a man of myself now, I still respect his guidance and listen to his opinion on important decisions.