Common App Essay!!
The prompt is:
Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
The Dream, the Seed, and the Fruits
A clamor of rushed footsteps was fast approaching me. I shrunk back into the corner of the couch where I had just awakened and whimpered like a forsaken puppy. How did I get here? Where is Grandpa? Have I been kidnapped? Tears poured down my face as the footsteps came to an abrupt halt. A woman stood by the doorway: her hair was long and black, and on her tanned face was a bittersweet smile. She warily approached me and her fingers interlocked with mine, tugging me towards a room down the hall. Strangely enough, though I did not know where I was or where I was headed, I felt warm and secure in this woman's presence. Together, we approached the two men in the room. Relief flooded over me. One I instantly recognized - Grandpa - and the other was a gentle face with thick-rimmed glasses, looking at me with joyous eyes. A brief silence cloaked the room before my grandfather stood up. "Say hi to your parents, YuYu. You're in the United States now!"
Parents? They were like exotic animals to me. I occasionally saw my friends in China walk with their "parents" but I never questioned why I didn't have them. Sometimes I would secretly examine their interactions with each other. Piggy-back rides. Laughter. Hugging. Lots of talking. Hand holding. I looked at my strangers inquisitively for a few seconds, unsure of what to do, and finally forced out a "hi." Their eyes began watering and before I knew it, I was in their arms crying along with them. Looking back, our tears were only watering the seeds of a powerful relationship.
After that day, my grandpa purposely faded into the background of my life, allowing my parents to become the center figures of my life. A month passed in minutes and my grandpa had to return home. To my surprise though, I found his departure to have little bearing on me. Before parting, he left me with my parents' single ambition:
"All they wanted was a better life for you."
Ironically, when I first opened my eyes on my parents' couch, I was merely awakening to another dream - the dream of my parents. My parents had to toil and struggle for years to even plant the seeds of their dreams: working as servers and custodians during the night, while studying as students during the day. Then with my arrival, the seeds were finally watered by our tears. Today, the seeds bear their fruit through me. So what are these fruits, you ask? Love. Tenacity. Bravery. Dedication. Purpose. I am no longer YuYu now because of these fruits. I am Owen. Owen is what people call me, but is also why my parents suffered so much, when their dreams were realized, and who I know I am.
I am an individual who truly cares for others, who is willing to put others before himself. I am an individual who refuses to take opportunities for granted. I am an individual who stands out, who does not fear the unknown or uncertain. I am an individual who strives to always do his best and will never back down. I am an individual who wants to and will make an impact on society.
I am individual who must sow his seeds into the world.
Please give me constructive criticism and help fix mistakes! Thanks :)
The prompt is:
Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
The Dream, the Seed, and the Fruits
A clamor of rushed footsteps was fast approaching me. I shrunk back into the corner of the couch where I had just awakened and whimpered like a forsaken puppy. How did I get here? Where is Grandpa? Have I been kidnapped? Tears poured down my face as the footsteps came to an abrupt halt. A woman stood by the doorway: her hair was long and black, and on her tanned face was a bittersweet smile. She warily approached me and her fingers interlocked with mine, tugging me towards a room down the hall. Strangely enough, though I did not know where I was or where I was headed, I felt warm and secure in this woman's presence. Together, we approached the two men in the room. Relief flooded over me. One I instantly recognized - Grandpa - and the other was a gentle face with thick-rimmed glasses, looking at me with joyous eyes. A brief silence cloaked the room before my grandfather stood up. "Say hi to your parents, YuYu. You're in the United States now!"
Parents? They were like exotic animals to me. I occasionally saw my friends in China walk with their "parents" but I never questioned why I didn't have them. Sometimes I would secretly examine their interactions with each other. Piggy-back rides. Laughter. Hugging. Lots of talking. Hand holding. I looked at my strangers inquisitively for a few seconds, unsure of what to do, and finally forced out a "hi." Their eyes began watering and before I knew it, I was in their arms crying along with them. Looking back, our tears were only watering the seeds of a powerful relationship.
After that day, my grandpa purposely faded into the background of my life, allowing my parents to become the center figures of my life. A month passed in minutes and my grandpa had to return home. To my surprise though, I found his departure to have little bearing on me. Before parting, he left me with my parents' single ambition:
"All they wanted was a better life for you."
Ironically, when I first opened my eyes on my parents' couch, I was merely awakening to another dream - the dream of my parents. My parents had to toil and struggle for years to even plant the seeds of their dreams: working as servers and custodians during the night, while studying as students during the day. Then with my arrival, the seeds were finally watered by our tears. Today, the seeds bear their fruit through me. So what are these fruits, you ask? Love. Tenacity. Bravery. Dedication. Purpose. I am no longer YuYu now because of these fruits. I am Owen. Owen is what people call me, but is also why my parents suffered so much, when their dreams were realized, and who I know I am.
I am an individual who truly cares for others, who is willing to put others before himself. I am an individual who refuses to take opportunities for granted. I am an individual who stands out, who does not fear the unknown or uncertain. I am an individual who strives to always do his best and will never back down. I am an individual who wants to and will make an impact on society.
I am individual who must sow his seeds into the world.
Please give me constructive criticism and help fix mistakes! Thanks :)