About seven billion people live in this world, each beating heart goes through their own changes, whether it’s becoming a military personnel or simply running away from your home and experience the world through your own eyes. My significant change came at an early stage, without any hesitation my parents sent my sister and I to Nicaragua for 4 years. After we landed the only person I knew that spoke English or was from Miami was the flight attendant itself, after that it was my sister and I against a family that we briefly recognize.…
It started just as any normal Saturday would; December 8, 2012, I woke up, went through my morning routine and went to soccer practice. I was competing for a spot on the North Carolina ODP (Olympic Development Program) soccer team. Training was being held at fields about two hours from my house. I sat in the backseat of my dad’s car with my two sisters and as we rode to the fields I began to mentally prepare myself for how I would play my best and make the team.…
I came to the United States from Colombia when I was just 3 years old. I was brought into the country of bright opportunities because like every other parent, my mother and father wanted what was best for me. My mother had to give up her dream job in Colombia, which was being an accountant for an essentially important company, in order to facilitate my well-being and open up the doors for my future. As the years progressed, I began to acquire both languages, English and Spanish, but there was a point where I became tongue tied and had to assist in speech therapy. My parents would talk to me in Spanish at home but in school all I would hear was English, my mind was extremely confused to the point that I made my own language by using both tongues in one sentence.…
Living back in the Dominican Republic I used to have a very easy life. Then I was living in my grandparents’ house in the suburb; where everything was very repeatedly: Wake up, eat, go to school, go back home, eat, do homework, play, eat once again and go back to sleep. Weekends were my favorites though; every Sunday we would go out for lunch, which usually I would be the one to pick, and as an usual seven-eight years old child my favorite thing back then was Pizza.…
My political viewpoint has changed dramatically since I was first introduced to politics. I come from a democratic family, where it is strongly believed that it is the government’s responsibility to care for all people and that the government knows what is best for all people. Every voting season, my parents vote for a democratic president and explain to me the reasoning behind their decision. It was not until I was in the tenth grade that I realized that I did not hold the same political beliefs as my parents. After taking several political quizzes and extensively researching the bevy of political parties, I now know that I am an independent. What is an independent? An independent is an individual politician not affiliated to any political…
The Dominican Republic, known for its beautiful beaches and balmy weather, was the last place I ever imagined I would find myself in this past summer vacation. On this week long trip, it wasn't for the warm ocean waves or the traditional Dominican cuisine I was called to, I was called to serve the beautiful Dominican people. On the third day of the trip, instead of heading out to the worksite where we had been pouring the concrete footers of a plastics and water filter factory, I opted to travel with a group to the childrens' cancer ward in Santiago and visit the patients. We started out our visit by performing a few dances we had taught our vacation bible school and handing out fun little gift we had brought with us. We played ball with some…
I would like to say I know Spanish, after four years of studying in high school and multiple trips to South and Central America, yet it seems every time I leave the States, I find myself in a frantic struggle to process the words I know and figure out the meanings of the ones I do not. Sometimes this simply means missing out on a few insignificant details, other times it can seriously complicate life.…
I can’t seem to wrap my head around how drastically things can change in a short amount of time. It seemed as if I was in El Salvador a few months ago, when in reality it’s been two years. I can still remember every single detail of my trip. From getting coconut water when first arriving to saying goodbye to family before heading to the airport. All I can picture is the beautiful green fields and the little corner shops. I can still hear the sound of kids playing in the streets and the ringing bells of ice cream carts. The image I have of El Salvador is completely different to what it is like now.…
“Take time to be thankful for everything that you have. You can always have more, but you could also have less.” -Anonymous. My family and I have gone to Haiti for the past three years. Haiti is a third world country in the Caribbean about 1836 miles from Chicago. We go there to help others and to receive the gift of giving instead of presents for Christmas.…
Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, a place where tourists come from all over the country to enjoy the sun, the beaches, the islands, and the coral reefs. Puerto La Cruz was a getaway for a lot of people, just some place to go on vacations and have a good time, but for me it was my home. The spring of 2014, by that time every morning when you walk outside your house you can feel the sea breeze and even when it’s cold, you close your eyes and smile, because it warms your heart. Now if I close my eyes, all I can do it’s relive that moment over and over again. The moment when only six words coming from my mom’s mouth felt like a thousand knives in my heart and changed my life forever. “We’re moving to the United States”.…
Today was the day. The big day. My election for Lieutenant Governor of Division 2B for Key Club, an international service club, was today. Fear and anxiety pricked my skin in rapid movements emanating from every pore. I rehearsed my speech for the fifth time that day. Upon arrival at the Fairfax Library, I urged myself to remain calm. I quickly scouted out the other girls who were present; one girl was dressed professionally with a folder in her hand. I knew that was my competition. The girl spoke eloquently and genially, she radiated enthusiasm and a certain warmth that I did not have. With every question that was asked, she answered with a smooth smile and high-pitched tone that was dripping with sincerity. I bristled inside; I had just been slapped. I was shrouded in a cloud of anxiety and anxiousness. Suddenly, I was dragged from my reverie.…
This week reminded me how amazing and important my job is. Friday was a busy day at the office; I was rushing to finish my work so I could leave on time. As I was about to leave I received a phone call from a hiring manager (Mark) with NOAA. Mark had questions about the interview process and was calling to speak to one of my colleagues. Unfortunately, my colleague was on vacation and wouldn’t be back for another week. I looked at the clock and realized it was time to go but I could hear the frustration in Mark’s voice. Instead of leaving, I spent almost an hour listening to Mark’s concerns, answering his questions, and I explained how the federal hiring process works. At the end of our conversation, Mark thanked me for my time and he told me…
Everyday I found myself surrounded by boxes, each containing different contents: lids, paper cups, spoons, and Heinz ketchup packs. I would sit on a tall worn out chair and see everything. Looking down, I noticed the brick floor that would soon be cleaned by my mother. Behind me, was a heavy door that led to the freezer where my dad would constantly go in to get a batch of hamburger patties. To my left were the coolers that housed tamales, fries, and pies, and to my right, sat my brother. For the last seven years, I spent all my life at my parents’ workplace: a small yellow brick building in Evanston, Illinois called Bill’s Drive In.…
Last Summer, I visited Costa Rica on a kayaking trip with Falling Creek, a summer camp in Tuxedo, NC. Every year, 20 or so kids get invited to the program called HUCK, where you go kayaking in places around the world. Last summer, all of the kids that were invited went to Costa Rica where we would have a great time experiencing new culture and great whitewater. The First few days were great and those were some of the most powerful, best rivers I have ever kayaked.…
Mrs. Richardson had planned for everything to go smoothly her first day as it was “casual” Friday. This may have been her first mistake. Although she had all of her belongings together and was ready to start her new career, she did not appear to be a person to take seriously. Even though it was casual Friday, she should have dressed professionally to show her subordinates that she meant business and was not going to settle for the norm. By dressing casual on her…