Growing up as a first generation student in America, has proven to be difficult but I’ve gained a lot of independence and…
At the age of six, my life took an unexpected turn when my parents migrated to the United States and I was forced to adapt to a new culture. At the time, I had no idea this drastic event would ultimately benefit and shape who I am today. I believed this would ruin my self confidence and progress in my education. I constantly battled to lose the label of the new, shy girl in class who blushed whenever she was called on. New situations constantly arose helping me learn about myself in the process. This drastic move taught me many lessons and allowed me to grow as a person.…
My name is Julia and I am in my early twenties, and I would have never have imagined that I would one day be going back to school to earn my college degree. My mother and fiancé encouraged me to pursue it, because of my love of art and talking to people, marketing and public relations and that it would be very expensive since I wanted to go to college in America but could not afford it at the time. They were very supportive from the start; my fiancé assisting me in writing notes on flash cards and giving me pop quizzes and my mom reminding me to complete homework assignments when I was busy doing household chores. To me, my life was going great as I advanced further toward my future goals.…
My family shaped my entire life. Yet, so did I. I went down a road that many do not travel on until they are teenagers or in their early twenties. I was born in Hayward, Ca. and lived there for about twelve years. In those twelve years, I went through a lot. I went to Palma Ceia Elementary School, constantly getting into trouble every day. My mother had been told by many teachers that I would never pass the sixth grade, let alone go to college.…
Indeed, moving to United states was not easy as I expected but it was fun and exciting. I did not know before why my parents wanted me to face new experiences, but now I understand that everything they were doing and still doing for me is an expression for their love to me. I still remember the day when my mom cut my hair, I was sad, I did not know why she wanted to do that, but today I realize that it was an experience of love, she wanted to show me that I was not making right choices when I used to go out without telling her. When I got here to United States, I did not speak english and I felt as my life started over because I could not talk or do anything since the…
I want to talk about how I came across obstacles in my life in America. I was only eleven years old when I came to United States. I started going to school few months before 5th grade end. Then when I was in 6th Grade, I was the only Burmese person in school. I was bullied and insulted in school for who I am and where I came from. Before I came to United States, I thought everybody would be friendly to me and help me in anyway that they can, because I’ve been hearing all the great things about United States. When I got here, it was totally opposite of what I thought it would be. I had no fun going to school. All I thought about was to go back to my country, but something inside of me kept telling me that I have to work hard to make my parents…
It is amazing to me to see how much I have accomplished since second grade. I feel as if the little girl who walked throughout the halls of Spanish Immersion, the girl who had little faith in herself to succeed, had changed into a mature, hard working young lady. In second grade I was partly depressed. I had felt as if life had no meaning. I struggled in school, and did not appreciate what was being taught. My mom suggested that I may have had dyslexia, but we were not certain that was the reason. It turns out, she was correct.…
The beginning of my freshman year in high school changed my life. I had set many types of goals for myself this year including making friends, helping others and being a part of the most incredible organization, Blue Guards. Blue Guards is apart of the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps at Oxon Hill High School. Blue Guards was not only a drill team, it was a family, a family of girls and boys working together, leading others, having discipline, and respecting each other as a team. Walking into the first day of school knowing I was going to be part of this team made me light up like a light bulb.…
When I first came to the United States my whole life changed completely. I came from a very poor town where basic needs are privileges and even though I didn’t know the language, the culture, and the people. I was not scared about my new life, my new beginning. When my mom and I got here my dad rented a house which was in very bad conditions. At that time we didn’t have anything, we slept on the floor for almost a month, we didn’t have any furniture and not even a car to go buy groceries. My mom was very disappointed because my dad has been living here for almost 10 years and he didn’t have anything yet. Besides all the bad situations, I was very excited because I was here in this powerful country where opportunities everywhere. After couple weeks I asked my dad to do me a big favor which was start the paperwork so I can get into middle school. At first he was mad because he told me that I didn’t need that, I was devastated about his reaction because I really wanted to go, but he refused to take me. Sometime after what happened my mom decided to take me to the school and start my education. I still remember all the…
For the once isolated immigrant from the hot deserts of the Middle East, never have I expected the open doors of opportunity at my grasp and the growth that soon followed within the freshman year of high school in the US. Before my immigration, I never truly experienced the challenge of a demanding curriculum. As such, I experienced an immense culture shock within my mind. Despite the difficulty of the transition, I knew it was worth it because I discovered an aspect of myself that remained dormant till I entered the gates of my new school.…
Three years ago, I came into a world full of dreams, but these dreams can take you down if you don’t pay good attention. I am the first born in my family. Before I came here, I was so afraid to come to a new country, which I didn’t know any thing about. I was somehow confused, and the biggest fear that I had was about adapting to a new culture. After some days of being at home, I was taken to school where I met so many student, teachers, and other nonteaching staff. Although I didn’t know anyone, all the people I met welcomed me, and I really appreciated the welcome. The school counselor called one of the students and told him to show me my classes. Then the boy took me to my new class, and when I entered, all eyes were on…
Being raised in a country which is not your birth place is a challenging experience. It comes with many obstacles and struggles. A variety of new thing are always being introduced, with those come language and education, culture and tradition and life as I know, it gets changed completely. My childhood brought adult responsibilities, hiding in the shades and being scared all the time, and with denial comes the chance of new things and open doors. I as an immigrant High school student has gone through so many denials and get rejected so many opportunities, which include the struggle of continuing my education in college because I don't have the chance of receiving many beneficial opportunities in scholarships and is why I will greatly appreciate…
I was born in the city of Monterrey in Mexico. My family decided to move to the US in 2009 due to growing concerns of money and safety. Back then, Monterrey was considered one of the most dangerous places to live in Mexico, as the two main cartels were disputing over the territory. My dad had lost his job and my mom worked part time at a pharmacy. Because public school in Mexico is very poor, my mom had always had me enrolled in private schools. We were in a tight situation, we couldn’t pay for the house anymore and my dad was not having much luck in finding a new job. For this reason, my parents were practically forced to move to the US. After the long, expensive process of applying for visas and passports, we finally were able to move to the land of opportunity. We started from zero, there was absolutely no money in our pockets. I was a new student at a new school in a foreign country. I could not be more self-conscious at any other time in my life. All I could think about was how others saw me and how I fit in with…
Looking back at my year in the United States, it's hard to believe what I have been through. Although it has been almost two years, all the memories are still vivid in my mind. Sometimes, I can still hear loud cheering of my friends during an American football game and the calling of the customers at the restaurants I worked at. The year might not have been perfect, but it was my best year so far. My experience in America had transformed me from a spoiled child to a young adult with a broader and more positive insight on the…
I first came to the U.S at the age of twelve 6 years ago in April 2005 from Somalia to the state of Minnesota. I came here not knowing the English language or the alphabet. I really had a hard time in school; especially the first day of school. I didn’t know how to talk to my teachers or classmates. I only answered questions by saying “yes” or “no” and by nodding my head. That was my only way of communicating. Then my mom hired a tutor that can help me learn the language and be able to keep up with the other students. He was tutoring me 3 days a week and was helping me with my ESL classes. Even though I was taking ESL classes, I was still having difficulties adapting to school. Little by little, it seemed that my English was getting better and so were my grades in school. I wasn’t that much behind my classmates, but my classmates were still ahead of me. In my 3rd year of taking ESL classes, my counselor told me that I didn’t need to take those classes anymore and that my English improved stunningly in just 3 years. I was able to take regular classes with regular students and didn’t need a tutor anymore. When I started taking classes, I was scoring higher on tests than my classmates. In Math, students were asking me to help them solve problems they couldn’t understand. In a short amount of time, I became one of the top students in class. I was one of those who other students expected to pass a test and score the highest. Once, I was ranked 6th in a class of 30 students. That was my junior year in high school. After that, I applied for a program called “Genesys Works”. It provides training for a period of 8 weeks during the summer before your senior in both professional and IT skills. At the beginning of your senior year, you’ll be working in a company such as Accenture or 3M as an intern. I was able to succeed in the program and earn an internship at Best Buy Accenture and at the same time they help you apply to colleges and…