College Admissions Essay: How My Mom Changed My Life

“I’ll buy you the biggest house on the front of a beach when I’m older!” was what I told my parents when I was a little kid. Even then I admired my parent’s sacrifices to support my brother and me. As Vietnamese immigrants, my parents worked hard to support their family the moment they arrived in the United States. From the stories they’ve told me, I knew it wasn’t easy, but miraculously they managed to build up their income and live a happy and comfortable life today. My mother always pushed me to do the best in school. My mother built the foundation of my study habits when I was only in elementary school. She made sure I did homework as soon as I got home so that I would never procrastinate on a single assignment. Then she would go through each homework assignment

Without my mother to push me at such a young age, I wouldn’t have been the student I am today. As I grew older, my mom began to further understand the pressures of school on a student with regards to grades and test scores. Since I was the oldest child, my mother and I were both learning the ways of the American education system, especially as Asian Americans. But instead of constantly pressuring me on how to do the best in school to get into the most prestigious college, my mother let me realize for myself what it took to reach my goals. All that mattered to her was I tried my best, and that doesn’t have to equate to perfect grades. I felt my mother truly understood what I was capable of, but knew I needed to learn from the mistakes I come across. When I received my first “C” on an AP Biology test, I went straight to my mom’s room, laid on her bed, and cried. I was devastated because rarely did I receive a “C” in anything, especially in a