Essay For Scholarship

My identity was formed by watching my parents over the years.Over ten years ago we immigrated to the united states, none of us spoke english. My parents had a me, a four year old and my sister who was a few months old so life was hard. The first few years we were in the United States my parents worked very hard to be independent from government assistance. Both of them worked full time jobs, while trying to go to community college. After years of struggling my parents have reached their goal, we are finally in a stable financial situation and their kids are going to school.

In 2009, the U.S. Census gathered that there were over thirty-three million second-generation immigrants living in America. America is a melting pot, and in this melting pot, it isn’t uncommon for these children, myself included, to lose sight of what our lives could be–and the struggles that our parents faced to ensure that we have more opportunities than they had. As I write this essay, I’m stressing over the things any other American high school sophomore faces– grades, social drama and statuses, and my follower count on Twitter and Instagram. These “problems,” if even that, are minute to what others our age face around the world. Young adults in Sudan are starving, and young adults in Syria live in the middle of a war zone. As far away They raised two kids: my 19-year-old brother, who is currently a freshman at the University of Georgia, and myself. Thanks to their hard work, I’m able to worry about the things I do. Never have I worried about not having food on my plate, about being denied my education, or being forced to leave everything I know and abandon my dreams. It’s easy to forget what my parents have done for me, for the opportunities and doors they have opened for me. There’s no way to understand your life–the privileges you hold–without understanding the past. You must be thankful for all the things your loved ones have done for you, and I’m sure that I am. I can’t imagine my life if I were in my parents’ shoes, if I faced the struggles and hardships they did, and I know I wouldn’t have the courage to be as decisive as they were and are. Their perseverance and determination make me content with my life now, knowing that it could be much worse. Their experiences motivate me to capitalize on what they gave me–to become something. I want to be sure that my parents know I’m thankful and know that I will work hard to become what they didn’t have the opportunity to. 11th Grade Columbus High School Anjali Patel 5th

My parents moved from Colombia to the United States before I was born. I am apart of the first generation in my family that was born here. My parents moved with the single hope of giving me a better life with more opportunities. Having this background has definitely impacted my life in both trivial and meaningful ways. For instance, my father not being able to break through the language barrier has been an integral part of my lifestyle. He has been living in this country for a while now, but has never picked up English fluently. This led me to become his translator for as long as I can remember. Even today I accompany him to his workplace to help close deals and talk to contractors. This was but one of many examples of how my Hispanic background

My family has always been the center of my universe. They’ve taught me the importance of being united and taking care of one another—because in the end, all we truly have is each other. My parents have raised me to be a good daughter, sister, and citizen. They’ve shaped me to be respectful, responsible, and virtuous, knowing these values will last a lifetime. But above all, my parents have instilled in me an appreciation and eagerness for education.

First generation immigrants sacrifice their adulthood in search of a better life for their family and for future generations to come. My father came from Peru to support his family. He was the first person in his family to come to America. He works in road construction from morning until night so that my family is supported. The desire to repay both of my parents is the belief that guides my life.

In accordance to the Camden Academy Charter High School National Honor Society application process I will be writing an essay based on the four pillars of the National Honor Society Scholarship, Leadership, Character, and Service and how they apply to me.

When I was fourteen, my parents told me that we are moving to the USA for my bright future. We were sponsored by my aunt and uncle in this new world. Education in India, especially with a dream of becoming a Doctor, is expensive. My parents want me to be a successful doctor, but financial crisis was our barrier. I came to America in the search of opportunities and a successful future. However, this path was not as smooth as I thought. The reality is that life for immigrants like me is very tough and full of challenges. I faced educational and financial challenges in the USA, especially the first six months with sudden changes. However, these barriers affected my personal character by making me a hardworking, mature and manageable person.

Many immigrants came to this land of prosperity and the land of freedom to give their kids a better life and education. “ I brought you to this country now, do something with it.” (from the article The American Dream Lives On by Yasmina Shaush). I understood this quote because my parents also brought my siblings and myself to get a better education and I plan to do so, to make them proud.

It is difficult to calculate how greatly the status of being undocumented has impacted my life. I was ten years old when my family and I immigrated to the United States. My parents have worked multiple jobs so my siblings and I could have a chance at a better future than they did. Even after thirteen years in the U.S. – I still overhear my parents’ conversations about deportations. Like many other undocumented immigrants, I was living in the shadows and living in constant fear of deportation. I was afraid, but thought that if I studied hard enough, I could become an exception. As a result, my strong work ethic became a personal quality that is important to me.

“At some point you have to realize that some people can stay in your heart but not your life.” -Sandi Lynn. Life changing things can happen any second when you least expect it. Sometimes for better or for worse. Either way, these events mold us to who we are today. For me, it would have to be my parents divorce. I would have never expected this to happen to my family. Partly because in my south Asian culture it didn 't happen often. We were custom to arranged marriages and the father being the main provider for the family. There was a commonly held view that the man was dominant and the woman was submissive. The sense of masculinity took away from the independence of women. Due to these ideals Divorce was a bizarre thing which never seemed to

Coming to America as Immigrants and having nothing to your name can be a very intimidating situation. Many people face this obstacle and my parents are a clear example of it. I grew up watching my parents work and making sure they had no debt to their name. I remember being a young child and mom taking me to work because she didn't have a babysitter. My parents always provided me with the best and even spoiled me, sometimes when you don't work for your objects you forget to say thank you. . My parents sacrifice will not be forgotten and me succeeding in life will be their reward.

I come from a large family with relatives from a little ranch in Chihuahua, Mexico. Many of which have never made it past grade school. Mainly due to their mother, my grandma, she had fallen very ill. Due to her condition and lack of money my aunts and uncles dropped out of school to work and help pay for her medication and medical expenses. The older siblings had to take care of the younger siblings. Which for the younger generation of the family, my generation, schooling is top priority. They are always there to lend a hand to the best of their abilities to see us succeed. I am taking this very seriously and I am not going to let them down. They have come way too far and fought too hard for me to disappoint them.

Throughout my childhood, my parents taught me values of empathy, resilience and optimism in the face of adversity. These characteristics allowed me to become the tenacious individual that I am today. Being the inquisitive individual I am, I always wondered about my family’s heritage; the journey of how we established ourselves in this country. Yet I never imagined how much of a nightmare it was immigrating to the United States until my mother told the story.

College was always one of my long term goals as I continued with my education. Throughout the years I began to work harder and harder so I could secure my future. I knew that getting to college would not be easy. I am about to embark on a four year journey in one of the hardest fields to pursue. I will continue my education as a Nursing major at a four year university. It was important for me to continue my education, especially in this field as it has always been a dream of mine. In my family neither of my parents attended college, through the years I have watched them do jobs they hated so me and my siblings could be successful. As I got older my brother attended college, be prospered and graduated in four years. He now has a steady job and

My family is very inspiring to me. I am very thankful that my parents brought me into this world. Growing up my parents always showed me how exactly things work in life. One of the hardest things that I had to accept was that I could not have everything I wanted. There were times when my parents spoiled me but I was always taught to be thankful of the things that I had and to not be so selfish. Having two other siblings helped me prevent the want of being selfish. I do not know what I would do without my family. My family is very inspiring because they show me all aspects on how I should live my life through their experiences like education, parenting, and work ethic.