An Adult Woman With Kids Requires An Awesome Amount Of Insanity

There is an ancient African adage that states “If you wish to move mountains tomorrow, you must start by lifting stones today”. As a first generation immigrant to the United States and reminiscent of countless other immigrants who have come before me, moving to a new country literally means starting your life all over again from scratch, but symbolically it signifies a rebirth of oneself and a chance to metamorphose into whatever new creature you aspire to be. Some of the challenges I faced included culture shock, language barriers, financial barriers, but the utmost significant one was the education barrier. I quickly realized that if I could bridge the education gap I would be able to overcome all the other barriers. For myself, having an education epitomized my assimilation into my new life by enabling me to chase my dreams and realize my unique American dream.

Being a daughter of immigrant parents has never been easy here in America. Both my parents worked excessively hard to be financially stable. Unfortunately at the age of ten my life changed. I learned that my parents no longer loved each other. The arguing and fighting my parents had, only damaged me emotionally. I was too young to grasp the idea that my parents were separating which become one of the hardest times for my mom to maintain my siblings and I. Shortly after, I began attending church and fell in love with the idea of getting closer to God. Luckily, my life took an enormous turn the moment I gave my life to Christ. God has opened numerous opportunities for my education. I am proud of all the accomplishments I have achieved in high

My parents always wanted to give their children the life they never had. I am Mexican-American, both of my parents immigrated from Mexico to the U.S. before I was born. I have numerous relatives, including my older sister, who do not have the same opportunities I have to achieve success because they are undocumented. For them, college was only a dream that could never be attained. Being the first U.S. citizen out of my entire family affected the way I thought about life. It was expected that I would attend college because I was the only one who had access to all the resources granted to American citizens. Although, I agreed with my family, the pressure to succeed and be a role model to my younger siblings was overwhelming.

According to Lupien, McEwan, Gunnar, and Heim (2009), going off to college involves significant adjustments to their daily routines; sleeping and eating habits, time-management skills, and stress levels will be altered in one way or another. First-year students have to adjust to the new school environment, different social settings, and new schedules, all without the help and guidance from their parents, who have been there for them for eighteen years. Over 30% of college freshman report that they feel overwhelmed (Klainberg, Ewing, & Ryan, 2010), where some students even opt to work as they juggle their class and work schedules. Some students work at a job or study harder than others, but they are all trying to get degrees so maybe one day they will have meaningful and significant lives. It is a constant struggle for everyone who is trying desperately to make him or herself into a success. And every college student wants to be involved in society in a positive manner, allowing contribution of their ideals and values to others.

When I was still in my country Nigeria, it was my everyday wish to travel to the United States. Like most people in my country would say, America is the second heaven things are gotten with ease, good degrees are gotten with ease, houses are owned with ease, money is made with ease and foods are gotten with ease. When I finally arrived here, I discovered that the reverse was the case. Now at the age of 18, I have to work in order to raise funds for my education and to get good grades are not easy. Without hard work a student cannot make an A. Right now I am a bit confused with either going back home to live dependent with my parents or I stay here to bring out the best I can be and be dependent on myself. In Robert Kosi Tettes article, An

Being a first generation college student is a heavy load to carry due to the constant reminder of having to be a good role model for my siblings. Children of immigrants are often highly expected to excel in their academics and to be involved in extracurricular activities. His/her parent immigrated to the “Land of The Free” in order to receive a better life and to give their children a place to call home. They work from one to two jobs a week just so that we can dig through the pantry, and raid the refrigerator. We sometimes take our parents for granted unknowingly, and constantly fill our heads with a question that we all seem to ask. “How do I please my parents?”, “What do I have to do to make them happy?”. As students we should all be voicing “College!”. Yes, maybe our folks’s dreams have faded away, however that should be our motivation to aim higher; to achieve our American Dream. Throughout our years of education, our very own relatives and teachers have emphasized on the importance of receiving a higher education. I have come to realize that I should not be asking myself “How do I please my parents?”. Instead, “How do I please myself?”, “What will my lifetime goals be?”, “Will it leave my parents hard work in vain?”. Obtaining a higher education will not impact their lives, but will affect yours drastically. My American Dream has always been to become an immigration lawyer that deals with international relations or to become a professor teaching my true passion for

Both men and women hope to be parents someday, and both recognize the importance of working and parenting. While some are confident leaving their children with a nanny for extended periods of time, most students portrayed a desire to be financially stable and have time to cultivate memories with their family. They then went on to say that both parents would have to work at least part-time in order to make such a family dynamic work for the benefit of

A important dilemma in my personal life is about my experience as a first generation immigrant in the United States. My parents take extra precaution to make sure I do not loose sight of where I came form and so, my parents drive to Mexico every year with my sister and I to see relatives who are living in conditions worse than ours so that we are grateful of our life in America. As I see my cousins and nieces/nephews grow up, I see realize that they have no real role model to look up to as no one has completed college when their parents exited high school and some not even that. So I want to help my family members to aspire to be something better in life and not a mailman or manual laborer like my father and uncles. I would like to instill

In today's century it is essential to have an education to enhance your job and provide a comfortable future for your family. After having children we realize that education is significant in order to succeed. While working takes a lot of time away from family, adding school to your schedule makes it difficult to spend quality time with your children. The problem most people face with balancing school, work, and family is being an excellent student, an outstanding employee, and a caring parent all in the same day.

I am a first generation Latino student to go to college. Escaping the mafia and poverty, my parents traveled to America in 1997. I am a representative of the millions of immigrants who have traveled to this country for a better future. I maintain an American dream, and I strongly believe that I am capable of achieving great success and prosperity through hard work and dedication. My vision has encouraged members of my Latino community; They have recognized that we are capable of bringing success to future generations. I carry a strong sense of responsibility, confidence, and leadership, and am a person who is fully committed to academics and service. I have been able to overcome many obstacles in my academic life. I entered school not knowing

I was born in El Paso, Texas to Mexican immigrant parents who did their best to raise me and my three siblings. Growing up in El Paso I never even saw myself applying to college, but then my dad made a bold choice to start a career in homeland security and that was when we moved to the DFW area. Ever since we moved to DFW every grade in junior high, i was talked to about college: how to get there, how to pay for it, and how to make it a reality. The thought of going to college never even crossed my mind before coming here. Now as a Senior in high school I'am doing everything in my abilities to make my dreams come true, to go to college and graduate to make my parents proud and prove to them that all their sacrifices haven't gone by without

I’m truly a fortunate teenager. I didn’t doubt at all that I wanted to come to the United States of America. My initial plan was to do as much as I could during junior year and share my findings back home like an ancient explorer. The big question was, should I stay for senior year? Would you do it? Do you have the courage? Step on my shoes for one second. Step in my mother’s and grandma’s shoes too. If I decided to stay, that implied to major things. Firstly, that graduating from an U.S high school would no longer allow me to go back and study in Mexico right away. If all of a sudden, for any reason, I wanted to quit, I would have lost my time and would have lost awesome moments next to my close friends and family. At the same time, not going to college here couldn’t even be considered. I’ve known since I enrolled in elementary school that I would attend University. I’ve always known that I wanted to be a professional. This meant at least two more years here, two years away from my beloved Mexico City. In my mom’s point of view, since I’m her only child, she probably misses more that anyone. Can you completely fill in the void of a missing Child or a Family member you

First, our family's dynamics. Right, wrong, or indifferent, our family has dynamics that may not be in play in your "typical" student's family. I say this as a precursor to this... I believe your priorities and ours may not always match, but hopefully the success of Emma, the child of topic, does match. First of all, my husband and I both work advanced careers. Many days I leave as early as 6am and get home as late as 6pm, and some days, I work until 9pm or later. Jeremy and I switch off working late many times as well. I have two children with special needs and have hundreds of appointments each year to attend, which also means at times, I work in

Like many undocumented families in the the United States, my family has had our share of financial struggles. My mother is unemployed and raising four kids. My father is the only one who is employed in my family; he works as a construction worker at an annual income of about $26,000 tight budget . Despite the financial challenges that my family and I face, we live comfortably. We may not live in the most luxurious or healthiest place in the world but it is this neighborhood that built my personality and my perspective of the world. The first thing that comes up to mind is,”How am I going to afford a higher education?” I will rely heavily on financial aid and may have to pick up a part time job to cover the rest of tuition cost. I am looking forward to college and will not allow my financial situation stop me in my pursuit of higher education.

My friends told me that “The United States is the land of opportunity, and everyone can succeed in this society if they work hard. Furthermore, there are many good schools here, where are also a powerful force for students entering an amazing career”. Honestly, people like to live here and set up plans for their life, and so do I. Although I am a full-time mom of two sons, I want to go to school and graduate with a mathematical professor’s degree. Thus, my sons and seventy-four credit hours of college are everything I am earning right now. They are my treasure, and I am proud of that for studying hard, evolving things, and resolving problems with any conditions to survive in school and life. Also, I have changed from things have ever happened to me. I realize that every different stage has every different circumstance for dealing with, and obstacles or conflicts in life cannot stop me reaching my goal. Moreover, my exceptional hardships and opportunities have just shaped my abilities better.