Buffalo Bull Personal Statement

Living in America is often taken for granted, but many would risk their lives just to live in this free country. My parents risked their lives escaping from Laos after the Vietnam War in order to reach America hoping for a better life. My dad’s struggles in life has inspired me to pursue higher education in order to create a brighter future for myself. Being the first generation children born in America has given me the opportunity of free education. In America education

I am a U.S. born citizen. My parents moved to the United States in 1984 without knowing anything about this country. Looking for a fresh start and new opportunities, my parents settled in Houston. With hardly knowing any English, my parents knew this was the place to make dreams become a reality. Luckily, I had older siblings to look up to whenever I needed help. Like Lahiri, I was trapped in between two different cultures while I was growing up. At home, I only spoke Spanish, but in school it was English. My habits and customs were different than others. Life as an immigrant’s offspring can be very difficult. As I grew older, I allowed myself to open my eyes and see the beauty of being an American from Hispanic descent.

Many American children grow up in horrible social and cultural living environments. These living conditions not only affect the child's upbringing, but also affects the choices they make once they reach adulthood. Yet so many people disbelieve that your social environment affects your life decisions and choices you make. This stems from the thought that you can be or do anything as long as you work hard enough. This concept is known as “the American Dream”. Though many Americans have started off at the lower rungs of society and have worked their way to the top, there are still many who make every effort for a better life, but are marginalized because of their position in society. They are not granted access to the resources

For decades history has been repeating itself and in this continuous cycle, poverty does the most spinning. One can grow up in an environment where there is a never ending struggle to achieve “the American Dream.” Therefore, children see their parents try their hardest to provide for them while obstacles in society deter them. Society has created social classes or groups to categorize people base on their income and soci-economic status. In the stories, “The Lesson” by Toni Bambara, and “House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros, these two authors discuss how fulfilling the America Dream is possible once one is willing to work for it.

Coming from Cuba to The United States of America was a dream; however, a nightmare as well. I came to live to Miami when I was nine years old during fourth grade. My family constantly told me to study hard to be able to graduate from high school and go to college. In addition, learning a new culture, language, and educational system was tough for me. High-school graduation was my main goal to reach since I came to this country; yet, I had a long pathway to walk and full of challenges.

I had the privilege to grow up in the city of Miami, a city where Hispanics are the majority. I consider myself lucky as I didn’t have the struggles most Hispanics face in other parts of the US. Although my family was not economically rich, I was rich because I was loved. My parents always supported my choices and taught me from an early age to have perseverance and kindness instilled within my heart. They taught me that there is no greater investment then that of knowledge and for that I needed to obtain a higher education.

Regardless of prejudice and stereotypes, I always put my best foot forward and do my best to respect others and represent my family the best I can. A truly eye-opening experience has been speaking on behalf of programs such as the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) in Washington D.C. where I had the opportunity to provide a testimony on the effectiveness of these programs and the individuals that they serve. At the 4-H International Summer Camps and the Outreach Leadership Institute I have had the opportunity to mentor and serve as a role model for high school students. At these programs I have had the opportunity to speak about my journey to college in front of hundreds of students, present workshops on scholarships, and provide tours around Oregon State

“Of course you can be prodigy, too” (471). A mother’s wish for her daughter who believes she can be whatever she wants in America. In the story of “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, a mother who comes from China after losing her first husband, twin baby girls and her home; comes to America having dreams for her daughter, Jing-Mei. “You can open a restaurant. You could work for the government. You could become rich…” (471). As a child of immigrant parents, I believe they too had that dream. America gives us better opportunities, a better life and numerous ways to be successful. This story shares what many parents go through; being obedient to parents wishes or following their own mind. They only want the best for their kids, especially if they didn’t have the opportunity due to lack of education.

My professional background includes AguaClara as mentioned before, as well as an internship with the New York City Council, being an Associate Cornell Ambassador, and being a student manager with the Cornell Big Red Managers. AguaClara has allowed me to develop significant research skills while apply them to serving others. As I research rapid sand filtration, I am able to help AguaClara provide clean drinking water to communities in Honduras. I will also be travelling with AguaClara to Honduras this winter to understand the significance of the team’s research on communities in Honduras. At Cornell I am also a Cornell Ambassador. As an ambassador, I talk to curious perspective students and their families about Cornell. It is important that I do not share false information about Cornell with them, instead I am to apply a realistic view of my experiences at Cornell. For many of these families, what I say to them will have a huge impact on if they decide to come to Cornell, and for that reason, I must remain truthful to them. I believe that being truthful is also very important when working with underserved populations. Another necessary skill is the ability to communicate effectively. My former internship with the New York City Council allowed me to develop the ability to not only speak to others, but also listen to their concerns. When working with underserved populations, it is very important to listen to their concerns and see what they are having issues with. Taking the time out to listen to concerns allows a person to come up with the best solutions for those

I am first generation Ghanaian-American and the daughter of immigrants, who were not able to obtain higher education in the United States. From a young age, I knew it would be my responsibility to go further in life than anyone in my family. My parents emigrated from Ghana because they saw America as the “land of milk and honey,” a means for a better life. I, too, hold the same vision of America because I know that if my parents had not settled in the States, my own path in life would not be as bright. Despite upward financial mobility after years of working, my parents did not have the opportunity to obtain a degree from a traditional college or institution, but instead choose to focus their efforts on supporting their family both here in

Children are told from an early age that they can become anything they want to be, and people flock in droves to the United States, “The Land of Opportunities” to achieve this American Dream. Author, James T. Adams, coined the term American Dream in his book “The Epic of America” as, "That dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” (Adams p.214-215) It is true, people in this country do have the opportunities to become anything they want to be. For many, obtaining a college degree is their route to success. By 2018, 60% of jobs in America will require a college degree. (Carnevale,

I not only learned more about speech and language therapy, I also learned a lot about myself. I had crossed the Atlantic unsure of my abilities and lacking confidence. What I found was I had not only learned much more than I thought during my undergraduate studies, but that not all of it had come from speech and hearing courses. By being involved on campus I had provided myself with skills I found essential. Holding multiple leadership positions helped me understand the importance of constructive criticism and personal growth.

Rafael Cruz famously stated “Only in American can someone start with nothing and achieve the American Dream. That’s the greatness of this country.” In this rapidly growing era of technology, I think the American Dream is shifting, but remaining strong. I resonate with Cruz’s statement as the American Dream has been embodied by my own family. Born to a single mother who emigrated from Central America, my two sisters and I watched as our mother and worked multiple jobs as a caretaker for the elderly and as an assistant in a hair salon. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald embodied the original “American Dream.” The fundamental American ethos is the notion that it is possible to start out poor and become more prosperous. My generation went through primary school with that ‘dream’ in mind, but come 2008, everyone saw how quickly that dream could become a nightmare.

I knew from the first day I started high school I had no desire to go to college. My main goal was to graduate high school even if that meant doing only the bare minimum. Which is exactly what I did. I didn't know how important an education was until after high school. Once graduating I enrolled into cosmetology school and even there my instructors advised me to get a degree, which I still was against. After receiving my cosmetology license I began working at a beauty supply store. I found myself knowing what I wanted to say but not knowing how to get it across without talking in ebonics when educating customers. We had a lot of Hispanic customers and only had one employee who spoke Spanish. On her off days I would find myself trying to translate as much as I could from what I could remember from high school Spanish classes. However I spoke Spanglish, a mixture of English and Spanish, which left me feeling embarrassed and frustrated that I couldn't communicate like I wanted to. This prompted me to go back to school for a degree in Spanish and work on my English skills. In her article, “Spanish Lesson,” Christine Marin writes about being raised in an English only household despite being Mexican-American and learning the power of her Spanish language and being bilingual. In the article, “Homemade Education,” Malcolm X describes being street articulate but not knowing how to express himself how he wanted to through letters. Malcolm X and Marin have both overcome learning

My two oldest sisters would eventually leave because they became constant targets of verbal humiliation. Somewhere along the way, my parents sought for help. Things became less tense and less aggravating. Still, this obstacle caused me to realize resentment would push me down, but I didn’t allow it. I decided to focus all my energy on relearning the things I lost in Honduras. By fourth grade year, I was voted the most improved and the hardest-worker. Nine years after arriving in the United States, I am still learning how to express myself. It was a rigorous process, but I feel like I succeeded. My English may not be perfect, but it is now my first language. Everyone has to know where they came from to know where they want to go. Every day since my second arrival in this country, I’ve been reminded that my purpose was to have a more productive lifestyle and to have the education many in my country ache to have. At times, I feel like if I don’t have a set goal, I will end up being a failure. There’s a voice inside my head saying, you’ll never reach it. Every time I feel this way, something sparks in me. That’s when I decide to work my hardest and give it my all. For me, my career choice is something that I’ve always dreamt of: traveling the world and learn about what makes our world so diverse. Language is a barrier for many, including myself. My goal is to become experienced and knowledgeable, not only of my own culture, but every culture around the