College Admissions Essay: Growing Up In China

I remember waking up that day and that feeling in my stomach, knowing what was about to happen. Growing up I knew about my father's sickness. My family, I recall, was always supportive. No one ever thinks about how one day, everyone you’re around for years, can just vanish. I cherished my friends as I was growing up. I lived there for a majority of my life, up until fourth grade. I remember sitting at a neighbor's house and having the mother come into the room and inform me that I need to be home swiftly. As I ran home, my head was crowded with thoughts to the point where I could not even think about why I was supposed to be home quickly. That day marked the transition of what would be the biggest change in my life. As by dad became sicker,

Daily economic activities have an important influence on personal financial planning. In our society, the forces of supply and demand play an important role in setting prices. Economics is the study of how wealth is created and distributed. By doing my research, I found that each economic situation would affect me at a personal level.

From my first T-Ball team to my senior year track club, the comradery and confidence I have gained from competing on numerous sports teams has made an enormous impact on my life. Growing up, I went to a very small Catholic school. With less than 100 students in the entire school district. In third grade, our family moved to Manteno. Where each grade level had at least 120 students. Baseball and Basketball were crucial for me in my early years. It was how I became acquainted with most of my friends growing up in Manteno. If it wasn’t for competing on a team, I would have stayed timid for the rest of my life. With the confidence sports have gave me, I have been able to challenge myself to experience the world and all

Throughout my life, I have frequently been a part of a team. Whether it was in an athletic, academic, or employment sense, I have learned many life lessons and values solely because I was a part of these teams. Growing up, I was involved in countless team-based sports in which I had a number of roles. There were times when I had to step up and lead, and times where I had to learn to take a step back and follow. I learned that I was only a small part of the success that happens and that the ultimate goal of the team was

For most of my life I lived in a place that you have probably never heard of. Chinook, Montana is a town of around 900 residents that stands in the shadow of a long-abandoned sugar beet factory, surrounded by fields of cattle and wheat. For the Billions of people who will never step foot in this place, it is simply another desolate town like the many others that faintly dot the map in the middle of nowhere. Yet for me, it was and always will be my hometown. For most people, living in a place this small and remote can hold them back, the poor level of educational resources and overall economic opportunity do not necessarily create a breeding ground for highly successful individuals. In my case however, being raised in Chinook pushed me to do more and be bigger than my simple roots. It has driven me to give the town someone to be proud of and to prove to the world that big people do come from the small places of this country and not just the sprawling metropolises. A place that has been a hindrance to most was for me the crucible that galvanized my character, my perspective, and my passion; all of which have lead me to writing this paper today.

Working at the daycare has shown me how much children look up to us student athletes. One of my biggest dreams is to be the person little kids are talking about when they say, “I want to grow up and be like her.” I am also extremely proud of my athletic accomplishments. My sophomore year I was selected to be a part of the SDHSAA all state honorable mention team for soccer, Dakota XII Conference honorable mention team for volleyball, and I was also selected as the player of the week from ESPN 99.1 for volleyball. My junior year I was selected to be a part of the Dakota XII Conference second team and Region 4a regional first team for volleyball. My senior year I was selected to be a part of the Dakota XII Conference second team and Region 4a regional first team for volleyball, was accepted as to become a part national honors society and homecoming royalty court. Another thing I am proud of is being a part of the state runner-up team two years in a row. I am proud of this because not many teams can say they made it to two state games. Although we did not come out as champions, I believe this made everyone on my team a stronger person because it has made all want to work even harder in order to achieve all of the other goals we want to

Gene Luen Yang in his book called “American Born Chinese" he illuminates the book in three parts, which is three characters, three stories but one goal. It is a critically acclaimed graphic novel. It possesses strong themes of racial stereotypes, particularly American stereotypes of the Chinese and other East Asian ethnicities. The American Born Chinese also undergoes phases of identity crises that are coupled with some mental or physical transformation. Even though this book is mainly about Jin, the book actually starts with the story of the Monkey King. The book then switches to Jin's story in the second chapter and, for the third chapter, switches to the story of Danny (Jin's alter-ego). Only after Jin's and Danny's stories do we return

American Born Chinese was a book that I would have initially missed reading because it didn’t appeal to me then. However, it wasn’t until the three narratives intertwined at the end that I realized that this was a great read. Jin, Danny, and the Monkey King all have one thing in common; they try to become something they are not, and they lose their sense of identity until the realization of the truth that we cannot fight who we really are. Jin comes to America and desperately tries to fit in with his classmates and assimilate. The Monkey King tried to become something greater than himself, and become an equal with the other deities. Danny is what looks to be a normal high school student, but is plagued by his Chinese cousin’s visits

Being on the varsity basketball, soccer, and softball team all three years has been quite a journey. Learning how to manage the little free time I have being a student-athlete is a thing that ties directly into responsibility. I believe I am an exceptionally responsible adolescent for the reason that I always am able to create time for my academics. Although it may be at 11 P.M on the bus ride home, I know that my education is my first priority. My softball coach, Shane Jordan, always re enforces the saying, “You are a student before you are an athlete.” This will stick with me throughout the rest of my high school career. Being a part of many unique teams has taught me great amounts about unity as well. Caring about and being there for my teammates on and off the court/field is something I do

Identity is officially defined as the condition of being oneself or itself, and not another. A person’s identity can be shaped by many factors, like family and culture. The graphic novel American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang is a book that really focuses on identity and who someone actually is. In American Born Chinese, all the characters struggle with their identity and accepting that they are unique and different because other people judge them for being who they are.

people in all the East are so well adapted for the clearing wild lands and

Moving to a new country, a new culture, and a new society after 18 years of living in my small hometown was really tricky, especially for a teenager who just got out of high school. Leaving my home and friends, changing my routine and letting go of the simple, insignificant daily things that I used to do over and over again is surprisingly heartbreaking. You see, I was born and raised in Jordan and have lived there for about 18 years before moving here to Chicago. When I first started college here at Moraine Valley, I was a bit scared that I might not be able to fit in with the students or get used to this new culture. I was not a complete ignorant of American culture since I watched a lot of American TV back home, so I did not really experience

Over the last two years of my High School education, I found the extracurricular activities I fit in the most. I am part of Student Council, National Honor Society and a member of the tennis team. They all have molded me to be the best. However, I feel like tennis has impacted me the most. It’s a sport that has taught me so much, from being physically fit, to mentally prepared for any outcome. I learned that a game it’s not about winning or losing, but about how it’s played, and what it took to get there. Being in a team is about contributing others, and learning from them. It’s about accepting that we all make mistakes, and only practice can reduce the times we make them. So many loses and few victories, but I always preferred to sheer my

In all my life, I’ve never had a commitment that required so much of me as track and field, both physically and mentally. Towards the end of my high school career, track and field for me meant having to push through a difficult physical condition known as tarsal coalition, a condition that causes inflammation in my feet. With help from my coaches, I had to learn to endure past physical limitation and strengthen my faith in my abilities. By doing so, I became more confident in myself and I was able to help lead other team members to do the same. Not only did track and field teach me to lead, but it also taught me how to be a part of a team. I learned the value of teamwork through building relay race teams. In all relay races, I was either the

Like King Midas’ greed, the lure of instant wealth amid dreams of piles of gold led many Chines to America and eventually to the misery of Midas. Upon hearing of the news of Gold Mountain in 1848 in California, many Chinese immigrants came to America on ships. Most Chinese immigrants were coming to America to become wealthy and to support their families. The Chinese immigrated into the United States due to the economic hardship in China as well. Upon arriving, they worked in gold mines and on building railroads, they faced resentment from Americans, and ultimately the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed.