College Admissions Essay: The Absence Of My Father

Unlike most people, I did not get to be a carefree child for long. Even though I always said that I could not wait to grow up, now I wish that it all did not happen so fast and early in my life. From eleven to twelve years old—that would be the period I describe as the time I had to put my big-girl pants on and face the real, cruel and unwelcoming adult world. In that time period, I can specifically pinpoint two major events that ended my childhood: my move from Russia to the United States and the birth of my baby sister Toma. To some those might not seem significant enough to change someone’s life to the extent that they changed mine; however those events molded me into the person I am today.

Despite my parent’s challenges, they were still able to raise me with love and care and surrounded me in an environment where I

Growing up, I went through so many obstacles that have helped me shape me into who I am today. In elementary, I struggled with learning English. Both of my parents are Spanish speaking so school was hard for me. All the way up until middle school, I grew up with an abusive father. My parents eventually got divorced. I was raised by a single mother and was bullied a lot. I was always scared, confused, alone, and angry. I suffered emotionally and physically. I felt lifeless. In 7th grade, I started to become more active in the church ,and my life change for the better. I stopped holding resentment towards my father. Once my parents finally got a divorce, I was finally able to start to live. All the pain I went through made me stronger and more knowledgeable. My father showed me what not to be ,and made me realize I deserved better.

The person who influenced me most into applying to Syracuse University was my dad. My dad graduated with a degree from Syracuse, and has always been hardworking and passionate in everything he does. Going to Syracuse for me correlates with many of the traits my dad possesses, and by going to the same college he got his degree from, I hope that I can develop many of the same traits he possesses. Attending the university where my dad got his degree from would allow me to live up to the expectations my dad has set, for with his degree he was able to acquire a good job that allowed him to move up in life. A Syracuse degree allowed my dad to move out of the projects of the Upper West Side of Manhattan to the suburbs of Long Island, giving us

The connotations associated with living in the south include the idea that family is everything. My family influences a lot of the decisions I make, and through my family I am able to learn a lot about myself. I am given an abundance of opportunities with respect to my family. For example, if it weren’t for my grandparents, I may never have traveled to Colorado and learned what it’s like to be an employee. I owe a lot to my grandparents, especially since they hired me to work in their shop every summer since I was nine. These are the types of special opportunities others don’t have. Opportunities that I cherish each and every day. On my father’s side of the family is where I gain all of my musical knowledge. With a father and a Grandfather

Growing up as the oldest of five children taught me valuable lessons such as taking on responsibility at a young age and becoming a role model for my siblings. My fierce independence derived from watching my mother raise us as a single parent for the majority of her life. The hardships of a broken family were rough at times, but in retrospect, they made me the strong-minded and hard working person I am today. I often took on responsibilities around the house and helped care for my siblings as my mother worked multiple jobs to provide for us. The challenges of my upbringing have allowed me to empathize easily with people who face a wide range of

Growing up, I never fully understood the significance of having my parents around. Seldom did I fully cherish spending time with them, or showed them that I appreciated the things they did for me. I always thought that my relationship and time with them was certain. With this mentality, I never learned to be grateful for my family and the opportunities they’ve given me. Not once had it occurred to me that there was a possibility that at any moment, I could lose them unexpectedly. However, at the age of twelve, the mindset I held with me completely altered, when my father was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia.

Tears streamed down my face as I said my goodbyes to my parents, getting ready to leave them for the entire summer. It finally hit me that I was essentially stepping out into the “real world” without my parents right by my side to take care of me and look out for me. They couldn’t come with me due to work and it was a scary thought. Granted that I was only 10 years old, I was going to miss my parents. I didn’t know whether or not I was mentally prepared to take a 14-hour plane ride (what felt like forever) half way across the world to visit my relatives in Seoul, Korea.

What if society first noticed the honorable behavior in others instead of right off the bat noticing the flaws that stick out like a sore thumb? What if everyone was recognized for the good deeds they do out of the kindness of their heart? People like that do not ask for anything in return, but instead feel blessed to be able to help someone. Even people with gratifying behavior that mind their own business and do not go out of their way for others deserve a congratulations for keeping up the good work. Realistically, it is a rare occasion that good people are praised for their behavior. I would like my dad and everybody else to know how much of a good dad, he has been and continues to be with his children. He at least deserves a huge “thank

"Never forget the past…because it may haunt you forever. Regret all the bad things…cherish the good things. Look ahead always…but don't let the bad things from the past get in your mind." As a young child, there were so many incidents in my life that made me become the person I am today. There were rough times as well as good times. If I were to tell you all of them, I would remember half of them. I think some of my incidents really had some impact, and some were just simple ways of life. To tell you the truth, the incident that had the most impact on me has to be when my real father left me at the age of three. I never knew my father. I mean being a baby, you really have no experience or recognition of somebody else.

My parents’ words haunt me every time I would want to give up. They followed me everywhere like a dog following its owner. These words made me realized that I wanted to overcome my family’s current status. I want to be able to be better than my parents. I want to be able to not worry about money or resources on a daily bases. I want to be able to in return help my parents with their problems like they did for me for many years.

Before that, my eyes were not yet fully opened to the immense love my parents showered upon me. As I began to make friends, I started to hear small bits and pieces of their personal lives. My best friend could not hold a conversation with her mom, as they disagreed about everything there is to disagree about. Formal acquaintances would whisper of their mental or physical abuse, and I, a former homeschooled student, began to see the harsh reality of what many adolescents matured with.

According to the dictionary, encouraging means, “to give hope, courage, and confidence to someone.” This describes my dad perfectly. My dad is the greatest person I’ve ever met! He is a funny and silly guy with a big fauxhawk on top of his head. So, I think you would notice him pretty easily. A couple ways my dad is encouraging are that he reminds me to use my creativity, he is a great teacher, and he cheers me on.

Ever since I was a kid, I always thought my dad was pretty cool. I mean, he isn’t the coolest person on this earth, but he’s cool… to me at least. He’s almost like a superhero if you ask me. He encouraged me to try a lot of things as a kid, such as play different types of instruments and play different types of sports. He always suggests to me, “Hey Kyla! You should try playing the piano!” or “I saw this little girl play soccer, do you wanna try it?” I always saw the hope in his eyes and the big smile he always had on his face whenever he asked. Of course, I would always agree to try it, but nothing really stuck. I never really understood why he made me go through all those things when in the end I ended up not having any passion for the things I tried. Don’t get me wrong, I was grateful that I had the opportunity to try all those things, but I just didn’t know why he was trying too hard to get me to do these activities.

The personal experience I am about to share shows the hardships I faced, as I never found a solution till the first day I ran track and field. Throughout my life there have been many people that cared for me, and changed my life in so many ways. However I never really had a father figure in my life, since my father left us when I was around eight . My mom took both roles as a parent for me to learn how to be a man. Mom had devoted her time to me in order for me to live a sophisticated life. After long and hard days at work we had seen each other cry but she comforted me through all my rough times as I try to comfort her through