College Admissions Essay: The Day That Changed My Life

Of all of the people I have encountered in my life so far, my father is the one to leave the greatest impact. I remember my dad would always ask me “ do you want to be the boss or be bossed? ” These word are what drives me to work hard and try my best in everything that I do. Maybe it was the fact that I have seen him grow so much over the years that his words and actions have affected me so much today. Through these words and actions I have been able to think of what i want to do and where I want to be in life after I graduate high school.

“You know Kwesi, I only came to this country with forty bucks in my pocket and the clothes on my back and look where I am today.” -- words from my father I thought to myself the first time I saw a rifle plummet down to my head.

I believe the turning point of my life began with the separation of my parents. I had always imagined myself living in my native homeland of the Dominican Republic. Yet, my life would drastically change as a consequence of my parents divorce. A few weeks after my parent’s divorce, my mother and I arrived undocumented in Boston, Massachusetts. Thus, at the age of fourteen, I found myself in a new country with few family and friends. The following chapter of my life would require me to not only make sacrifices but also become more independent. The meaning and value for me becoming independent at a young age was twofold: (1) I was able to help my mother financially and (2) I learned the meaning of hard work and perseverance. I recognize that my tangible core values cannot be measured by test scores—though I have done well academically—but by my desire and perseverance to become a successful Latina.

I grew up in one of the wealthiest families in Minnesota and I was constantly reminded by the many family get togethers that were held at one of my uncle’s houses. You see, in my family the term wealth does not have the same definition as that of the one in the dictionary. Instead of riches and an abundance of money, I was born into a massive and united family that has supported each other throughout each others lives’. In truth, my family has been through extremely tough times financially, especially so in this last year with the loss of our main source of income, my mother’s job. With a roofing, seasonal working father and a year full of rain, there wasn’t much money to be spared for anything other than the essentials and even then those

“Be strong, banish fear and doubt, and remember the lord is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 New International Version). Next month on September 28th, will be my 30th birthday, another milestone will be met. As I look forward to celebrate this milestone, I have also taken the time to reflect on who I am today. Throughout the years, I have experienced many obstacles that have influenced me into becoming the person I am currently. Moving to Columbia, South Carolina had great, if not the greatest, influence on me.

In the drug-infested streets of North Highlands, adversity ran the gamut. In a place where individuals were treated more like statistics than human beings, it was very difficult to feel any hope or purpose. As I grew up, I found purpose in the hopes of escaping from the adversity. However, I found my true purpose, as well as hope, back where I started.

When life gives you the opportunity to be successful, you take it. So, out of every let down or every time you ever ask yourself, “was it worth it?”…, you say “definitely”, persevere, and continue seeking greatness. When I got that opportunity, I hit the ground running. I was hungry to become successful, hungry to graduate from college, hungry to even hear my dad say, “I’m proud of you”. Maybe I could have taken a different route but hey, growing up in a small town like Mullins SC with a high unemployment rate, don’t get you too far. I couldn’t find myself falling into that statistic. Working temp jobs, wondering how I would pay for college…, it was rough, definitely some humble beginnings. This by no means is a message for sympathy.

"Youth is everlasting if you feed your soul with much love and many adventures," a phrase I have claimed my entire life. I have traveled across the seven seas, from the white sand beaches and crystal clear waters of the Caribbean, to the snowy tundra of the Italian alps. I have studied traditional Indian art and learned to play the tabula under the tree canopies of Karola, India. I have hiked to a cliff's edge to watch humpback whales migrate through Queensland, Australia. I have payed homage to my religious ancestors at the western wall in Jerusalem, Israel. I mention a few of the places I have traveled not because they describes who I am, but because my adventures have created the person you see today. Seeing the world has struck passion in my heart and curiosity in my mind.

Throughout my life I've come to be heavily involved in just about all things technology and it's developed into something I've become passionate about. I began working on computers as early as 7th grade and I moved on to doing freelance work for friends and family, as well as taking Computer servicing classes my sophomore & junior years of high school. Beyond high school I had a falling out with technology, and I believe this was necessary in order for me to realize that it's a field that I love and excel

From the very first moment I sat on the piano bench and touched the black-and-white keys, I instantly felt in my heart that my future would be irretrievably bonded to this magical instrument.

On a calm and ordinary day in the summer of 1996 I ventured down a path that would radically and irrevocably alter the course of my destiny. I took this path blindly with my head held high, joy in my heart and tears in my eyes. In an ever evolving and dynamic world, change is inevitable and unstoppable. Life is constantly propelling us to make decisions which in turn can mold our hearts, thoughts and our actions. Most changes are simple and have little influence over the ultimate direction of a person’s life. Then, there are changes that can turn your life upside-down and send you on a new course entirely. This was one of those moments. This moment was so profound, so life altering, so gratifying, but most of all miraculous. The day that changed my life forever was

Of all that I have witnessed, I have never seen the sun. These tunnels run dark and deep beneath the city, and although there are those like me whose paths rise above, mine does not. City planners decided the subway routes below the city long before I was built, Yet, perhaps the terms of my employment are not so undesirable. It would be worse to see what is beyond my reach, to know the sun I cannot feel and the city I cannot inhabit. Manhattan reveals itself torturously enough to me through its people, but my performance does not falter. I am made of tougher things than flesh and bone, for I am the carrier.

There have been very few events throughout my lifetime that I feel have impacted or inspired me with such noteworthiness and that I know will change my outlook on the world and affect me forever. One of those events occurred when I traveled to Portugal, my parent’s homeland. From this excursion in 2007, I learned the importance of family, most importantly the distant kind. It provided me with a totally different perspective on the world and how large and extended one’s family can really be; even across cultures and continents. I felt so fortunate learning this lesson at a young age and growing to appreciate the ideals I was brought up with as a child. The family I have in Portugal has always been there; however, their faces have aged and

In life not alot happens that matter in 5 year from the time it did. But when they are life changing times they are something to remember. They could be a small as getting your first pet to having your first heart break to buying your first house or car. They give you many different emotions when they do happen. There's never only one and a right one for each situation everyone is different and feelings will be different. For example one of the biggest life changing moments in my life would have been getting gracie. The morning it happened we got a call from her owners who we had previously sold herr to. They told us they were bring her back for a refund and to let us euthanize her. So of course my heart was broken almost shattered, how can a dog getting arthritis be a reason for her to be put down? It was a moment of despair, So being upset about hearing that I headed back to bed till Grace was going to arrive. The whole day was spent tossing and turning. I still couldn't understand how her having a small problem was reason to get her euthanized. Before she went to these people she was one of my favorite puppies. As 3 o'clock rolled around I knew she would be here in the next 15 minutes. When I got up I found my mom getting all the paperwork so we could get custody of Grace back. WIthin a few minutes I remember hearing a car pull up so I went to the front window and looked out it. That's the exact moment my heart dropped, their was this gorgeous dog who looked healthy as

The end of school came eventually, and I abandoned dreams of the sixth grade. Luckily, I was transferring to another elementary school, but this offered me little consolation. Only dummies have to repeat a grade.