Essay on Comparing My Father and My Brother

Growing up, school was not a major factor in my life. I come from a hard-working, middle-class military family. My mother, a Filipino immigrant, was a homemaker. My father was a 21-year United States Marine veteran. They were my first impression of what I thought my future would be. Being the youngest of four children, I was expected to fall in line behind my siblings when it came to education. I was never pushed to excel in my studies, so I did just enough to get by. As I watched friends escape the grasp of a military town and ascend to their respective colleges, I was left wondering what was next for me. I attended my local community college for a brief period of time. I treated college no different than high school. I

My mother worked four jobs at once to make financial ends meet, while always stressing the importance of education and financial independence to my brother and myself. My grandmother only achieved a second grade education due to the financial constraints on her family at a young age, but still in the end managed to make certain that of her children and grandchildren had what was needed to flourish and become successful, educated members of the community. The tenacity and history of these two women I still carry with me today. Their struggles have inspired to me to only want more from life, but also serve as a positive role model for the younger members of my community. I observed from other family members how an education can open a multitude of doors and opportunities. I want to make the biggest and most significant on my community and on my family as possible, and the only foreseeable path is to achieve a college education to gain the necessary skills, knowledge and connections needed to flourish and implement positive

As a young boy, I never truly put much into school. I put as little thought about college as well, but it took one moment that made me want the desire to succeed in my life and make something of it. Working for 12 straight hours in the middle of the hot sun, making minimum wage wasn't how I wanted to live. Going to multiple jobs and having to work all weekend, even during school occasionally was extremely difficult. This just gave me that extra drive to be more superior than anyone else. Yet, I never gave up and still pushed to be the best student I could be. Staying up late nights just to finish homework so I was able to make the best grade in class. The simplest moments in life made we want to be the best

Because of my parent’s humble beginnings in the south and being ever so present during the Civil Rights era, education was very important in my household. My father would often say that education and knowledge could never be taken away from you once you have acquired it. He himself, only had a 3rd grade formal education but yet at the same time was a modern day math wizard. He was the second to the oldest out of eleven children so he chose to continually work the fields so that his younger siblings didn’t have to and they would have the opportunity to attend school during the day. My mother continually pursued higher education and received her Associates of Arts degree as an adult. Later in life, as a senior citizen she also attended South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois and enrolled in a couple courses in Computer Training and

Education has always been an important foundation upon which my family encouraged the most. Not just the education pertaining to structured schooling, but the fundamentals in life that require you to interact in society and be a part of something bigger than yourself. They demonstrated how to commit to values such as responsibility, motivation, and consistency; and, how to be open-minded and passionate about the things you believe in. These things all required a sacrifice in various ways. They always stress how “sometimes you need to give up something to get ahead, or how sometimes sacrificing the familiar and what you expect from yourself to get the results that you are seeking in the long run.”

Some of the most incredible advancements the human race have made have been in the past century. We have sent men to the moon, improved communication systems, and made the largest technological advancements since the invention of the wheel. In 1946, the first official computer, named ENIAC, was made. It weighed 100,000 pounds, and all it was used for were various calculations. That was only 69 years ago, but now computers can be found everywhere in developed nations. In less than one decade, we have progressed from a 100,000 pound computer to handheld computers that weigh less a pound and can be used for numerous different tasks. It is crazy to think that the simple luxuries that our generation have become accustom to were not normal for our parents or grandparents. An increase in education is the reason we have been able to progress in such an accelerated way. The value of a college education lies in its ability to allow individuals to grow academically, by expanding their knowledge of various subjects, and socially, by being exposed to many different characters and beliefs. These skills ensure that they will have a better future because they will be advancing faster than those who chose other paths. A four year college education, although not for everyone, can push young adults in the right direction.

Even though my father never went to college, I have always wanted to go. I knew I wanted to be better and do more than my deadbeat dad did. My father always told me “you are a smart girl”, and to him anything below a C grade wise was utterly unacceptable, well for everyone besides my brother who could never manage more than a D. The amount of punishment he had to endure for that I didn’t want to imagine how much it hurt. I remember the pit in my stomach every time report cards were sent out even though I knew I did well, but the better grades I got the easier it became to keep them up. I thank my father for his strict parenting when it came to education because I know now if I didn’t have rules like that I don’t think I would be where I am now, and better off than him.

Throughout my upbringing, college was always on my mind. Even though my grandma was well into her career and was

When I was 5 my life changed completely. My sister and I were abandoned by our mother and father. I was then raised by my aunt and uncle along with my grandparents. I was taken in and loved as if I was their own. I want to show them and myself that no matter what happens in life that I can succeed and accomplish anything I set my mind to. Therefore, I am pursuing an Associates degree and the first generation in my family to go to college first generation in my family to go to college.

After listening to my father's experiences as a child from a family with no college graduates, I have always placed my academic success above everything else. My grandparents worked from morning to night to have food on the table. They made countless sacrifices to provide a better lifestyle for their two boys. My father moved from Mobile, Alabama to Hammond, Louisiana his senior year of high school due to my grandfather's job. Although he resented his parents for a while, he quickly realized it had to be done. Paw Paw was forced to drop out of high school when he was in the tenth grade to help provide for family, which consisted of fourteen children and his single mother. Therefore, he couldn't take the risk of losing his job due to his lack

This was the beginning of progression out of the working class. An opportunity to go to college and get an education was beyond what his family expected of him thus meaning he had progressed beyond the status of his parents. My dad earned his Associate Degree by going to two years of college (because this was the length paid for). During my interview, he discussed how he felt lucky to get even this much of an education. Although my dad had a chance to go to school, the working ideals were instilled in him. Throughout college and into his post-college life, he worked in minimum wages jobs, jobs that had no benefits and would be considered “dead-end jobs”, such as working at McDonald's and being a security guard at his college. His motivation and college education allowed him to see a bigger picture in life, which in turn allowed him to seek more rewarding and fulfilling job. After graduating he began to work as a banker. This career path has to lead him to the socioeconomic standing that he has obtained

When I was young I had not any educational goals. My father had not graduated from high school and I don’t remember him (or my mother) ever mentioning me going to college. And, as mentioned previously he spent my $3,000 life’s savings which would have put me through the University of Arizona. I was ambivalent about going to college when I graduated from high school, but I signed up in large part to stay out of the military and Vietnam. I had an interest in aviation and in making things so I signed up for Aerospace engineering. At that point I was working 20-25 hours a week to be able to afford the next semester’s tuition, gas for the Hillman, and occasional nights out which didn’t help my studies.

No two people are exactly alike, and my two older brothers, Thu Nguyen and Thang Nguyen, are no exceptions. When I think of them, I think of Rudyard Kipling’s words, “East is East. West is West. Never the twain shall meet.”

For years I have been fascinated by that mysterious quirk of nature called twins. In my family, there are several sets of identical twins, and I have always concentrated on their similarities. I did not realize that identical twins also have many differences. My identical twin cousins, Sue and Heidi, appear to be perfect mirror images. They love to dress alike. They can feel each other's pain. They sound alike and can complete each other's sentences. But upon taking a closer look, I have found that they are as different as day and night. Aside from Sue and Heidi's outward characteristics, they possess several distinguishing traits that allow them to be viewed as two separate, independent

My brother is not just someone I share blood with but someone I can rely on and look up to. Patrick, my seventeen year old brother, has been by my side since I was a little baby. My youngest memories are of Patrick and I running around in our backyard laughing. As he grew older, I began to look up to him. He was everything I aspired to be: intelligent, passionate, and athletic. Patrick always seemed to know what he wanted in life, and I admired how he chased down his goals. There were points in my life when I was very unmotivated, especially when I was seven years old. Insecure and unsure, I did not believe in myself from a very young age, and Patrick was there for me when no one else was. He made me believe in myself and my own abilities above anything else. I have my big brother to thank for finding the strength to persevere through my struggles and overcoming my obstacles.