If I Am Being Honest

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

In my professional working experience, I have been acknowledged for my ability to hit the ground running and exceed all expectations. My work history proves that I have been able to successfully move forward in my career as I continue to advance my education

One educational opportunity that I never would have thought would even have been an opportunity was my decision to go to community college. While I used to feel as though I had to prove myself by going to a 4-year university right away, at College of the Canyons, I have actually learned more about myself and my academic ethics. I used to feel that community college was a barrier, separating me from my university dreams. However, without my community college journey, my academic passions and endeavors might not have been the same. I have used this time to learn how to be more assertive as well as more willing to problem solve and think out of the box. Since my goals were not handed to me on a silver platter, the community college process has

For me accounting is personal. As an immigrant, life has seldom been easy. It has been marked by continuous sacrifice, unfamiliar settings, and unnerving trials. From an early age I witnessed my parents painstakingly keep track of their income and expenses in order to make ends meet. Such trying moments were the early signs of my inclination towards accounting. In essence, these painful experiences stirred something within me, something that culminated into a passion. After exposure to numerous accountants and academic courses, I was firmly convinced accounting was my calling. In pursuing my calling, I attended Miami Dade Honors College and earned an Associate of Arts Degree in Accounting. Afterwards, I transferred to Florida International University, where I hope to acquire my Bachelor of Accounting in April 2018.

From a very early age, I always assumed it was a part of my future to pursue an education. The American educational system engraves the importance of school at a very young age. Elementary school children are motivated through rewards when they try their hardest to reach their goals. Students are exposed to statistics and facts outlining the consequences of not getting a college degree as soon as they reach middle school. High school counselors and staff make it their priority to ensure that students apply to college. Students are conditioned to believe that education is the building block to a successful future. My cultural upbringing did not support my choice to pursue an education, however, I refused to conform to my family’s behavioral expectations because certain norms must be challenged due to progressive time periods and conflicting values.

In my Junior year of highschool I took a total of eight college level courses through Central Ohio Technical College, and passed each one. This was a struggle for me due to personal issues, however I studied hard and pushed through. The summer before my senior year I took an online Statistics course offered by the same college, and attended the Camp 4 Scholars at Kenyon College. I spent three weeks on campus having making memories, having new experiences, and building my academic skills in a Behavioral Neuroscience course, as well as an African American History course. In this program I learned many skills and had my mind opened to the world beyond my hometown though hearing others’ stories. I then took another course offered by COTC, and am currently taking an American Studies course offered by Kenyon. I believe that I have pushed myself very far academically, in addition to my other

Decisions made prior to the age of eighteen always seem like a crisis until you have met the mother of all crisis, your final college decision. I found myself staring my future directly in the face almost a year ago wondering where I would further my education just as much as the people pressuring an answer from me. After months of self deliberation, I set my sights on Prairie View A&M University for fall enrollment, albeit if you would have asked me just a few months before I would have turned my face up and dismissed the university as even an option. Stereotypes of universities that historically known as predominantly populated by black students skewed their image for me. Eventually, my outlook was enlightened through educating myself more

I grew up on a farm about 3 hours north of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul. I grew up as the oldest of 9 children, making our house a very busy place. It is there that I attended school at Menahga Public Schools, about 15 miles from our home. I graduated with about 45 students in 2014. I attended Minnesota State Community and Technical College as a Post-Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO) student for my Junior and Senior Year, attaining an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts, also in May of 2014. In the Fall of 2014, I attended the University of North Dakota (UND), looking to attain my Bachelors of Science. I attended UND for three years, graduating this spring with my Bachelors of Science. During my life I have held a variety of jobs, ranging from farmhand to

As a child growing up in San Diego, my youth has been nothing short of any teenager’s wildest dreams of living near the beach, having bonfires, and surfing on the weekends. Although this lifestyle is desired by many, I’ve always wanted something more out of what I do with my time. I want to go to Spring Hill College to become a humble professional in an industry, serve the most people, and learn about the world around me. My life was struggling for direction until I became active in the sport of volleyball and my religion flourished in the Catholic Church. These structures consume the majority of my service as I feel everyone deserves these opportunities for happiness and acceptance.

In my early childhood years I grew up very poor; eating mostly beans, cornbread, and ramen. I grew up seeing how a lower education can affect your life and your children, that why from a young age I knew I wanted a stable future where I knew my children would be able to have a happy life. And with that goal I knew I would either have to get a higher education, somehow land a well paying job early on, or serve in the military. With the beginning of high school I lost sight of my goal not really thinking

From the time I was in junior high, my grandmother had been telling me about College of the Ozarks and trying to convince me to attend the college. After much consideration, I decided to make College of the Ozarks my top priority when applying to colleges. The atmosphere of the college, the perfect distance from home, and the opportunity to work for my education were all major factors when making this decision. I had attended private Christian schools for most of my life, so the small campus and Christian values of College of the Ozarks appealed to me much more than the chaotic partying ways of a larger university. I knew if I attended College of the Ozarks, many of my classes would be more difficult than at a public university; however, I saw the difficult classes as an opportunity to learn more, which I believed would help me later in life. I also knew the professors at College of the Ozarks would be more caring and more willing to help than those at other colleges.

This is a reflective essay concerning my READ 3423.01 with Dr. Reid in the fall of 2016. As I wrap up my first semester at Texas Women’s University I am awed and thankful. I am the first person in my family to attend University. Some find this surprising because I do come from a family that has done well professionally, but that was due to grit and personalities. The fact is, I was never even spoken to about attending college while I was growing up. I believe this is because no one before me had this experience to share or encourage. The truth is I tried my hardest to not be at school from middle school on, I just wasn’t engaged in the process. Of course, there were a few teachers I connected with, like the business and history teachers, but I hated the rules and structure of the environment. I amazedly graduated with my high school class, as my friends went away to Universities I took some classes at the community college. What I found was that when I got to pick my classes I flourished. Even the classes that others said were too hard to take during summer quarter, I excelled in those as well. As life unfolded I got married, moved out of state and had two daughters. When it was time for my daughters to attend school I was pretty apprehensive about the idea of it. I opened a preschool in a mother-in-law apartment we had on our property and decided they could learn there in a small community. That preschool led to homeschooling, and large educational co-ops. I lived in a

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.

I grew up in a single-parent, low-income home outside of Santa Rosa, California. The idea of college wasn’t introduced to me until long after I had already become just another statistic. I dropped out of high school when I was 17, in the midst of a teenage rebellion, thinking I already knew everything and didn’t need anyone’s help. I left home, got a job at a fast food restaurant, and stayed with friends off and on until I realized that maybe I didn’t know everything quite yet. After a severe reality check, I found a sense of responsibility that encouraged me to get my G.E.D and find a great job. I was very determined to take everything I learned as a child and use it as a what-not-to-do guide. By the time I was 19, I bought my first house and quickly realized I could either set limitations with excuses or achieve goals with endurance. The

Coming from a town where many people do not care about education or do not ever leave, college gave me a chance to further find myself. I have known since I was younger that I loved sports and wanted to work in the medical field. I loved watching and playing sports, and even discussing the statistics and records. As I was growing up, my mother instilled in me the idea that college is one of the utmost important goals that I should have. I have seen the struggle of not having a college degree in nearly every place I looked. I knew that that was not going to be me. I gave every ounce of effort possible all throughout elementary, middle, and high school to be able to get the needed materials to go to college. That is exactly what happened. I regret