My College Admissions Essay: My Journey To Further My Education

Throughout our lives, we make choices and decisions that change our lives and others in positive and/or negative ways. It is these decisions that determine how we will be remembered, our legacy. When I graduate high school, I want to be remembered by the qualities that define me as a person and the good I’ve done for others. Throughout the years, I’ve been often been described by my family and friends as bold, confident, outgoing, and hardworking. Not only are these characteristics important to me, but they are important to my family, as they want to leave a legacy in the name of our family. The qualities I have exhibited are the same qualities past family members have shown and are remembered for. Through always putting out my best effort when it comes to work and school, I have shown my dedication and discipline. Through doing what I can to help others, I have displayed my commitment to world peace, the betterment of the world as a whole, and the yearning to make a difference in someone’s life other than my

My parents used their troubled backgrounds as a way to push me towards academia. “Go to school so you can become a doctor and support us,” my family would pester. I thus considered school a boring platform that people were forced to endure through in order

I chose Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, because designing, creating, and problem solving are things that I enjoy and engineering provides all of that.

My parents think of themselves as primarily self-sufficient. Because of this, we live on the peak of a hill in the middle of nowhere, far away from the hustle and bustle of our old home in the city. Although this is their ideal life, they realized that it may prevent me from expanding my own horizons. They have always encouraged me to follow my interests, even when it meant moving away from home at sixteen to go to college. Throughout my entire childhood, they have done everything in their power to ensure that I am prepared for the future. I believe that my parents have crafted me into a well-rounded individual by proving to me that any person can define their own version of success.

Former baseball player Tommy Lasorda once said, “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.” The journey of our life is full of winding paths and concrete obstacles whose sole goal is to slow us down, and to attempt to block us from reaching our ultimate goal in life, whatever that may be. These barriers are there for several different reasons, whether it be mental or physical. Sometimes these obstacles are motivated by fear, other times they exist simply because we have to make a decision, and that decision can be life changing. But through our determination, and through our perseverance, we can achieve what these barriers told us was impossible, and can pursue the path in our life that leads us to our ultimate self. Throughout my life, I have had thousands of barriers stand in my path. And the only way I was able to defeat them was through conquering my fears, and breaking my limits in order to achieve excellence.

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.

My parents grew up in families with little parental direction. Attending school, overcoming adversity, getting a job and becoming successful were up to their own making. Although my parents did not go to college, they took advantage of other opportunities to better their lives so that my siblings and I would be able to attend universities. They worked hard to get jobs even without college degrees, and then worked harder to maintain those jobs; subsequently, this furthered their positions in their workplaces. By setting an example of making the most of what life has to offer, they influenced me to seize every opportunity that crosses my path. Going to college was not an opportunity my parents could take advantage of, but it is one that I can.

I come from a household of three: my mother, my father, and I. Both of my parents graduated from high school. My mother was only able to complete her first year of college in the Dominican Republic before she moved to the United States with my father. She, like me, was also studying psychology. Even though both have only finished their high school, my parents have always seen the value of education, especially my mother. From my childhood to my adult years, my parents have encouraged me to do my best in school because they believed education was the best way to succeed in life.

I am a first-generation, Chicano and will soon finish my last semester before I transfer to a four year university in the upcoming fall. Coming from a first-generation household, I have had to overcome many obstacles to be in the position that I am now in. Community college has been a valuable resource that has allowed me to pursue an amazing education at a low price which has eased the burden of high tuition on my parents. Sometimes it is the cost of education that impedes those that seek it and scholarships are one avenue in which they become easier to travel down the path to success. Coming out of Gilroy High School years ago, I was unsure of what I wanted to major in and devote myself to but I had the amazing opportunity of enrolling in University of California, Merced.

"Education is the key to success" my father always said. This is a motivational quote that will always stick with me because of the impact it has made in my life. Even before my school days I watched my parents whip my siblings into shape to push them to succeed beyond expectations. My siblings worked exceptionally hard in school which paid off when they received awards and recognition. This pushed me to follow in their footsteps and lead me to do well in school and to have a driven mindset. Being a very humble person, I always had friends of different upbringings and futures. Good companions of mine who went to school and did well tend to be better off financially and emotionally. Seeing others progress always and still does makes me want to do well in every educational aspect I am in. I insist on seeing all the work I have put in and will continue to put in pay off. When I use this drive of education to complete college I wish to find the job of my

Education never interested me. My parents weren't bothered if I wasn't into school. As long I got a "C or D" I was safe. It wasn't till I got accepted into the ACE program at Gateway Community College that I started to value my education. This program allowed me to attend Community College while in high school. I grew strict towards my education meaning I no longer just aimed to pass. As I changed my attitude towards my education my parents did the same thing. They no longer tolerated "C's or D's". I noticed once I started to root for myself I seemed to gain support from my peers, teachers and most importantly my parents. Ever since that change multiple doors of opportunities have opened. Of course the journey I took to change my attitude wasn't

Many people, since I was little, pressured me into going to college. My parents didn't mind what I decided, all that mattered is what makes me happy. They would support me no matter what my heart decided to do. Over the years family members tried to persuade me into believing that without a college degree you'll never become successful. To them, college had to be a part of my future which I think is the main reason I decided that college would be for me. Ever since I was told that I started to disagree and pushed myself to realize that I wanted to prove them wrong. I can do anything I want and accomplish any goals I have as long as I set my mind to it. College isn't the only way to become successful, working can get you places you never thought possible.

I have goals as to why I want to further my education. I have been accepted to the University of Central Florida, where I plan on attending. I would like to study religion, go on to graduate school, and become a college professor. I had plenty of mountains to climb to get to where I am now. However, a plethora of opportunities helped me to climb those mountains.

The pursuit of attending college has been a personal desire and goal for as long as I can remember. While maintaining a rigorous academic course load, I also had a passion for excelling in my music endeavors. My superior GPA and yearly testing scores broadened my career choices but made it difficult to discern whether I wanted to pursue something in the field of medicine, education, or music. The academics, experiences, and activities that I have been involved with throughout my life, definitely have shaped and encouraged me to think deeper about what it is that I would truly love to excel in on the college level and pursue as a life-long career.

What has my journey to graduation been like for me? My journey has been a crazy, fun-filled learning adventure. I met many goals and accomplishments I set for myself but I also faced some challenges on the way. For example, I finally met my goal of graduating with a 4.6 GPA and maintaining it. Also, I accomplished completing my last four years of grade school and now I am on the way to college. My last year has been interesting and there are many goals, accomplishments and challenges I can reflect on.