My Life 's Path And Choices Essay

Topic (Biographical Essay): We are interested in learning more about you and the context in which you have grown up, formed your aspirations, and accomplished your academic successes. Please describe the factors and challenges that have most shaped your personal life and aspirations. How have these factors helped you to grow?

While living in a first-floor apartment on the South Side of Chicago, Bray was one of most African American children to be raised on welfare. Through much darkness in Bray’s adolescence, her mother was perceived as a symbol of light. Her mother’s nurturing nature, spiritual hymns and voice of reason was a sense of security for Bray. As a family trying to make ends meet, Bray was surrounded by fear and uncertainty. Even the difference of losing a nickel could consume her with “the feeling of terror” as “it was not just the fear of getting a beating for losing the money. It was the anticipation of my mother’s disappointment…” (pg.14). Even desperation consumed a bright girl like Bray to sneak money from carelessly left wallets around school. As a young girl, Bray’s parents wanted to fight back the poverty and ignorant lifestyle that followed them. Bray’s early passion for reading along with her parents strict rules gave her the endurance to succeed. With the acceptance of a scholarship from Yale University, Bray was in the top percent of blacks to have been given this opportunity. The expectation of a family on welfare usually prohibited this sort of positive fortune she received. Yet, Bray demonstrated her achievement of contributing to a cultural understanding to all generations on welfare, that being raised on very little served as no reason to be misheard or misrepresented as a

For generations African Americans have been disadvantaged in America and effects of these injustices have made a lasting impression. Education is one of the leading problems in the black community. Though there have many reforms in education over the years, racial injustices still exist because no attention in placed on how legislature affects people of color. I was raised in a middle-class family of educators. My entire life I’ve been told to “stay in school, get an education, and work hard so that you can beat the system.” Recognizing the structural forces in my life has helped me understand my place in society. Being able to “understand everyday life, not through personal circumstances but through the broader historical forces that

Mama’s harsh upbringing frames her perspective on the world. During Mama’s childhood, she faces a harsh world chock full of microaggressions and racial prejudice alike. Despite all of the factors working negatively in Mama’s favor, she successfully clambered out of her original pit of societal oppression, and instead took residence in a society a tier above that of her upbringing. The cornerstone of Mama’s dream is the concept of a home with a garden, wherein family can grow up and prosper: “Well, I always wanted me a garden like I used to see sometimes at the back of the houses down home. This plant is close as I ever got to having one” (Hansberry, 53). Although this dream might seem meager through a contemporary looking-glass, black people were systematically denied homes prior to and including the mid-nineteenth century, therefore Mama’s dream demonstrates her direct wish to live a life

Blacks in the United States have had to persistently fight against torture, racism, and segregation and still do. For years, in the United States people of color were not given the same rights as white men. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr., “Graduation” by Maya Angelou and “A Homemade Education” by Malcolm X, the authors discuss their experiences and fight against inequality. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Maya Angelou were just a few of the hundreds of thousands of blacks who restlessly fought for civil rights. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Maya Angelou showed that in the face of adversity to persevere you must always remain strong and steadfast if you wish to succeed. Even with Malcolm X and Maya

The life described would be different from one today even if we went back to 1912 when this was written. I would not have had to start working for another family when I was thirteen. Someone else would have nursed my children. To even imagine my life like that makes me heartbroken for those children. In this day and age my check per month is about 60 times what the article’s subject made and I do less than half of what she does. Free will is granted to one today, contrasting with the strict requirements of a Negro of that time. There is no set of obligatory rules that must be kept in today’s

At thirteen years old, Thelma Robinson completed the 8th grade at her former grammar school in the summer of 1942. Although she wanted to continue school after the 8th grade, she was forced to work. As a young black girl living in the Jim Crow South, she was expected to follow her mother’s footsteps and become a maid. There were no other opportunities for black women during those days because segregation and discrimination prevented colored people from achieving anything greater than below average. As a wash maid for a family nine miles away from her grandmother’s home in Linwood, SC. Working along by her side was her mother, Kansas Cole. Thelma’s mother had no education and if so recalled by Thelma “A second grade education.” She was unable to read, but she did attempt to try on Sundays for Bible study. Her low ability to read or write gave her the motivation to push Thelma, so she’d never have to be subjected to a broom or mop. However, she insisted Thelma start to gain work experience, but that’s not all the experience she gained.

My life has been a crazy roller coaster with many events that have affected my life all in different ways. There have been times where my life has been at its highest peak in the world then it falls down, right into a deep valley. From the time my lovable younger sister came into my life to when my grandpa had a near death experience, I have learned many valuable lessons through the rough times as well as the more happy times. When I was a young girl, my mom had always told me the same thing over and over again. I never really thought about how a few words would have a deep effect on me in a short amount of time.

     I can remember as a child always asking myself the “why” questions of life. What is the purpose of life? Why are we here? What is the purpose of life? Why do certain things happen? And is there really a God? I had always kept these questions to myself and eventually pushed them out of my mind altogether. I was raised in a Christian household and you just were not allowed to ask questions of that nature and doubt the faith. The world is the way it is because God made it that way and that is all there is to it. I was really excited to take this class because it would finally give me the opportunity to exercise my personal thoughts and beliefs. I have come to agree with Socrates that “the unexamined life is not

I never really thought about where my life was going. I always believed life took me where I wanted to go, I never thought that I was the one who took myself were I wanted to go. Once I entered high school I changed the way I thought. This is why I chose to go to college. I believe that college will give me the keys to unlock the doors of life. This way I can choose for myself where I go instead of someone choosing for me.

As a very small child I don’t remember too much, but the things that I do remember were seen through a child’s eyes that has made me the person that I am today and I will always have those memory’s with me until my last breath on this earth. In this essay I intend to show how my childhood and adult life to this point has influenced my life, my journey. By utilizing the adult development theories from this class I also intend on showing how they relate to my Life experiences and where I am today as an Adult student.

I can remember as a child always asking myself the "why" questions of life. Why are we here? What is the purpose of life? Why do certain things happen? And is there really a God? I had always kept these questions to myself and eventually pushed them out of my mind altogether. I was raised in a Christian household and you just were not allowed to ask questions of that nature and doubt the faith. The world is the way it is because God made it that way and that is all there is to it. I was really excited to take this class because it would finally give me the opportunity to exercise my personal thoughts and beliefs. I have come to agree with Socrates that "the unexamined life is not worth living." In my opinion life is a combination of

One's dream and aspirations to supersede in life must be stronger and greater than limitations set forth by others. The experience that were bestowed to me during my short life has elevated me to the woman I am today. Please walk with me as I give you the opportunity to see the world from my eyes:

My choices in life were made by myself, and I believe that we can make our own decisions. The reason why I think like that is that I was taught the way, and it is also thanks to my family who encourage me to make my own decisions. Thus, I am so grateful to my family for all of its support and for teaching me to believe in myself. Additionally, I have to express my love for my teacher of high school. She was so nice to my whole class indeed she always encouraged us to make our own choice in everything. Also, I believe it is most important in life is to always try to follow your intuitions and everything is going to be fine. So, when I am going to face a decision, I always say to myself; I have to do it no one can make a decision for me, and even if I am going to deviate from the right path, I will never stray from what my heart has decided.

This explains the beginning of my life all the way to the end of my life. My life from the beginning was very fun as I grew up living with my mom’s friend and my friend. But there were a lot of fights and I was very hyper back then. I have ADHD so back then when I was little; I was very hyper and wouldn't stop moving around the place. I always was annoying back then and never seemed to get my homework done at school.