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Overcoming Diversity

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Challenges are an inevitable part of life. What defines a person’s character is not the magnitude of the challenges he has faced, but rather how he overcame them. Various kinds of challenges I have been facing since I was a kid, have made me a stronger person. Overcoming them successfully each time has molded me into making who I am today. My experiences with some overwhelming odds have allowed me to redefine diversity in a unique way.

Growing up in a wealthy suburban area with a majority of population being Caucasian, it was difficult to experience racial diversity. However, the lack of college education for my parents’ presented me with a major challenge. Due to my parents’ low paying jobs, we were a lower-middle class family and lived …show more content…

I had to undergo a screening which concluded that I had a learning disability. From that day on, I could not take Spanish or any other classes that I enjoyed instead I had to go to Resources Class for extra help on homework. I was very young, did not really know what was going on, so getting isolated from my friends was not an easy situation for me to deal with. In freshman year of my high school, I was put into transitional courses, one step below the regular level classes. I was not happy about the situation as I knew I was better than that. People taking a jibe at me and doubting my abilities whenever I would do well on made the situation worse. Instead of letting these issues affect me negatively, I used those as a fuel. I wanted to prove to everyone that I could compete with the kids in regular courses. I started working hard and limited my leisure activities. My hard work paid off. At the end of the first semester of freshman year, I ended up with straight A’s. My progress convinced my teachers and school officials that I could take regular classes. This was a huge confidence booster for me. However, it also presented me with a new challenge: excelling in regular level classes and proving that I can compete with anyone. I started working even harder, read tons of books to help me comprehend the language better, and …show more content…

The college town consisted people of all ethnicities, races, and socioeconomic statuses. I no longer had to worry about fitting in with the rich or worrying about people questioning my abilities. For the first time in many years, I was able to express myself and be the individual that I am. However, college offered me another challenge to deal with. Being away from home for the first time and having easy access to food, freshman year was one of my toughest years. I gained thirty-five pounds that year. I did not feel myself. I was not happy or healthy. Things were about to go to down-spiral again as it brought up all the negative memories and emotions I had dealt with while struggling with the learning disability. However, I was determined that I would not let myself down again. It was up to me to take action and I did by forcing myself to work out every day and eating healthy. Using my willpower, I lost forty pounds. What makes this story so unique and noteworthy was the way people reacted towards me. They treated me with more respect, approached me more, and most importantly for the first time in my life, I was a role-model for many people as they were looking up to me to make a change in their lives. This was momentous in my life as not only had I proved that I could overcome odds, compete with people, but could also serve as a

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