The Grey Area Narrative

Ever since graduating high school many career plans have run through my mind, many of them have been careers that are high risk, high reward type of jobs. I remember one of my teachers in high school saying that students graduating from high school and entering college at the age of 18 are too young to really know what they want to do with their lives, at that time I thought I had my life figured out, but now that I am

After barely graduating in the spring of 2017 from Lopez Early College High School, I went straight to my parent’s house not knowing exactly what I was going to do with my life. I knew I had ruined my life after not paying attention to my teachers and counselors about applying to colleges. They said I was a wonderful and intelligent student with a tremendous capacity of succeeding in life. Although everybody thought that about me, I never did. I was constantly under pressure thinking that I had to work in order to support my family economically, so our house was saved. I was also worried about whether my parents were getting divorced after every insignificant argument they had. I had to be an excellent example for my two younger siblings; but even though I tried my best, I never was.

As a student who is not nearly at the precipice of adulthood, it is very challenging to lay down future plans that eventually, will dictate a crucial segment of your life. I, for one, not only speak for myself but for other students as well. Students like myself are quite dilatory when it comes to adhering to a respective future plan. Until the summer before my senior year, I was utterly indecisive about what career to pursue in college. During that

Nine years ago, I never could have imagined I’d be writing this essay. I was a senior in high school, and, like the rest of my classmates, I was apprehensive about the future. Unlike my classmates, I felt like I had missed the proverbial “you need to get your life together” message. I watched my classmates apply to colleges, their majors already decided and their future careers mapped out. While I was an above average student, I felt I lacked the decisiveness my classmates seemed to have. I did not feel passionate about a career or even a field of study. I felt defective. This was compounded by the financial strain I knew attending college would have on my family. It seemed wasteful to try to “find my passion” at school while squandering

Although my life is not like those of a typical teenager’s, I am and will be forever grateful for all that my parents had provided me. For providing me with love and care, for raising me to become a disciplined individual, for providing me with the inspiration that I need when I fail at times, and most importantly, for finding the courage to send me off to college even without the full financial ability to. I am proud of my international background, of my parents, of my heritage and myself for finding the courage

When I graduated high school I had no idea what I wanted to do, all I knew is I was done with public school and could live my life as what I thought an adult was. My father and most of my family believed it was important for me to go to college, and get a kick start with my life. Though they weren’t wrong, I had no idea what I wanted to do and no discipline to do my studies to the full extent of my abilities.

It seemed like a normal day at the time, the sun was shining, the waves crashed on the shore, steady and reassuring. I did a lot of thinking that day. I thought of my future, of what I wanted to accomplish in life.Only now I realize that it wasn’t a normal day at all. It was the day I decided to graduate early.

Some people grow up knowing exactly what they want to do; I, on the other hand, do not know exactly what career path I am going to take, but I have learned that is okay. I went through most of high school presuming that I had to have my life planned out by my senior year and I recently realized that was an unrealistic expectation to put on myself.

When I was in middle high school, I wasn’t like any other kids my age I knew. It seemed like all the kids new what they wanted to do in life. Most of my classmates had a mindset that they were going to college, but I was focused more on graduating middle school so that I can make it to high school. By the time I made it to high school, there was more pressure on me to think about going to college. My parents wanted me to further my education. My mother asked me if I was thinking about college yet. At that point, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I was confused so I

The time to walk across the stage and receive my diploma had come. I was nervous once we entered Silke Field. (Silke Field was Springfield's football stadium and also where we were going to have our graduation ceremony). Our principal and a couple of fellow students gave a speech. During the speech students would inflate a beach ball and throw it in the air, sort of like a “prank”. I could see the beach balls flying in the air and was happy when it blocked the sunlight from my face. The sun was coming to a sunset and it filled the entire sky with deep colors of rubies. Once the speech concluded, it was time to receive our diplomas. My row stood up and waited to be called individually to get our diplomas. “Hipolito Alvarado” was called, I was so nervous. Every noise turned silent as if someone had pushed the mute button on the remote. I received my diploma and returned to my seat. This moment felt surreal. I had completed my first goal of many in

There were at least one-hundred students standing in front of me. We were waiting for the same thing, to be able to walk across that stage and call ourselves high school graduates. For four years, I had walked down the same dimly lit hallway with the thought of this moment in my head and now the day had finally arrived. It was June 4th and here I was standing in the gymnasium corridors of Los Angeles Community College ready to become my own person, not just some frumpy high schooler.

I stared out the window, squinting as the rays of sun hit everything in their reach, burning into my eyes. I usually enjoyed the soothing warmth that the sun's rays emitted, but today was different. Today, my mom was driving me to high school...Johnson High School, for my first day as a freshmen. At the corner of my eyes, I saw a bruised, grayish-looking cloud, even the sun’s radiant light couldn't reach it. I couldn't help but think how me and that worn out cloud were so similar; dull and lonely. Geez, I definitely was going to be lonely. As we neared the school, I could feel my mom's eyes imprint into me as she stared at me. "Sahar", her voice spelled out concern. I knew she just wanted me to say that I was happy and excited, but she knew

At the end of my Junior year, I watched all of my older friends work on scholarships and prepare for graduation. Everyone seemed to know what they wanted to go to school for, and what they wanted to do after they graduated. While watching them, I began to reflect on the past school year, thinking back to the first week of school sitting in the locker room talking to to my friends about how we are ready to be seniors and figure out what we want to do with our lives. But, listening to all the seniors talking about their majors and schools, I began to feel nauseous. I had no clue what I wanted to do after high school. Was I supposed to have that figured out already? I then began to have questions thrown at me left and right throughout the summer.

From the start, I knew that going to college was essential. Constantly, my parents would express to me the importance of getting a college education along with asking me what I wanted to do with my future or what it was I wanted to major in. At first, these questions frightened me. I had no idea what type of school or career I wanted to go into. All the different paths they would suggest to me never sparked my interest. All I knew is that I was interested in fashion. I loved the industry and felt like I could use this passion I have in a career. However, I was still unclear about what I could do with this or what type of path I wanted to take. With this confusion, I knew it was important for me to start exploring more about myself.

Graduation is an exciting time in a person’s life, especially a high school graduation. When I think of family and friends gathering together to celebrate a joyous occasion, I feel I accomplished my strongest goal. It never occurred to me that graduation would be the end of my youth and the start of adulthood. Graduating from high school was an influential event that gave me an altered outlook on my existence. Life before graduation, preparing for graduation day, and commencement day overwhelmed me for reality.