In recent years, my father, a person whom I look up to the most, was at risk of deportation. He was detained and incarcerated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Because of this, I became unmotivated and started to lose interest in education. My grades quickly went from straight A’s to C’s and F’s. My determination and strive to learn and expand my knowledge seemed like it had vanished forever. After a few weeks of this ongoing little to no desire to learn, I became frustrated and angry. Somewhere along the way, I realized that I needed to morph this devastation into motivation. Through this very experience, I began to change my mindset and I discovered new ways of learning that I thoroughly enjoyed. In my first attempt to enjoy learning again, I started looking for reading material on subjects I was interested in such as psychology. I began reading about experiments and their significant contributions to psychology. From here I became fascinated with psychology and how the mind works. This helped me become more motivated and focused on school. In school, math has always been a subject that I enjoy. After my father’s incarceration, I became distracted during math class. However, I attempted day after day to overcome my mental obstacles in order to feel that sense of enjoyment again. After a few days of doing so, I became more focused in class and I was finally able to fulfill my desire to enjoy learning math again. With my own attempts to bring my grades up and enjoy school, I came across the educational program; Upward Bound Math and Science (TRIO) and I did not hesitate to apply. The opportunities that I was presented with through this program further helped me regain my passion for learning. I was surrounded by other individuals who enjoyed learning and had high educational goals for themselves. This helped me stay focused and motivated to achieve what I desired. After a few months in this program and regaining my passion for learning, I set a goal for myself; to be successful in my classes and to eventually get accepted into my dream university, UCLA. After making this goal for myself, I began applying myself in school. I have been taking AP and college courses during high school that allow me to challenge myself and feel the satisfaction of doing so. I also began participating more in extra curricular activities so I can have a balance between school and fun. Overall, my efforts on overcoming this hardship have allowed me to enjoy education and high school. The very cause for my educational barrier turned into my prime motivation to strive for educational success. I am currently at the top of my class and excelling in academics, and I plan to continue as I enter college. I have also recently been notified that I have been accepted into UCLA. I am eternally proud that I was able to turn my greatest weakness into my greatest strength. This situation has undoubtedly turned me into the best version of myself.