I am a Mayan adoptee from Guatemala. I am proud of who I am and where I came from but my family means everything to me. I was born in a little village in a third world country where children, especially girls did not complete their education higher than 8th grade. Instead of math and science those children worked in fields, sold their wears on the streets or lived in hovels. I will be a first generation college student and the pride that fills me knowing I worked hard for my entire school career is overwhelming. I have always been the one to push myself when it came to my grades in school. My parents told me that as long as I tried my hardest that was better than not trying at all. Personally I took that as if I am not giving all of myself to the assignment or the class then it was not enough. I am what you would call a perfectionist who is her own worst critic. Everyone has faults and that is mine. And because of that “fault” I can proudly say I graduated in the top 15% of my class. I know that my “fault” will help me in college and then in my future career also. I will be studying to become a nurse, a pediatric oncology nurse to be exact. As long as I can remember my parents have made sure I know who I am and where my roots come from. I have known from a very early age that I am adopted from Guatemala. They made sure that Guatemalan traditions have been incorporated into our lives and now not only do I have the memories but so do my siblings. Traditions like tamales on Christmas Eve, jade jewelry given to girls on their 15th birthday are just to name a few. I want to thank you for your time, reading this short essay about me gives you just a small glimpse of who I am and where I come from. One last thing I want you to know about me is like many others I have worked very hard for my grades but I have done so because eventually I want to be able to give back to children who are living in poverty the way I was before I came to the United States. I want to not only care for the children here but be able to make contributions to organizations in third world countries.