Civil engineering, to me , means the undertaking of the construction of a building which includes, geomatics, structures, hydrology , and environment. Civil engineering is an important field of study due to the impact it has on human life. Everyone’s daily life is impacted by civil engineering. Any building or structure that someone lives, works, or uses was affected by a civil engineer. As long as man exists, then civil engineers will forever be needed. Civil Engineering holds a deep importance in my heart. From a young age. My father taught me the value of Civil Engineering. Growing up, my father was a handyman and had taken on several construction projects around the house. The one that holds the most significance was the guest house my father built. At the time I was 12 years old. The air had a stench of concrete and sawdust. As I am heading to the backyard, I pass through a clumsy mess of open concrete bags and power tools. I saw my father and my uncle who were putting down the foundation for the guest house. Hastily, I run to my father who tells me to grab the rusty shovel and to start shoveling in the concrete in the blue wheelbarrow. I grasp the shovel with my bare hands and scoop the chunky gray concrete mix. As I am shoveling, my father and uncle use a 2x4 to level out the concrete. After several hours of shoveling, I am finally able to stop. My hands are aching with blisters and my back is in agony but the result will make it all the more worth it. Then, my father then places the wood beams into the metal foundation beam holders. Each day, we are able to complete one more missing part of the guest house. Over the course of a month, I was given the opportunity to watch a small plot of land become an architectural masterpiece. Based on my personal experience, Civil engineering has directly impacted the way I perceive the world. I walk through the world looking at buildings and wonder about the materials and the time as well as the engineers that were involved in the construction of each building. . A challenge I have faced in my pursuit of becoming a civil engineer is finances. Being a first generation college student, has meant I must find ways to fund my college education. I am currently attending UC Merced and it is a school that I truly enjoy. Although I enjoy the school, it is often the fact that I lack financial aid to pay for my school. So to overcome this challenge, I have been applying for scholarships and working a part time job to pay off my tuition. I also have had to overcome the challenge of a lack of support from my father. My father spent my entire senior year convincing me to stay home and work for him and go to a community college. He told me that I could never be anything on my own let alone a civil engineer. His words motivated me to find a way to go to a great school. With my determination, I was able to apply to UC Merced and get a job on campus. I have been trying to build myself up from the ground up because going back home is not an option. My plan is to network at Merced and meet more like minded people who want success for me. During my first semester, I have met professors who have helped me excel my academic career. I also have met friends who believe in me and want me to succeed. I would like to become the first civil engineer in my family and make it possible for the next generation to be able to become engineers. For me, it feels impossible to be a civil engineer which is why I find people who help me become one. I know the day will come when I will be able to help my future family with college advice. I want to make becoming an engineer not just a dream but a reality for those who want to become one in my family. I want to be the first to have a bachelor's degree in my family and to make my family proud. This is my plan.

Fight Club is a book that I am quite fond of. It holds a deep place in my heart for several reasons. The book goes in-depth with problems in society that affect everyone. Every day can become tedious with repetitive tasks. People search for happiness in a sea of useless shopping. Often working every day to buy junk that they don't need. Fight Club goes over this topic and how we often get caught in a loop. The book inspires us to break out of the cycle of monotony through drastic measures. Though you may not have to do such a thing it is a valuable lesson to learn. Also, the book's take on masculinity intrigues me. People often go to the gym to work out and create a facade to present themselves as a man. Yet they fail to find the real definition of a man or life. The book defines living as being able to be broken down. Breaking yourself down to your lowest point is a way to self-improve. I believe in the idea of hitting the lowest point is good because the only way to go is up. Also, people need guidance in finding who they really are. Testing your metal, not by fighting but rather through something challenging is crucial. Every trial and tribulation will define who you really are. I also enjoy the book's concept of role models. By having a role model, you are able to live the life you truly deserve. The book focuses on the simple pleasures in life that are taken for granted. Things such as nature and real-world objects are often an afterthought in society. Fight Club is a book that has guided me through troubling times. I have gained vast knowledge and inspiration from the book such as creating my very own soap. Overall, Fight Club is a classic that I will forever cherish in my heart and I recommend that the world read it at least once but then again we don't talk about Fight Club.

Raising me were two immigrant parents who came from an impoverished background. Due to these circumstances, I had to learn to thrive against all odds. At a young age, I learned that my family struggled to make ends meet. I recall one memory when I was 6 years old and one night stuck with me. As I awoke from a restless night, greeting me is a six-legged monster. I leaped out of my Winnie the Pooh blanket. and swat everything in my vicinity. This horrid monster is not alone. Then all its companions scatter like little bandits. I mustered the courage to stand . Then, I made a run for it and headed to the bathroom. Turning on the lights, greeting me are the glistening coffee bean-like creatures. The waving antennas and flapping of wings leave me in awe. After I go through every room I realize no matter where I go they follow. So, deciding on what I should do, I head back to the floor. The crusty bottom is an unforgiving wasteland. It is riddled with other grotesque monsters.I am staring at the VCR & realize that school starts in only a few hours. Coming to the realization, I must deal with the grimy floor. Freaky monsters lurking through every corner so, I cover myself with my blanket. Restlessness in the morning follows as always. Through my experience, I learned to push beyond my problems in the present. Rather than dwelling on my problems, I would rather spend my time moving forward. I try to find a solution for the future and try not to repeat mistakes. I learned the importance of family. Throughout my childhood, I was able to learn why family comes first. Every hardship I have dealt with, I never dealt with it alone. I always had my family there to help. Another challenge in my life was having to help provide for my younger sister. The money I would earn through days of hard work would often be spent on food and clothes for my younger sister. After a hard day of delivering chairs and tables, I would take my sister to get some fast food. Seeing her smile when I would buy food would motivate me to work harder than ever. I would often have to take the role of both my father and mother for my sister. Both my parents were often not home and working to provide for our family. Helping my sister taught me the value of friendship. She helps me learn how to love someone unconditionally and to be pure of heart. She also gives me the motivation to become successful. I want to never have to deal with these hardships again. My ultimate goal in life is to create a successful life. I have not had the easiest start to life but I do not let this hold me down. I have taken many steps in order to set myself up for prosperity. I have taken aggressive courses in recent years to help increase my knowledge. I have come to the understanding that knowledge is power and I want to obtain as much knowledge as possible. These hardships have helped me become a better person.

Being unique can be subjective. Uniqueness is also hard to find as people try so hard to fit in and only a small percentage of people are unique. I believe I am part of this percentage. Motivation is something that courses through my veins. I am motivated for several reasons. For example, my parents are both immigrants and came from poor backgrounds. These circumstances have forced me to mature at a young age. I had to work at the age of ten with my father. My father owns a family business, so I had to help him provide for the family. During the school week, I had to come home from school and head straight to work. Days were often long and difficult. My father's business consisted of canopies, towings, chairs and table rentals. Though the days were long, I got to spend time with my family. Working with my family was fun because they always motivated me to push myself. When I would get some money for work it went back to my family. One day, I was driving home with my kid sister after delivering a jumper and chairs. On the way back home, I knew that my sister had worked hard today. So I wanted to reward her by getting her some food. She was sleeping so I decided to make a quick stop. So, I pulled into a Carl's Jr drive-thru. I shook her awake and asked what she wanted. She was dumbfounded as to what I was asking her. So I ordered first and then she ordered. After paying for our food and getting it, we headed home. She was happy with her kid's meal and I felt content seeing her smile. Overall, the family business helped shape me into a hard worker and a caring person. Also, the business taught me the value of hard work. I learn to pay for my things and not depend on people for everything. More so on motivation, I am determined to have a successful future due to the past. My family has struggled with financial issues and I want to help put an end to that. I want to be able to help get my family out of poverty. To accomplish this, I must go to college. After college, I will receive my degree in civil engineering through vigorous courses. Out of college, I will create my very own business. I plan on starting at home and will start with heavy machinery rentals. Then I will get employed at a company. After a few years, when my rentals pick up and I become a more experienced engineer I will take my business to the next level. Then after developing my business, I will be able to hire employees and create jobs for people. During this endeavor, I plan on giving some of my paychecks to a church. Then after my business is successful, I plan to create a scholarship. This scholarship will be for young, Hispanic, and low-income students. I understand the struggle that comes with pursuing higher education. So, I will help ease the financial stress of students.

I am most excited about what knowledge I can obtain. I have taken a few college courses during my high school career. I learn the importance of college and how it can benefit me. The complexity of college intrigues me for it pushes my wits to the edge. I often struggled in college and had to have my brother help me out. Though I was being challenged, I got the hang of it. I ended up enjoying college and I truly enjoy a challenge. I also look forward to taking more difficult classes such as Calculus 2 and physics. Also, I look forward to meeting new people. I am a very social person and I yearn to meet and make new friends. I also want to make connections with important people for my career. I also want to meet people who have more knowledge than me. I strive to not be the smartest in the room and surround myself with intelligent people. These people will be able to teach more than I know. They may also mentor me and help me start my career or help give me a job in the future. I look forward to graduating and becoming a civil engineer. This is where all the connections will come into effect. On another note, I maintain a healthy mind, body, and soul in several ways. The main way I maintain my body is through weight conditioning and sports. In an average week, I lift 4-5 times a week for about one to two hours a day. Sports, I enjoy playing soccer and basketball but also enjoy every sport. I often play soccer with my family and compete with the most aggression possible. By competing, I can rid myself of all of my stress. I can rid myself of stress by hanging out with my girlfriend. She gives me a sense of relief whenever I am with her. She has helped me through my worst moments and she means the world to me. She is the reason why I have gotten into painting which is one way I help my soul. I enjoy painting with my girlfriend and though I am not the best painter, I still try. I also help maintain my body by eating somewhat healthily. I enjoy cooking, so every day I make myself a nice home-cooked meal. Cooking is another passion of mine that helps me relieve my stress. I have been cooking for several years and I enjoy every moment of it. I also have fun cooking for my entire family and get excited to see how they will react to my cooking.

As a child, I grew up seeing my grandmother every day. My grandmother was a fantastic woman. She didn't always have the most money and was an undocumented immigrant. Besides these facts, she always was able to provide me with a birthday gift every year. She would always give me small gifts such as cologne or a shirt but this meant the world to me. Sadly she decided to return to Mexico because none of my family wanted to take care of her. After a few years, she contracted covid and passed away at 74 years old. When she passed away, I felt numb. My brain felt void of emotion and kept going on with my day. I had no sense of feeling and felt as if she was still alive in Mexico. I am yet ever to have closure because I did not attend her funeral. Her passing taught me something valuable. I shall not make the same mistake my mom, uncles, and aunts did which was not value and care for their parents well being. I realized with her passing that my parents may someday face the same situation but I will not let them go alone. I love my parents with all my heart and I promise to take care of them when they can no longer take care of themselves. I also learn to cherish the moments I have with my family. I knew from a young age that death can come abruptly and strike down in an instant like lightning. This has given me an odd sense of happiness. I know that every day could be my last but that does not mean I shouldn't live it to the fullest. I strive every day to make the most of it and plan on creating a future for the next generation. I may have not had the best start as a kid, dealing with poverty but that can't stop me. I want the best for my kids and I will do everything in my power to also help my family. I am currently a senior in high school but I am not relaxing. I have bumped up my curriculum by taking more aggressive AP courses. I plan to become a civil engineer in the future. After I get my degree, I will create a business from home. I want to eventually grow this business into an LLC. Then I will start my very own heavy machinery rentals and construction company. I will create a better future for everyone who is by my side.

Calculus is crucial to the STEM field for several reasons. One such reason is the critical thinking that is involved in Calculus. For example. Calculus allows engineers to make important decisions. Engineers often have to make important decisions that require critical thinking. I also believe the fact that math is the key fundamental to STEM. Math helps to find patterns in the STEM field. This allows for the drafting of new technology and real-world applications. After drafting, you can create prototypes and models of new tech. All of this new tech is derived from calculus. Another application that calculus has in the STEM field is civil engineering. Civil engineers must take into account every factor in the construction of a building. For example, when constructing a new bridge you must calculate three structural elements. These elements consist of beams, tension, and compression elements. By using calculus, you can take into factor weight load. The weight load may consist of pedestrians crossing a said bridge and the weight of cars. Before the bridge can bear weight, its structural integrity must be excellent. This is where calculus comes into play. With calculus, you can calculate the maximum weight load a certain material can take. You also need to find the right material which could be found using math. When factoring in tension, some materials such as concrete have low tensile strength. So you would need to account for this when creating a bridge. You also need to do several tests on the bridge. If your bridge does not meet its requirements you may need to revise your calculations and also need to adjust materials. Another way that Calculus is important for STEM is in aeronautical engineering. For an aeronautical engineer, you will need to take in several factors before testing. So you would have to calculate trajectory using angles and calculus. You will take into the fact of the draft and also the weight. Every factor is crucial and must be calculated down to the finest detail. With materials, you will need to find which material is best suited for flight. Several tests for the aerodynamics of every material with the use of Calculus. Then you would have to draft the frame of each flight vehicle. Then after drafting comes assembly and production. Every aspect of building a plane requires calculus from machines that require programming to the material needed. Calculus affects every aspect of engineering and STEM.

STEM has interested me since a young age. My father is a mechanic and seeing him work intrigued me. So, there would be days when I would go to a wrecking yard and help him out. At the wrecking yard, we would remove engines and other parts. Then we would take these parts to repair cars. My father also showed me the intricacy of building homes. He built small shed-like homes by hand. I took part in the construction and I watched a plot of land become a home. I learned quickly that a lot of work goes into building homes. Much inspiration comes from my father and this is why I want to pursue civil engineering. I am also inspired by the engineering program at my high school. I learned some valuable skills such as drafting. I also learned how to use 3D designing and printing. I plan on pursuing civil engineering to be able to create my own business. I want to create a business that involves the construction and transportation of materials. Preferably, I would like to also have heavy machinery rentals as well. I am under the impression that if I create a business then I will be able to create more jobs for people. I also plan on using some of the money I get from my business to help fund tuition for underprivileged students. At first, I was not very fond of math because I was not the best at math. It wasn't until high school that I realized that I should take math more seriously. Math started clicking with me with ease and I decided to pursue more challenging courses. I am a firm believer in the idea that knowledge is power and that the minute you stop learning you start dying. I want to obtain as much knowledge as possible for my future. This is why I plan on going to a university and gaining as much information as possible. I have not read many books on STEM subjects except on engineers. These books also inspired me on how great one person can be. That they could be able to create something bigger than themselves. I also plan on helping my family out of poverty. My family has supported me throughout my life and believes in me. I know that I have the potential to do great things and so I know that my family deserves it. They deserve a better and brighter future and I may be able to help the next generation never suffer the woes I endured.

Closed mouths don’t get fed. From a young age, I learned this lesson from my brother. My brother decided that it was important to learn financial and business skills. So he gave me the idea that I should make my own lemonade stand. So my brother took me to the store and helped pay for my ingredients. Then he bought me a notebook and told me that the notebook is crucial. So, after getting all the ingredients and coming home I made my very first batch of lemonade. Soon enough I was off to the park I lived next to. It was a scorching hot summer and the conditions were perfect for cold drinks. So I asked my brother to carry a table out to the park. He would only do it for some money. So I gave him a few dollars to convince him. So after setting up, business is going pretty slow. I am trembling at the thought of talking to people who are passing by. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that my business is going to crumble if I don’t do something. So, a guy and his family walked near my lemonade stand and I asked if they would like some lemonade and chips for a dollar. The guy walks up to me and starts buying drinks for his entire family. After an exchange of goods, I am left with my very first 10-dollar bill. Soon enough, I get more sales back to back. I had so many sales that I had to get an assistant. So then I hired my little sister to help me cover orders. After a long day of sales, my day was not over. My brother sat me down and grabbed his notebook. He explained to me how to get total sales and subtract it by cost of ingredients to get profits. From a young age I learned the importance of money. The skills I learned from the lemonade stand have changed my life. I have learned how to be able to manage a business. I also learn how to manage money.I have also had experience working in a family business. Helping my father run his business, he taught me the ropes of the business. There are times where he leaves on vacation and I have to take control over the business. In the near future I plan on creating my very own business. I will use all the experience I have to create a construction company. This company will handle the entire creation of new homes. I will also handle rentals of heavy machinery.

I am an extrovert and this is a skill that I value most. From a young age, I learned this lesson from my brother when I was ten years old. It was that closed mouths don’t get fed. My brother decided that it was detrimental to my growth to learn social and business skills. So he pitched me the idea that I should create a lemonade stand. So my brother took me to the store and he bought me chips and ingredients for lemonade. So, after getting all the ingredients and coming home I made my very first batch of lemonade. Soon enough I was off to the park I lived next to. It was a scorching hot summer which is a perfect condition to sell cold beverages. After convincing my other older brother to carry a table for me, I set up my lemonade stand. Business is going pretty slow. I am trembling at the thought of talking to people who are passing by. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that my business is going to crumble if I don’t do something. So, a guy and his family walked near my lemonade stand and I asked if they would like some lemonade and chips for a dollar. The guy walks up to me and starts buying drinks for his entire family. After an exchange of goods, I am left with my very first 10-dollar bill. Due to my social skills, I was able to make my business thrive with one decision. I soon realized that socializing is a fundamental skill in society. In high school, I am able to create so many new and long-lasting friendships due to my ecstatic personality. Extrovertness has also helped me in my love life. For example, my first girlfriend was attracted by my outgoing personality. I often made jokes in class and listened to other people's thoughts and ideas. Being extroverted has a polarizing effect. Often I meet new people through a simple exchange of words. Though few words are spoken, I always seem to interest them with my weirdness. I have made many new friends from my personality alone. I have had moments where I step into a group of new people and listen to their conversation. I have come to the understanding that being social is a must in today's society. People often speak fewer and fewer as new generation forms because of phones and the internet. Socializing will allow me to work with others on projects bigger than myself. I will also be able to interact with customers better because opening a business is my long-term goal.

Hello, my name is Kevin Flores. I will be talking a little bit about myself. I am currently a senior in high school. Some hobbies I have are weightlifting, cooking, painting, and volunteer work. More on the volunteer work, I have had some amazing experiences that have changed my life. The moment when I arrived with my girlfriend at Oak Hills Elementary, I got hit with a feeling of euphoria. I began walking through the playground. Greeting me was the roaring laughter of children and the chaos of happiness. . Today is a special day because it is a going away party for the students. So we had been tasked to set up stations. Each station contained its own various tasks ranging from hot chocolate to Christmas games. The classroom had been divided into 4 stations and I was at the snow globe station with my girlfriend. When the kids came running to our station, it reminded me of my childhood. The feeling at the moment is one I will never forget. So, I was in charge of helping students decorate their snow globes. Their smiles reminded me of what it meant to be a kid again. That day I learned something valuable about myself. I learned to help nurture their young and bright minds. Though I had spent little time with each child, I felt each one had taught me the value of the younger generations. I also enjoy sharing time with friends and family. Also, I am resilient and persevering. I am born to two immigrant parents who came from an impoverished background. Due to these conditions, I had to learn to thrive against all odds. At a young age, Soon enough. I knew that my family struggled to make ends meet. I remember one moment when I was 5 years old that stuck with me forever. As I awoke from restless slumber, greeting me is a six-legged monster. I jump out of my Winnie the Pooh blanket and viciously swing my arms in my vicinity. This wretched monster is not alone and all of its buddies scatter like little bandits. Eventually, I mustered the courage to stand and run to the bathroom. As I hit the lights on, greeting me are the glistening coffee bean-like creatures. The waving antennas and flapping of wings leave me in awe. After I go through every room I realize no matter where I go they follow. So, deciding on what I should do, I head back to the floor. The crusty floor is an unforgiving wasteland. Other grotesque monsters dwell at every corner. Then, I am staring at the VCR & realize that school starts in only a few hours. Coming to the realization, I must deal with the grimy floor. I protect myself from the freaky monsters by covering myself with my blanket. Restlessness in the morning follows as always. Through my experience, I learned to push beyond my problems in the present. Rather than dwelling on my problems, I would rather spend my time moving forward. Trying to find a solution for the future is what drives me. This scholarship is vital to my future. Throughout my life, I have had to deal with poverty. I would like to start the new beginning of my life without debt. So with the scholarship money, I will be able to put it into my tuition. I will also you some of the money to buy books for college. I will become a civil engineer and prove to the world that anyone can make and graduate at a 4-year university.

Volunteering has helped me develop my mindset for the future. Prior to volunteering, I often thought about myself and what I can do to benefit myself. After some volunteering, I have a different outlook on life. One instance has helped shape my future. My girlfriend's mom is a teacher at an elementary school. The moment when I arrived with my girlfriend at Oak Hills Elementary. Hitting was a feeling of euphoria and I grinned. I walked in with my girlfriend and signed in and headed toward her mom’s classroom. I began walking through the playground. Greeting me was the roaring laughter of children and the chaos of happiness. I entered the classroom and other volunteers gave me warm welcomes. Today was a special day because the kids were going to have a going away Christmas party. So we had been tasked to set up stations. Each station contained its own various tasks ranging from hot chocolate to Christmas games. The classroom had been divided into 4 stations and I was at the snow globe station with my girlfriend. When the kids came running to our station, it reminded me of my childhood. The feeling at the moment is one I will never forget. So, I was in charge of helping students decorate their snow globes. There are all sorts of decorations for the snow globes. Some decorations available were snowflakes, pictures of each student, and stickers. From the smiles, I was reminded of what it meant to be a kid again. After all the kids came to the station, I learned something valuable about myself. I learned to help nurture young and bright minds with attention and gratification. Though I had spent little time with each child, I felt each one had taught me the value of the future and what I could strive for. On another note, I need this scholarship for several reasons. Throughout my life, I have dealt with the issue of poverty. I am a second generation born from immigrant parents. For this reason, I had a very humble and modest lifestyle. Requiring me to work from a young age, my father needs help providing for my family. So every day since I was 9 years old, I am put to work in the family business ranging from rentals and tow services. I have not always been the most fortunate when it comes to income. My father simply does not have the financial leeway to help fund my tuition. He struggles to make ends meet but he wants me to strive for something he cannot achieve.

I am resilient because I am persevering. I am a second-generation born of immigrant parents who came from a highly impoverished background. Due to these conditions, I had to learn to thrive against all odds. At a young age, I quickly learned that my family struggled to make ends meet. I remember one instance when I was 5 years old and one night that stuck with me. As I awoke from restless slumber, greeting me is a six-legged monster. I jump out of my Winnie the Pooh blanket and swat everything in my vicinity. This wretched monster is not alone all its companions scatter like little bandits. Eventually, I mustered the courage to stand and run to the bathroom. As I hit the lights on, greeting me are the glistening coffee bean-like creatures. The waving antennas and flapping of wings leave me in awe. After I go through every room, I realize they follow me no matter where I go. So, deciding on what I should do, I head back to the floor. The crusty bottom is an unforgiving wasteland. It is riddled with other grotesque monsters. I am staring at the VCR & realize that school starts in only a few hours. Coming to the realization, I must deal with the grimy floor. Freaky monsters lurking through every corner so, I cover myself with my blanket. Restlessness in the morning follows as always. Through my experience, I learned to push beyond my problems in the present. Rather than dwelling on my problems, I would rather spend my time moving forward. I try to find a solution for the future and try not to repeat mistakes. I learned the importance of family. Throughout my childhood, I was able to understand why family comes first. Every hardship I have dealt with, I never dealt with it alone. I always had my family there to help. Another challenge in my life was having to help provide for my younger sister. The money I would earn through days of hard work would often be spent on food and clothes for my younger sister. After a hard day of delivering chairs and tables, I would take my sister to get some fast food. Seeing her smile when I would buy food would motivate me to work harder than ever. I would often have to take the role of both my father and mother for my sister. Both my parents were often not home and working to provide for our family. Helping my sister taught me the value of friendship. She helps me learn how to love someone unconditionally and to be pure of heart. She also gives me the motivation to become successful so I can never have to deal with these hardships again. My ultimate goal in life is to create a successful life. I have not had the easiest start to life but I do not let this hold me down. I have taken many steps to set myself up for prosperity. I have taken aggressive courses in recent years to help increase my knowledge. I have come to the understanding that knowledge is power and I want to obtain as much knowledge as possible. These hardships have helped me become a better person.

I am resilient because I am persevering. I am a second-generation born of immigrant parents who came from an extremely impoverished background. Due to these conditions, I had to learn to thrive against all odds. At a young age, I quickly learned that my family struggled to make ends meet. I remember one instance when I was 5 years old and one night that really stuck with me. As I awoke from restless slumber, greeting me is a six-legged monster. I jump out of my Winnie the Pooh blanket and swat everything in my vicinity. This wretched monster is not alone all its companions scatter like little bandits. Eventually, I mustered the courage to stand and run to the bathroom. As I hit the lights on, greeting me are the glistening coffee bean-like creatures. The waving antennas and flapping of wings leave me in awe. After I go through every room I realize no matter where I go they follow. So, deciding on what I should do, I head back to the floor. The crusty floor is an unforgiving wasteland. It is riddled with other grotesque monsters.I am staring at the VCR & realize that school starts in only a few hours. Coming to the realization, I must deal with the grimy floor. Freaky monsters lurking through every corner so, I cover myself with my blanket. Restlessness in the morning follows as always. Through my experience, I learned to push beyond my problems in the present. Rather than dwelling on my problems, I would rather spend my time moving forward. I try to find a solution for the future and I was able to learn why family comes first. Every hardship I have dealt with, I never dealt with it alone. I always had my family there to help. Another challenge in my life was having to help provide for my younger sister. The money I would earn through days of hard work would often be spent on food and clothes for my younger sister. After a hard day of delivering chairs and tables, I would take my sister to get some fast food. Seeing her smile when I would buy food would motivate me to work harder than ever. I would often have to take the role of both my father and mother for my sister. Both my parents were often not home and working to provide for our family. Helping my sister taught me the value of friendship. She helps me learn how to love someone unconditionally and to be pure of heart. My ultimate goal in life is to create a successful life. I have not had the easiest start to life but I do not let this hold me down. I have taken many steps to set myself up for prosperity. I have taken aggressive courses in recent years to help increase my knowledge. I have come to the understanding that knowledge is power and I want to obtain as much knowledge as possible. These hardships have helped me become a better person.

I am resilient because I am persevering. I am a second-generation born of immigrant parents who came from an extremely impoverished background. Due to these conditions, I had to learn to thrive against all odds. At a young age, I quickly learned that my family struggled to make ends meet. I remember one instance when I was 5 years old and one night that stuck with me. As I awoke from restless slumber, greeting me is a six-legged monster. I jump out of my Winnie the Pooh blanket and swat everything in my vicinity. This wretched monster is not alone all its companions scatter like little bandits. Eventually, I mustered the courage to stand and run to the bathroom. As I hit the lights on, greeting me are the glistening coffee bean-like creatures. The waving antennas and flapping of wings leave me in awe. After I go through every room I realize no matter where I go they follow. So, deciding on what I should do, I head back to the floor. The crusty floor is an unforgiving wasteland. It is riddled with other grotesque monsters.I am staring at the VCR & realize that school starts in only a few hours. Coming to the realization, I must deal with the grimy floor. Freaky monsters lurking through every corner so, I cover myself with my blanket. Restlessness in the morning follows as always. Through my experience, I learned to push beyond my problems in the present. Rather than dwelling on my problems, I would rather spend my time moving forward. I try to find a solution for the future and try not to repeat mistakes. Another challenge in my life was having to help provide for my younger sister. The money I would earn through days of hard work would often be spent on food and clothes for my younger sister. After a hard day of delivering chairs and tables, I would take my sister to get some fast food. Seeing her smile when I would buy food would motivate me to work harder than ever. I would often have to take the role of both my father and mother for my sister. Both my parents were often not home and working to provide for our family. My ultimate goal in life is to create a successful life. I have not had the easiest start to life but I do not let this hold me down. I have taken many steps in order to set myself up for prosperity. I have taken aggressive courses in recent years to help increase my knowledge. I have come to the understanding that knowledge is power and I want to obtain as much knowledge as possible. In the past four years, I have been developing my mindset to get more productivity out of my day.