Loss is an unavoidable part of life, and grieving is an essential part of the healing process. Dealing with the death of a close relative or loved one can be one of life's most difficult challenges. We can cope with this loss in a variety of ways. Allowing their departure to inspire and motivate us to attain our life goals is one way. The loss of my father is my motivation to succeed in life. My mother and father adopted me from China when I was four years old on August 30, 2005. They adopted my sister and two brothers to complete the family a few years later. We lived a happy and loving life, but life can have other plans. My father died of leukemia on July 10, 2012, shattering the family dynamic, especially the father and son dynamic. All the things a father and son would do together were gone. He never taught me how to drive or tie a tie. He also will never get to see me graduate from college and raise a family. However, I am blessed I had seven memorable years with him. Our time together has influenced my goals. One of these goals is to be a good Catholic man. My father laid down the foundation in my faith life. He would let me tag along when he went to morning mass. We would then go and get donuts and talk about the readings said during mass. Furthermore, he was a walking example of a good Catholic man. Every day, I try to be a good Catholic man that my dad can be proud of. I want to show the people he lives on through my example of faith. Another goal of mine is to earn a college degree and to be financially stable. Earning a college degree in sports management is my way to achieve financial stability. It is hard work to keep up good grades and create a network of people in the sporting world, but eventually, hard work does pay off. However, there are times when I feel discouraged and have thoughts about giving up. Especially now, when I'm trying to figure out how to pay for tuition to return to college. During these moments, I recall how hardworking my father was by looking at his picture. He never gave up, even when things seemed impossible. His endurance and passion encourage me to pursue my degree and the goal of obtaining the funds necessary to return to college. Finally, I aspire to be a member of the United States Olympic Track and Field team in 2024. The United States Olympic team is one of the most difficult to qualify for. That is why, throughout practice, I put forth a hundred and ten percent effort. My father is the one who encourages me to pursue this goal, and he is the one who keeps me going when others tell me I can't. He constantly taught me that if I put in the effort and disregard the haters, I can achieve my goals. I'd like to demonstrate that he was correct. I am confident that I can reach my goal and will fight for it no matter what. Loss is an unfortunate aspect of life, and it never gets any easier. Those we lose, on the other hand, can live on through us and our ambitions. Allowing them to have an impact on our goals and motivate us to keep fighting even when the goals appear unattainable.

I was inspired to back to school to be with my track team and to further my Catholic faith in my career path. My track team makes me feel wanted. They are supportive of me and each other during practices and track meets. When I have a bad day at a meet, they comfort me and encourage me to not give up. When it comes to my Catholic faith, my professors incorporate the teachings of Catholicism into their courses. This shows me that I can be a good Catholic man while being successful in the business world.

There is a saying that actions speak louder than words however, words speak louder than actions. Life is hard and sometimes it can affect someone mentally and physically. Actions like the support of friends and family can help but a lot of times words from a song or a movie that brings the most hope and comfort to someone. For me, it was the lyrics from the song “Different” by Micah Tyler that helped me during one of the lowest points in my life. This moment in my life happened during my junior year of high school. A lot of things were going wrong for me. My family life was not the best. I hated being home because there was constant yelling and arguments between my mom and my siblings. At school, I did not have many friends. I had recently ended a friendship. He was a bad influence on me. I became lost in who I was. I wanted things around me to change. Every night when I would pray to God, I would ask him to make everything different. God did answer my prayers, but not in the way I thought He would. By some random chance, also known as God’s helping hand, I came across the song “Different. The lyrics “I wanna be different, I wanna be changed, 'til all of me is gone, and all that remains, is a fire so bright, that there's something different. So come and be different, in me,” changed my perspective on my life. God has the power to change what I ask him to change, but He can also put me in situations to make me stronger-- to make me different. This difference can help me in the difficult times in my life so that I can be the change I wish to see in my life. If I want my family to stop fighting, I need to step up and be the peacemaker. Finally, if I want to develop good friendships, I need to be more selective about who I let into my life. With this new perspective of my life, I got through junior year and started making things better in my life. In a lot of cases, actions do speak louder than words. However, there are times when words speak louder than actions. These words can be drawn from movies, people, and even songs, bringing hope and comfort.

Throughout American history, immigrants have faced many challenges in many different forms. Some of those forms come in racism, stereotypes, and cultural barriers. I have faced these challenges as a Chinese immigrant. I was adopted at the age of four and have lived here ever since. In second and third, I got bullied a lot for my race. I was the only minority in my classroom. I got pushed around, spat on, and was the subject of racial jokes. Entering fourth grade, I transferred to a different school that had more minorities. There, I no longer was the subject of racism, but I did face other racial challenges like stereotypes and cultural barriers. I started to get into athletics, but many teammates and coaches would bench me because I was Asian. I was told that I should be reading textbooks instead of on the court or the field. In biology class, I faced cultural barriers. My teacher assigned a DNA assignment that involves us asking our parents questions about their family and the different traits each of them has. I could not do this assignment since my parents adopted me, and I have no contact with my birth parents. My teacher, however, still failed me on that assignment. It was emotional for me when my peers presented their DNA assignments. I faced many more of these challenges, but they made me stronger in who I am and what I want to achieve. I have two main things I want to achieve in the future. Number one is representing the United States in the Olympics for track and field. I fell in love with the sport in high school. My coach was supportive and showed me that with hard work I can rise above racial stereotypes and be good at sports. I want to achieve this dream to show other Asians in the United States that Asian stereotypes do not define who we are. That with dedication and hard work, dreams can become a reality. Number two is opening a sports complex for all ages in my hometown. I want this complex to be a place for people to find and hone their athletic abilities. I want to provide a fair athletic opportunity, no matter the background or ethnicity. I may not have had the best experience in America as an immigrant but I can take my unfortunate challenges and use them as inspiration to improve the future for other minorities.

Hello, my name is Zach Meyer. I was adopted from China at the age of four by two loving parents. Three years later, my mother found a secret note my foster mother included between two pictures of baby me. The note contained my foster mother's contact information so we can keep her and my foster family up to date with my life. I remember Skyping them one time when I lost my first tooth. They are is so happy that I am pursuing a high education to achieve my goals and dreams. With the education I will get when I graduate college, I want to provide a sports complex for children of all ages. I want this place to be a positive part of children growing up. With the variety of different sports, young kids can explore their natural abilities to find a sport they love and are good at. Each sport has its challenges which can help them learn to fail but to get back up and overcome the challenges. This can teach them skills of persistence and determination, something that I learned growing up and believe is vital to succeeding in life. Furthermore, this sports complex can provide leadership opportunities and growth for high schoolers. Little kids will look up to them and want to be them. This interaction gives high schoolers the chance to embrace the leadership opportunity. Finally, this complex will host games competitions, inviting teams all over the state and the county to compete. This gives the athletes the experience of healthy competition and exposing them to the different cultures America has. My experience with my foster family, especially my foster mother, has greatly impacted this dream. They believe I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. They always reminded me to never give up and keep going even if it is different. Living as a foster child for a few years and living in America now has given me the insight of experiencing two different cultures. I realized how few people here in the States do not interact with a different culture. This sports complex, I hope, will allow more cultures to interact with each other. I am grateful for being a foster child and then getting adopted to the states. It has helped me build who I am and go for higher education to achieve my dream.