Advanced Essay #1: Never let anything get in your way

Introduction

My goal for this paper is to share my story with others, so that they can understand why I am a certain way. I want people to know, how it is that I started speaking the same language as everyone else. A part that I am proud of is where I explain how it was going out to try to get help from others and how I felt. Something that needs improvement is that I should add more details and be more descriptive. Also, I should try to reflect more and try to connect it with my larger idea.

Never let anything get in your way

Daily, we go around, pressured by obstacles thrown into our path in order to make us give up and quit. My parents are both Mexican, so they grew up learning spanish, and weren’t taught english in their schools. They decided to come to the US in order to provide a better life for themselves and for their future family. As I grew up, the language I was taught was spanish, so it was difficult for me to communicate with others. Eventually, I started going to Pre-Kindergarten, but it was a difficult time for me because I couldn’t understand the teachers or my classmates, so I wasn’t learning anything. There were many times when I would cry, because when it came to recess, I would be playing by myself because I had no friends because of the language barrier. I would sit near the tall princess' castle, picturing myself as the princess living in a magical land filled with happiness and everyone getting along. When it came to homework, I didn’t understand what was on the paper, and neither did my parents, so we would have to go out and ask others like our neighbors for help.

At the time, I used to be super embarrassed, because I hated having to go to the same people over and over and ask them for help. At times, I felt dumb because I was the only one having trouble in class. However, thanks to my mom always pushing me, and to my pre-k teacher, little by little, I started learning more and more English. One day, the teacher announced that we would be having an end-of-year celebration, where we would present a play to our parents and other students. The teacher said, “Everyone, we’re going to be having a safari themed play. 1 person is going to be the guide and everyone else is going to be some animal.” I was beyond excited to learn that I had been chosen to narrate the story and be guide. I practiced everyday, and finally, the day of the play arrived. I read every part carefully and at the end, everyone got up and applauded me. When it was done, many parents and other teachers came up to me and congratulated me for my wonderful reading.

If it weren’t for my determination and the extreme support from my parents, I probably would’ve never gotten this chance to be the reader. Thanks to them and to the resources presented to me, I was able to learn English, and then move on and help my parents with it. Ever since those days, I’ve learned to give back to those that were just like me, using my english to help others out. For example, I would be the one to help my siblings with their homework because my parents didn’t understand. I’ve also been an interpreter to my parents when it comes to appointments or meetings, I help translate. I’ve also helped some of my parents friends with translating things and helping them understand.

I’m thankful that my parents decided to learn english, because it’s helpful now, so that my family members aren’t only relying on me for help. From these experiences, it’s shaped who I am as a person, I’ve become independent because I’ve basically had myself as my “teacher” and I don’t often ask for help because of how often I did when I was younger. Sometimes we take the safe road on many things, instead of wanting to take risks. It’s probably because we are scared of what those risks might lead to, we are scared of failing. As I’ve grown up, I’ve had many decisions to make where I knew that taking a risk, stepping up, and not giving up would help me accomplish things. I thank God for giving me the strength to never give up, He had a reason for my struggles and a gift for my faithfulness. As Confucius says, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.”