Growing up I have always looked up to my parents; as refugees of the Vietnam War, they came to the United States for a promising future for their children. Through their hard work in multiple jobs a day, I took this as a reflection of the person I envisioned for myself. Focused and fueled by a nature of determination, my father always had the mentality of attaining any goals if only enough effort was given. I have chosen to absorb his ethos and charge head on against any obstacles that I encounter and surmount the objectives that I set. As a continuous Honor Roll recipient, a cumulative 4.19 GPA student, and a to-be graduating senior in the top 10% tier, these accomplishments converge into the mirror image of my determined work ethics and the influence of my father.
Every time I hear a close friend complain about their miserable life because their parents deprived them of a new technological device, I fretfully reflect upon the possibilities of my mother’s future because of our financial struggles. Since the passing of my father in June of 2014, bills on top of bills continue to pile on my mother’s desk. It is because of my father that I now assume his “role” in the household and help my mother with all the paper works; my mother does not understand nor does she speak the English language.
As a result, I realized the life I lived was misled by the smiles and laughter my father and mother had always had. We were tremendously struggling for financial assistance; my mother receives only $1,000 from Social Security a month; my sister works at Serra High and most of her payment goes towards housing bills and other necessities; and I take side jobs to accommodate for gas money and school supplies to mitigate the burden of asking my mom and sister for money.
I wake up every day with the feeling that maybe community college or the military would be a better route in comparison to my financial problems. That is not what I want, and that is what I am not going to do. Taking in to memory of what my father instilled in me, I am urged to do whatever it takes to get me to where I want to be. From a four-year college/university, I will obtain my Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Accounting/Finance, I will then enroll in the Police Academy and work side jobs in accordance with my schedule, I will continue further in my education and study to get my Master’s degree, then I finally see myself in the rigorous training in Quantico, Virginia for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
A Bridge for Kids will definitely relieve the burden of the college funds for books, registrations, and educational activities. With the opportunity given from A Bridge for Kids, I would not have to stress over asking my mother or sister for financial assistance because they have already given up so much that college spending, which although is a legitimate cause, will still be more weight on their shoulders. Family, faith, and fight. The core values I bear true to myself. My family will always come first; their constant efforts have gotten me this far, and my current efforts will get them a promising and deserving future. My faith will always come second; their beliefs of a hard-working individual have pushed me to excel, and my current faith will get me to accomplish the plan that I have already meticulously thought out. My fight will always come third; their fights against the competition for a stable life have drawn out a path for me, and my current fights will continuously fight for the faith that I have and for the family that I have left. Family, faith, and fight!