I used to believe that the destitution I faced would prevent me for having a successful future. I held the idea that I could never escape the poverty cycle I was born into, or so I thought, until a few years ago. I have gone through more unfortunate experiences than most people will go through in a lifetime; I've endured poverty, homelessness, discrimination, the list goes on. In my seventeen years, I've gone to thirteen schools and moved twice that amount. "One night" was the mantra I lived by, it was either one night sleeping in the car, one night at a motel, or one night at one of my mom's friend's house. When I was lucky, my family rented a few months in a house, but we could never afford anything permanent; I could probably recite …show more content…
At that time, I was living in Toronto and the school I was attending was to have an important guest speaker from the top university in Canada. As a typical ten-year old, I was initially not intrigued; I didn't catch much from the speaker's introduction besides her name: Amanda. In fact, the only part of her speech that called my attention was her background. Amanda grew up in an impoverished city, where she and her family barely had enough money to survive. She lived under such horrid conditions that at times she went days without proper meals and in the winter would have to steal clothing so her family would not freeze to death. Amanda then went on to explain how she overcame her troubled beginning. She decided that she would not let her past be the determinant of her future, so she dedicated her life to her studies. Eventually, her hard work allowed her to be admitted into a renowned university and begin a career as a successful attorney. By the end of her story I was astonished; this woman was like me. Amanda lived in poverty and faced turmoil as I did, but that did not hinder her future. Her story allowed me to see that my upbringing did not have to ruin my future, it would strengthen …show more content…
Due to my past, I know I do not want to have the same future. That meeting with Amanda allowed me to see that it was possible to escape poverty and I could do it through consistently working assiduously. I have an above average GPA and standardized test scores, I am a member of some of the most prestigious organizations on my high school’s campus, I am the captain of a nationally accredited dance team that practices for about 25 hours weekly, I am secretary my high school’s Future Educators of America, I have held a job for all four years of high school and I’ve done all of this without a stable
Barbara Ehrenreich’s story, in her book “Nickel and Dimed,” was humbling to read. Her quote at the end of her book left me speechless. She states, “I grew up hearing over and over to the point of tedium that hard work was the secret to success: ‘Work hard and you’ll get ahead’ or ‘It’s hard work that got us where we are.’ No one ever said that you could work hard—harder even than you ever thought possible—and still find yourself sinking ever deeper into poverty and debt (220).’” When I first started to read this quote I thought it was going to be encouraging, but by the end my heart felt heavy for people like Ehrenreich that are stuck in poverty and can’t seem to get out, no matter how hard they work. It is such an eye opener to me because I have grown up hearing things such as “work hard to get what you want”, which is similar to what Ehrenreich has heard as well, yet Ehrenreich didn’t find this to be true. Being privileged and having parents that support my financially is something that I take for granted.
... child no matter what. I feel like this story has helped me to be open-minded to the various situations that people may face and to not make assumptions. I also feel somewhat prepared for the situations that I may face in the field of social work as I continue to unpack my baggage.
...l of her journey, she always tried, sometimes successfully and sometimes not, but she did try to move on. She also learned forgiveness, to others and to herself. Her story is incredibly insightful to the realities of the world. Her problems were none too out of the ordinary; death, infidelity, drugs, scandal- at least one of those is in everyone's life. She admits, “I’d done a lot of dumb and dangerous things in my life…”(Strayed 94). The way she handled certain situations was not the best, but that is what made her life a learning process and more importantly that is the story that has inspired so many lives today.
Jeannette Walls came from a family that had always faced many struggles in life. They had to travel to many areas due to job search. At first it was all fun and games until their lives were affected in negative ways. Specifically, the parent's decisions and actions caused unforgettable moments. Although, Jeannette Walls’s father had struggles of his own and couldn’t take good care of his children due to his alcoholism; it made his children be more prepared for the future.
If it hadn’t been for her making me learn how to think and learn for myself, I wouldn’t be where I am today. There were many times during my high school days where I needed to be independent in my learning because there were teachers who didn’t teach the lesson properly. While other student were struggling with those teachers I was able to overcome that trial and succeed in those classes. I’ve been told all my life that college is way more independent when it comes to learning than any other time I your life. I believe because I learned at such a young age how to teach myself, I have a greater chance at succeeding than other who have not had the same
Immigration has changed majorly over the years. The system that the immigrants go through has evolved into a simpler system over the decades. Also the family life of the immigrants has become much more supported, as opposed to back when it brutal and children were sent to work right beside the adults. The living conditions and job opportunities of the immigrants have transformed into a healthier environment, and the challenges they faced have become easier to handle. Immigration has been the key to success in some cases, but in others their stories are harsh and hard to hear. The transformation that immigration has gone through over the past century is tremendous and should be recognized by all.
With the rapid economic development, more and more people try to immigrate to America and trying to learn English. Some parents would like their children just speaking English. However, there are some parents tend to keep their native language and teach to their children, in order to keep their culture alive. And in my opinion, parents should keep their old language alive.
Amanda a loving and caring mother devoted her life for her childern .she is abondaned by her husband,the only one she loved deeply.She struggles to secure her children`s lives and when she is overwhelmed by despair she resorts to her memories.
At a young age, my teachers and parents taught me to believe that I could do and accomplish anything that I set my mind to. I grew up thinking that I was unstoppable and that the only limit to my achievements was the sky. However, during my second year in high school, I began to realize that I was not as unstoppable as I had thought. I began to experience the consequences of my parent’s decision of bringing me to the United States illegally. Among those consequences were, not being able to apply for a job, obtain a driver’s license or take advantage of the dual enrollment program at my high school, simply because I did not possess a social security number. I remember thinking that all of my hard work was in vain and that I was not going to
Immigration has always been a large conflict people have faced all across the world. There are plenty of reasons why people migrate to a country, whether it may be the United States or any other particular one. Many people often come in an attempt to escape poverty, crime, or to simply have a better opportunity to better their lifestyle. Although there are people who migrate and commit severe crimes, there are others who sacrifice themselves in order to live a better life. In addition to that, I believe the government should approve new immigration laws in favor of immigrants who come to better their life and achieve their dreams.
United States usually known as the “melting pot” and it is a typical immigrant country. In the past 400 years, United States has become a mixture of more than 100 ethnic groups. Immigrants bring they own dream and come to this land, some of them looking for better life for themselves and some want to make some money to send back home or they want their children to grow up in better condition. Throughout the history there’s few times of large wave of immigration and it is no exaggeration to say that immigrants created United States. For this paper I interview my neighbor and his immigration story is pretty interesting.
As the youngest of five children she was often overlooked. The pride of the family often overrode the opportunity to receive health care, handouts and a decent chance to become something. My mother spent her childhood in a tiny house with her family and many relatives. She was never given the opportunities to excel in learning and life like my generation has. My grandfather was a carpenter and on that living fed many hungry mouths. But despite this already unfortunate lifestyle my mother maintained good grades and was on a path to overcoming her misfortune.
growing up and the many times she’s comforted me through tough times has formed me into the
But her story differed from the rest. She had a little sister that survived. She felt the real impact that a brush with death incites. This little girl, this privileged little girl, wanted to make a difference. However she wanted to do it all by herself, so nobody could say she did not earn it.
Amanda was always thought of as a brilliant student throughout her high school career. She was even awarded with multiple scholarships to attend Ohio State University. Everything was going great her first year until her parents divorced and Amanda was forced to help her mother with bills by working fulltime while still being enrolled at Ohio State. This massive amount of stress placed on her shoulders caused her grades to decline to the point that she decided to drop out of college. Amanda figured it wouldn't be too big of a deal to take one year off of school to help get her family back on their feet.