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Time management skills
Time management skills
Time management skills
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Since before I can remember, I have tenaciously dreamt of receiving my Bachelor of Fine Arts in New York City. Everything in my life has been geared towards achieving this goal, starting with my first photography award in the third grade. Although the thought of college can be daunting, I believe I am adequately prepared due to the education I have received and my ability to balance my responsibilities and freedoms. When I took my first tour of American Heritage in the eighth grade, I knew it was the school for me. It was love at first sight when I saw the darkroom, and I knew in order to become the best photographer possible, this is where I needed to spend my next four years. In addition to American Heritage’s art department, I learned of their stellar academics and realized this was the best option to become a well rounded individual. When hearing of the struggles of college students before me, I am unphased. I am confident that American Heritage’s college-prep system has readied me for a world of late night …show more content…
My mother was never one to check my agenda or keep my schedule for me; instead, I learned to time manage my life. Between school work, taking care of my dogs, and helping around the house, I managed it all with time to spare for fun and relaxation. I am incredibly thankful for this lesson, as I believe it will be my “one-up” on my college peers. Last summer, I participated in a three week pre-college program at The School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. I flew to New York by myself, stayed in the dorm, and had the ultimate test of freedom. Although there was a curfew, I was completely on my own to explore the city. This was my first taste of life as a college student, and I cannot wait to go back for more. I am thankful for all of the opportunities that have lead me to this point in my life, where I can confidently say I am ready for the college
My family owned and operated a jewelry business for 8 years, since I was 10 years old. I grew up with this store, among the earrings and ornaments, always surrounded by things made from a unique substance called gold. Gold is a well-known element, atomic number 79; of course, everyone knows of its international monetary value. However, gold also has a deeply personal resonance; and upon closer examination, this material provides an emblematic picture of my past, my future, and what I offer Harvard University.
“You are in America, speak English.” As a young child hearing these words, it did not only confuse me but it also made me question my belonging in a foreign country. As a child I struggled with my self-image; Not being Hispanic enough because of my physical appearance and not being welcomed enough in the community I have tried so hard to integrate myself with. Being an immigrant with immigrant parents forces you to view life differently. It drives you to work harder or to change the status quo for the preconceived notion someone else created on a mass of people. Coming to America filled me with anxiety, excitement, and even an unexpected wave of fear.
Stricken with rickets, attention deficit disorder, a severed facial nerve, and being voted "most likely to end up in the electric chair" by his fifth grade class, this individual triumphed over many obstacles. As an aspiring writer and actor he was rejected as an extra in the film The Godfather and was persuaded to switch careers for more realistic goals. Sparks of genius were recognized in his script writing, but he was told only legitimate actors would have a chance at performing the title roles.
Given away by my name, I am not an American; I was born and raised in Saigon, Vietnam - a dynamic city with over nine million people squeezed into roughly the size of south Bay Area. It was towards the end of my third year of high school that my family immigrated to the U.S. Leaving my hometown behind, at seventeen, I started a new chapter of my life.
It seemed like it would make her die, just speaking it. So I didn't tell anyone, not even my best friends. At school I would slip into a fantastical dreamland, nobody there knew that I should be troubled, pensive. I put on my best front and paraded around the school halls with some sort of smile plastered on my face. At lunchtime I'd stare at my food thinking that my friends should know. I thought of a million different ways to tell them. Each time that I came close to telling them, I would think about their potential reactions. There would be the normal lunchtime banter going on, complaints about the ranch dressing, and I would blurt out, "Hey guys, my mom has breast cancer." The whole cafeteria would turn silent and the plastic forks would drop from their hands, making a sad little clinking noise. Then I would stare at my food mentally kicking myself for having opened my mouth. I chose to say nothing. I remember very clearly the day that I went to go sit with her while she got her chemotherapy. I only did this once because it was too hard for me. I walked down an overly-lit sterile hallway trailing behind my dad. When we reached her room I wished that I could just keep walking, pretend I hadn't seen her. I went in and sat down. Her shirt was partially unbuttoned so that the IV could be inserted into the porto-cath surgically implanted under her collarbone. She was hooked up to three different kinds of poisons, and one normal IV. There were some knitting things spread across her lap and the ever present bag of lemon drops was faithfully at her side. Her head was laid back in the chair, she was tired. She and my dad tried to involve me in some nice chit-chat, I met and shook hands with the doctors and nurses, "It's nice to meet you Dr. McCoy." Yeah right. They complimented her on what a beautiful daughter she had. I blushed, smiled politely then excused myself to the bathroom. I wiped away my forming tears and gave myself a mental pep talk to be cheery. As long as I didn't look at her tired eyes I was OK. Half an hour later, she was done and we got to go home.
There is no clear definition of “becoming American”. Everyone has a different view of what American truly means. The term differs depending on what era in history it is. During the American Revolution, the United States was not a nation, therefore no one was truly American. While the Cherokee Nation fought for sovereignty, the definition of “becoming American” expanded. Both the American Revolution and the Red Clay simulations conveyed how race contributed to “becoming American”.
The ideal of American citizenship was not only if you were legal in America, but the ideal that you have the values and rights of a citizen. Unregulated capitalism and the ultimate change in government regulations in big business led to a change in the ideal of citizenship. With the start of big business in America the theory of unregulated capitalism was tested for the first time. In this paper I will discuss the ideal of what a citizen was before the great depression with unregulated capitalism, and the changing from no regulations to some, and the after effect this had.
We all have a sanctuary, be it a favorite book or song, or a special, private spot by the river. My sanctuary is somewhat unique, given that so few people are fortunate enough to have it. It is 5'2" with warm hazel eyes, a gentle smile, and the most beautiful soul I have encountered in my eighteen years of life. I call her Nona.
As the end of my senior year in high school approached, I had to make an important decision. What school was I going to spend the next few years of my life at? When the financial aid packages arrived, I was torn between two colleges. After sitting down with my mother and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of both schools, I came to my final decision. It seemed like a year ago I was imagining what college life would be like and suddenly before my eyes, I would be a college student in a matter of four months.
I have always had a passion to learn. My interest is in political theory and economics, hoping someday to become a lawyer and stateswoman. I realize that in order to reach any of these goals, a college degree is vital. When I in turn reach my goals, I will use them to encourage and uplift my community by investing my time, money, energy, and influence to become a stepping stone for others.
There was never an emphasis on education in my household and unfortunately, I perpetuated that erroneous mentality throughout high school. Now that I have the opportunity to transfer to one of the most prestigious universities in the nation, I truly believe that I have opened a number of doors to success for not just myself, but my family and community. Being the first member of my family and one of the few in my neighborhood to attend university will be an extraordinary achievement that I hope will truly inspire those close to me. To display what one can accomplish by altering their mindset to align their values to their goals will be one of my main objectives I hope to attain if permitted acceptance.
I am a first-generation Haitian-American, so, my parents were born in Haiti while I was born in the United States. When I was a kid, we always had family members from Haiti come stay with us when they deiced to transition the United States. Whenever possible, I would help my young cousins with their English homework and any other assignment they had. Looking back now, teaching them English came naturally. It was always wonderful seeing their English improve little by little. My Creole may not have been the best, but with every conversation I had with them, my language skills improved as well. That is what I want, I want to help people improve their language skills while improving my own. I want to aid in their language development and one day have a meaningful conversation with them in both languages. I can accomplish this by being a member of the Peace Corps and helping with the English program.
I am good at many fields and have been involved in various kinds of extra-curricular activities. I love to sing and I have been in chorus since third grade in elementary school. I am now in a special class for chorus in Taipei Municiple Zhongshan Girls High School and our chorus has won many awards in different competitions. Besides music, I have also been good at sports since elementary school, when I attended many running events and city wide competitions. Aside from activities in school, I had been a dancer for more than ten years until I decided to focus on the preparation for the Basic Examination for entering high school. I have tried different activities in various fields, which cultivates my ability to learn fast and the ambition to aim high. Aside from this, perseverance is one characteristic of mine. For example, I always go through the process carefully before getting into an experiment. If I find something unusual, I am so willing to spend time thinking and discussing with my friends until I get a reasonable result.
The last semester of my junior year was mind boggling. I had the amazing opportunity to see First Wave perform at the national Keystone Conference in Orlando, Florida. In awe and inspired, at how poetry, music, storytelling, and hip-hop combined to tackle issues such as conformity and peer pressure. Not only did I want to be a part of the program, I wanted to graduate from the school that they attended as well. To be incorporated in a group of people with strong, creative minds will expose me to how other people view the world and give me experiences that I would not have the opportunity to have anywhere else.
A new experience, a change from the norm, looking out for myself, and living on my own: for me this is college. The transition of high school student to college seemed immensely overwhelming and even a bit scary. The shift opened a can of worms and created challenges, both good and bad, behind every corner. Due to the change of scene, I am now dealing with the everyday acceptance of the greater world around me: the town, the people and my new life.