Personal Narrative: My Journey To America

As the steps echoed off the metal walls in the brightly lit cabin of the airplane, the curiosity of a six year old was peeked. After a long 5,428 km journey across the North Atlantic Ocean from Cape Verde to Boston, Massachusetts, the plane had finally landed and the passengers were heading out towards their new destination, and I was one of them. Unbeknownst to me, however, my very first step on American soil was the start of an unyielding battle against the odds. My first steps off the plane had made my family and I immigrants, and within a few short months I came to understand just how daunting that fact was.
Being born on a small island had made me a child who was naturally isolated in America. I had been raised under circumstances that naturally made me desire space, the sounds of nature, and small groups of familiar faces. I had a kind of mannerism that differed from those around me and that made me feel utterly alone. My upbringing had numbed me to the unpredictability and chaos of the island, but the bustling of people and new technology had me completely overwhelmed. I felt like I was drowning. Without a chance to catch my breath, both my mother and brother began to work hectic

hours to help support my grandmother, who housed us the first few years of our stay in America. Eventually, my mother was able to save enough money to rent a small apartment. I was both ecstatic and inspired by the achievement. My mother who neither had a proper education nor spoke passed a few words of english had accomplished such a feat. Though small in the grand scheme of things, it was this accomplishment that made me want to be more than just what I had been labeled— an immigrant. I wanted to achieve more than what was expected of me. I wanted to achieve greatness despite the struggle, but that proved to be difficult. Growing up in a family where a majority barely had an education, let alone spoke the english language, made getting good grades in school one of my top priorities. I wanted more than the average C or B, I wanted an A, and I was willing to work to earn it. I often stayed late into the night practicing penmanship, pronunciation, spelling, and mathematics, because I wanted to improve myself. Most kids have people to help them with such simple tasks, but I didn’t have that luxury, which made me twice as determined to succeed. I wanted to prove to everyone, but more so myself that with effort and dedication anyone can achieve greatness.
With the endless stream of candidates being evaluated, I’m just one of many, but despite knowing that, I want to attain my dreams.

I want to see how far my efforts and endless curiosity will take me. Seventeen years of life and countless interactions have taught me that knowledge, effort, and discipline are key aspects to achieving anything in life, and each year the war to get to college despite the struggle to get financial aid, attain knowledge, and networking has made that profoundly clear. As a senior in high school about to enter college I’m about to bypass one hurdle, but I know that many more are in store for me. However, the crusade I’ve marched through to get to this point has taught me that with determination, desire, discipline I can bypass them

all.