Attaining Higher Education From a Decent College

Attaining higher education from a decent college has always been my dream, even when I was living in Puerto Rico. But after moving to the U.S. four years ago, I realized that joining a decent college was not enough. For student like myself with a different ethnic background, it was important to get admission in a college that was ethnically and culturally very rich and vibrant. This was because I realized that only such a college could understand the needs and dreams of immigrants and could provide them with college environment where they felt safe and comfortable. XXX University, by all means, is one such place and therefore it is my utmost desire to become a part of it. By joining this college, I know I would be making a useful contribution to its culture, which is a beautiful amalgam of different ethnicities.

I was 14 when my family decided to move to the U.S. And three years later I feel they took the right decision. Not that I did not like Puerto Rico, I loved the place and for many months after moving to the U.S., I would miss my old friends and my country terribly. But gradually I realized that moving to multicultural society like that of the U.S. has its advantages. For one, you don't feel lonely for too long since you are bound to come across many immigrants like yourself and secondly, a place like America continuously puts your will power and strength to the test. It makes you stretch the limits of your abilities and urges you to try harder and become the best you can be.

With so many people hoping to make it big in the U.S., I realized that the ones who really do achieve their goals eventually are the ones who accept the various challenges that are thrown in their way and find a way to overcome various obstacles in their path. I am glad I found myself to be one such person and I saw this ability in myself only when I came face-to-face with common immigrant problems in the U.S. The biggest hurdle was the language barrier that made it almost impossible to communicate with other kids at school. Apart from communication, inability to understand English was also hurting my grades and since I had always been an honors student in Puerto Rico, it was very frustrating to not be able to get higher grades simply because of language problem.

That was when I recalled what my father would always tell me- that is if you put your mind to something, you can most definitely do it. So I applied my can-do attitude to this problem too and soon with complete dedication I overcame language barrier and was once again on the honors roll. This success wouldn't have been possible without will power and tough-mindedness that are partly a gift from my father and partly a result of playing on an all-boys team at YMCA since the age of five. I have always been active in sports and playing with all-boys team at a very young age taught me to never feel intimated by any challenge. I have been unconsciously applying the lessons learned on the basketball field in other areas of my life with amazing success.