Gratification from doing things we love like playing smartphones, eating delicious
chocolates, posting funny or attractive pictures and statuses on social media or simply
doing our passions can be not a right thing to do if we chose to do it more than what we are
suppose to be doing. I am talking about the privilege to have an formal education. I am just
a brown, skinny and tall Asian kid from the land of the rising sun and corrupt country,
Philippines. I enjoyed playing the competitive sport of basketball. Coming from a poor
family and lives in a small house, I had experienced the struggles, hunger, and violence
which became my motivation to aim higher in life and be successful. My two kind aunt
and uncle had seen our struggles, therefore they had adopted me in order to live in Los
Angeles California and continue my High school at Reseda High school as an eleventh
grader, a school surrounded by groups of gang, alcohol, herbs and drugs. United States is a
beautiful place of education and entertainment. Education is an important privilege, but I
chose to be entertained which later on costs me my grades.
I came to California two years ago from the Philippines at two thousand twelve. I was just
an innocent eight years old when my loving and generous biological dad lost his life from
an extreme heart attack. My mom who was the only one supporting me stopped working
from having an severe arthritis
that gave her limited and impaired movement which caused her job. It has been roughly
three consecutive years when we are just relying on our aunt and uncle’s financial help
from America to keep
me and school and also survive the almost hopeless life on my country. Due to my lovely
aunt and uncle’s belief on my ability to be successful and excel in education , they had
adopted to help us live with them and live a whole new wonderful life and take the right
path to be a successful individual in order to help my mother in my country.
Coming to America as an eleventh grader as my first semester with limited English
knowledge and skills keep me from putting my myself on a box, locking it and not letting
anyone go in with me because of my embarrassment on talking to those fluent English
speakers. Living at America for me at those sad times is like a mice trapped in an
