Discovering Myself: a Memoir of College Life and Personal Growth

As many students of Hispanic origin in today’s society, I am working hard to succeed in this world and become a significant person for the country I live in. My beliefs, family, culture, and experiences have shaped me to become the person that I am today. My family is composed of members, which include my parents and two older brothers. Being the first generation, I have grown up with not only the American culture but the Mexican culture as well.

My heritage is a major part of my identity, it defines my essence and influences the person that I am. As a Hispanic, I have grown in a loving environment of an extended family and friends. For example, in Mexican culture, we have the habit of making our families our priority. When coming to important decisions, major events, tragedies and celebrations we are always there for one another. Being part of this caring environment has taught me to love and care for others, no matter their skin color, beliefs or views.

Growing up I have been taught that with a good education, a bright future comes along. Especially coming from a family of immigrants, my parents did not go to college and don’t have a good financial stand, this has shown me the importance of higher education. So my parents have encouraged me to excel and do great in my classes. The reason they would do this is that they wanted me to have a great education and be able to attend college. Having a hard-working father, I would see him work every day in construction under the high temperatures in summer. Seeing him work hard under harsh conditions to support his family, has motivated me to keep advancing in my education and pursue my dreams. When the report cards would come out he would tell my brothers and me, “You better keep those grades up because if you don’t prepare yourself with a good education you won’t be able to work in your desired career path that you enjoy, as I hope as I could have done.” This has helped me become a person that is more responsible, dedicated and determined to never give up.

To conclude my narrative essay, coming from a family that experiences economic difficulty has allowed me to appreciate things that we often take for granted. During my life, I have been putting all my efforts into building up the foundation that will hold my future. Everything that I do now I do it with the faith that it would not only impact my life in a positive way but also those that surround me. My goal is that other people will be able to see the potential and ability that I have to change the world just like my family, friends, and teachers have seen. As one of my heroes, Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, “We feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”