Prompt #1: Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.
Adolescence is the transition from kid to adult, and also the time period where a teenager wants to enjoy their childhood. As for me, I was an average teenager who wanted to have fun and enjoy my time before I reach adulthood. My life consists of spending time with my friends and family, attending school and passing my classes, and spending my leftover time on myself. One event soon changed the way I acted today.
While I was young, I had never thought much of my future and what I wanted to become in the future. As a naive child, growing up was what I did not desire, but which that cannot be avoided. I was getting older, but I still had the mindset of a child. I was pestered by my parents, teachers, and mentors about what I wanted to be in the future, and I always ignore their questions or responded with same remark “I don’t know” or “ I have not thought about it yet.” I became annoyed with everybody pestering me with this question and soon I became ignorant and blocked this question out of my mind. I was soon heading towards adulthood without any preparations and any idea of what I wanted to do in the future. That soon all changed when my older brother opened my eyes.
My older brother is an interesting character. He is a high school dropout who graduated with a GED. He did not like school that much and rather have fun than focusing on his studies.Realizing the path he was headed, he changed for the better. With hard work and dedication, my brother now works at a tech company and is doing great for himself. One day while we were stuck in rush hour traffic heading towards San Jose, my brother asked me, “What do you want to do as you grow up; what are you good at.” The question that I had supposedly blocked creeped up on me and had me speechless for a while. I responded with the usual “I don’t know” and added “Math is my strongest subject so maybe a career in that field.” My brother responds with, “You should consider learning about coding and Java. There are kids your age that are already learning about this; I want you to get ahead so you can be successful for your future. I want you to succeed in school so you don’t grow up and become like me.” I always respected and looked up to my brother, and hearing those words coming from him changed me. My brother seemed to know a lot more about me than myself. He even knew that one of my goal was to become rich. He followed up with, “If you want to be rich, education and knowledge is the first step.”
My brother shaped the way I am today and is the key influence into why I try in school and do my best to get good grades. My brother has been through what I experienced and his knowledge of what I am going through is what influenced me to work hard and to learn everything I can. Mathematics is my favorite subject, which is why I decided to major in mathematics and study the subject that I love. Without my brother, I may have stayed ignorant from my future self.