I only need to look at me.

In my eagerness to pursue for the greatest achievements that I can possibly accomplish, I have been blinded by false interpretations for the meaning of fulfillment. I was petitioned in this country from the Philippines a month after I turned 13. 7 years prior to that, my parents sacrificed leaving their 3 children in the Philippines to seek better opportunities. I was forced to adapt to a culture I barely knew, to a language I partially understood, to an environment different from my own. My initial reaction was to prove my worth.
It has been 5 years since. Sitting in my High School Counselor’s office, while discussing about the career I prefer to proceed, she blatantly opened my eyes to my biggest flaw. I constantly compare myself to my peers. She gave me an advice, that I “cannot compare an apple to an orange,” that I can only compare myself to none other than myself from the past.

I received a 26 on my ACT; I took the most rigorous course of High School classes available in my school; taught myself English in about 6 months, and yet I found myself unsatisfied. I realized while sitting in her office, throughout our conversation I kept mentioning the achievements of my classmates and peers, which I wish I had. She told me to stop; her following words still ring to me; “You have accomplished more than enough, realize how far you’ve reached since 5 years ago, and look at where you’re at now and not who’s walking next to you. Do you see the changes?”
I have proven my worth multiple times; I have a story unique to everyone else. I have accomplishments I have fulfilled and goals I can’t wait to achieve. I now know how to move forward, by looking at the tracks I’ve created. The tracks I wish to continue in your University.