My family has never been apart, even when we had to move to the United States. Although we did not have much financially, my parents tried their best to make sure my sister and I had a good education. Sometimes when we had enough money to buy a nice car or pretty clothes, they saved it to be invested in our futures. Music, sports, science, and computer programming lessons were just some of the privileges they worked so hard to provide for us.
With family support, I have grown and become self- sufficient and confident in the knowledge my parents have instilled in me from a young age. But when our family came back to South Korea, I faced one of the greatest challenges of my entire life so far: I made the decision to go to a boarding school. It was my first time being apart from my family, yet it was a challenge that I wanted to overcome. I was afraid to be apart from them, but whenever I was studying and sleeping my family cheered for me and sent me encouraging messages. I realized that physical distance from my family is no long an obstacle for my personal growth; no matter where they are in the world, the fact that my family is my support will never change. As I grew older, my parents became less involved with my education.
Coming here, I now have to plan my own life and make choices by myself. I decided to continue down the rough course, staying here to push my limits and persevere. Through the hard courses that I took, club activities I joined, and books I read, I became more outgoing and have gained new skills, such as public speaking and debating. With this independence, I have started to peruse other curiosities, such as writing poem, enrolling in a writing contest, and founding a public speaking club. Though my parents have never bluntly rejected any pursuing interests of mine, my parents have however always instigated the simple question of "Will this help you go where you want in life?" This simple question has changed my perspective.
With every choice, I feel burdened by the pressure of my parents’ expectations. I feel confused because I do not always know the answer to that question. Nevertheless, I feel certain that if I put dedication into my commitments, success is bound to happen in some form or another.
Now, I am ready to move on to bigger things in America and beyond. I want to continue down that rough course, pushing my limits. This might be a difficult path, a path that no one has ever taken, but it will be worth trying rather than to regret not trying. I know that there will be times when I might become stressed and depressed. Nobody has a perfect life in the start. That is why I can strive toward perfection. And as I go through the journey I might lose my way or struggle. I am sure, though, that the friction will make me learn how to stay strong and plan my future well.