I was never like the other children around me. All of my friends dreamt of castles and becoming princesses and mothers one day; my dream was to go to college. I always wished I would be able to attend a prestigious school, somewhere where no one believed I could be accepted, and show how truly amazing I really am. I knew I had the potential and I definitely had the drive to achieve such a goal, but I felt that there were certain factors that really held me back. This all changed in 2001, when my family and I made the courageous decision to leave our life of comfort and stability in Ecuador to come to the United States. I felt that this would be the first step into making my dream a reality. In my young mind, I saw my moving to the US as an even better chance of attending a school like Vanderbilt or NYU. I felt like I was already halfway there.
When I began school, I realized that reaching my goal might be harder than I imagined. I was supposed to enter the first grade only 1 month after coming to the United States. I did not speak English and neither did my parents, so my first months in school were horrible. I strived for perfection, but was stuck halfway because of the language barrier. I did not let this stop me; I learned English through the ESOL program, and by the end of the school year, I was the top student in my class. Although I had won the awards and the recognition, I felt no need to stop. Throughout the rest of my school career, I made sure to give my all to everything I participated in. This attitude and perseverance labeled me as gifted and made me shine above the rest; I felt closer to my goal than ever.
But in the recent years, reality has gotten a hold of me and I realize