Running head: LIFELINE: THE MAKING

Lifeline: The Making Jon Chao HUM 310A Prof. Lowe Warner Pacific College January 28, 2013

LIFELINE: THE MAKING Lifeline: The Making

My name is Jon C. Chao. I was born on a refugee came in Thailand on December 8, 1976 to the proud parents of Chai and Leu Saechao. My father is Chai Fou Saechao and my mother is Leu Choy Saechao. I am the second child of three. My older sister is Rachel Saechao and younger brother Mikey Saechao. I spent the first two years of my life at a refugee camp awaiting sponsorship to come to America. My uncle who left to America before us got the okay to bring us to America. Not long after that on November of 1979 my family and I moved to Portland, Oregon. Portland is now the place I called home. I attended kindergarten at Rice School. After living in Portland for a few years, my parents decided to move to California. In 1986, we packed up all our belongings and moved to Sacramento, California. While in Sacramento many things happened in my life. I attended many schools. The first school I attended was Marian Anderson. Here I met my best friend at the time, Ou Saeteurn. I was in the third grade and shared classes with him. I attended this school for only one year due to the fact that it only went up to third grade. The following year I attended a school called Thomas Jefferson. I attended this school for three years. At the start of 7th grade I attended Kit Carson Middle School. Here I picked up the game of basketball. I met some cool friends that got me involved in sports and kept me out of trouble. Even though I picked up sports that helped me stay active I also picked up other habits. In the summer before 9th grade and I started to do things that I was not supposed to be doing. I got involved in gang violence and drugs. I was heading down the wrong path and not knowing what to do. I hung out on the streets, go home every now and then

LIFELINE: THE MAKING to help with family situations. I sold drugs mainly crack cocaine and marijuana. Money was coming in and at such a young age I did not know what to do with all the money I

was making. People I was hanging out with was doing drugs and ending up in jail. I did not want to go down the same road as most of my friends. After the summer, I started high school. I did not go to school much during my freshman year of high school, but I did meet some great friends. I spent most of my freshman year out on the streets, slept in hotels and friends house. I ended up with a GPA of 0.36. I wasted my freshman year of high school and I regret that, but if I had to do it all over again I would not change a thing because due to this event I am the man I am today. The change in my life in a positive way came when I entered my sophomore year of high school. I met some great friends that led me in a different path than the one I was on. I was tentative at first but eventually gave in. These friends that I made were not gangsters or drug dealers they were Christians. This transition in my life changes it in a positive way. I started attending church and youth groups. I met my youth pastor who had big influences in my life and eventually invited God into my life. This time of my life was fun and getting to God changed the way I behaved. I stopped dealing drugs and focused on my schooling. I could say that without God in my life I would not be here today. The life I was living before God led down only one road death or jail. I have many childhood friends that are dead due to drugs and gang violence and until this day I have friends that are still in jail. I am the man I am to day because of God and the friends and family I surrounded myself with.

LIFELINE: THE MAKING Looking back at my lifeline map brought back many memories of my life, some good ones and some bad ones. I feel that the events that took place in my life made me the man I am today and I would not change it. The relationships I built and continue to have helped me through life today. Yes, there are events in my life that occurred I wish did not, but things happen for a reason. If I had a choice the only event that occurred in my life that I would change is the death of my best friend. He died at the age of 16 and no one should dye at such a young age and on top of that I was unable to make it to his funeral. If I had to summarize my life, I would say Amen.