Describe the world you come from for example, your family, community or school and tell us how

ow your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

I came from boat people, descendents of Vietnamese civilians fleeing their homeland from the turmoil of war. The tragedies that trailed my parents steps following the destruction of the Vietnam War never touched me. The tales of agony and futility, despair and remorse seemed like a Grimms fairy tale. I could not imagine my father witnessing the rotting corpse of his dear friend, the stench and image of the mangled flesh and wriggling maggots burned into his memory. The price he had to pay to transition from youth to adult was unreal to me. The thoughts my father had as he crossed the Pacific, running from his own countrymen were baffling. What future was taken away from him; which dream was lost, and what was given? In my childhood, my fathers gilded smile held a shadow of shame. He had left his family, his nation, and his pride. His desire to carve out a better life in America, at the cost of abandoning his eight siblings was an aching scar. He pushed me, encouraged me, and continually raised the bar. I did not resent him for I could see the wounded hole still weeping open after all those years. I was the peg that held him in place. I respected the challenges my parents faced and was proud of my identity. Imagine a petite girl, around the age of six, sporting a dark pudding bowl haircut and coal eyes. This girl walked into a room where the only color that differed from creamy white was a rich caramel brown. She was a distant traveler, ignorant of the common practices. She was viewed as a visitor, not yet one of the students and an alien. The piercing eyes that judged how she walked, dressed, and talked never left her. They bore into her back, noting her mannerisms and reactions. It was I , an outsider, and the stares were unrelenting. I remember when we first began our discussion with others. How late did you stay up?' and what did you do for fun during the weekend?' were a few of the general questions. The comments now seem normal and innocent, but back then they were a window into a different life. Going to the movie theater or playing in the park were fanciful wisps of longing. The others differed from me and couldnt realize the small gems in their everyday lives. I want to champion the views of my parents who traveled a harrowing journey. I will take as much experience as I can in this world. With my knowledge, I want to pluck leaves of opportunity and pen my adventures. I want to capture the worlds minimized problems and address them, to pull them to the public stage, to fix situations that humans cannot perceive, yet persist to plague our world. I want to spread these issues across newspapers and magazines, to transform others perceptions and show them this expansive, intricate world. This is what I aspire to. My parents were the first step to rewarding me this insight. They left me the greatest examples that someone my age could receive: courage and hope. Trudging onward into uncharted waters, they left for the new world in boats with the suffocating stench of mildew and fish. From the sea they raised a child, nurturing her unique sight.