Mother

My mother, Michelle Little, was most likely born in Korea. She was found on a
subway train as an infant without any identification. Then, she was dropped off at an
orphanage in Kusan, Korea. The orphanage gave her the name, Mija Choi and an
approximated birth date of July 3, 1967. The orphanage she lived in was very rural. She
lived every day starving and cold. Her diet consisted of only one bowl of rice and barely
a day. She never ate meat, fruit, or vegetables. At night, she would sleep on the cold, hard
floor without even a blanket. However, when I ask her if she was sad during this time she
replies, I didnt have enough to understand sadness or to even think about my future. All
I thought about was my next meal and survival. In spite of this time of hardship, she
remembers having older friends who took care of her and when the orphanage organized
events where all the children would sing and dance with each other. Then, at six and half
years of age, she was miraculously adopted.
In 1973, Chris and Gene Little adopted her giving her the name, Patricia.
However, after three months of Mija not responding to this new name they realized they
should give up on it, and pick a name more similar to that of her native name. They
settled on the name, Michelle. The transition to their lifestyle was a great feat. She had to
learn a new language and a whole new culture. This consisted of learning how to sleep in
a bed, eating American food, and understanding the American way of life. Although it
took time, she became quite assimilated. Sadly, when she became immersed in the
English language, she lost her native language, Korean. She then went to school for the
first time, starting kindergarten at almost seven years old. Due to her situation, she was a
very shy student. Also, she struggled in basic reading, writing, and comprehension until

she was in the fifth grade. She gradually opened up, and became more sociable and
confident as she developed her new life. All throughout these challenges, she moved
frequently because her adoptive father, my grandfather, was a Veterinarian in the US Air
Force. Some places she lived in included Texas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Taiwan, and
Japan. Throughout high school, she lived in Okinawa, Japan. All the schools she went to
were located on US military bases, so everyone spoke English. In high school, she
enjoyed soccer and tennis as well as participating in her school's drama department. For
fun, Michelle and her friends would take the bus north and go to Moon Beach and
boogie-board all day. When they took these trips, they always purchased a bento box
lunch from a street vendor on the way there. Although she struggled in her early years to
learn the language, she worked hard and even managed to attend California Polytechnic
State University Pomona.
At Cal Poly Pomona, Michelle studied Business with and emphasis on Computer
Information Systems. During college, she continued to study diligently, while also
maintaining a job to pay for tuition as well as living expenses. Living off of ramen and
cheap meals, she learned to be independent very quickly. Once again, even though she
had a lot going on she made numerous friends, with whom she still keeps in touch with.
After graduating, she realized she did not want to become a programmer. Her first job out
of college was hiring temporary workers for a consulting company. After a year of
loathing this job, she realized she was not suited for an eight hour a day office job. By the
suggestion of a friend, she entered the world of sales. Her first job in sales was selling
copy and fax machines for Canon. Then she met Reed Burkhart, in 1992. They married in
1993 and had their first child, Timothy, a year later. She quit her job a month before Tim

was born and eventually became a stay at home mother. Two years later, she gave birth to
a healthy, bouncing baby boy, Scott. Then again, after another two years, she gave birth
to me, Amanda. Her marriage with Reed faced many problems and ultimately ended in
2003. Then, she went back into sales and was a single mother of three for two years. This
was a very difficult time, but eventually this storm cloud in her life passed. In 2005, she
remarried to James Morrow, her current husband. Michelle is still working in sales and
continues to support her children in everything they do. She lives everyday with a bright
smile and a positive mindset. Recently, she has been re-introduced to her Korean
heritage, and continues to explore their culture, food, and language.