Being an independent thinker with a "can do" attitude has not always worked out to be a good thing. Growing up in a family of seven in a poor section of La Puente, California taught me that I had to go get everything. As much as my parents wanted to provide the better things in life for my siblings and myself, they could not. In fact, we would make our own milk out of powder mixing it with warm water and placing the pitcher in the refrigerator before bed, hoping it was at least a little cold by morning. Beans, potatoes and twenty-three cent boxes of macaroni and cheese were all too common. There was never any Cub Scouts or Little League for us, just a hand me down bike from cousins that we had to share. All this left a bad taste in my mouth and forced me to realize that I had to take matters in to my own hands such as a paper route for earning money. When the bike had a flat, I
I never looked backed until now that I have my own family of three children and a wife. I want to try raising my children differently, my way, with kindness, love, and leading by example. It's not enough to say to my children, "You must get a college education." I have to show them and be their role model. I have learned a valuable lesson the hard way and that lesson is that it's okay to be independent, but don't let it hinder your progress like I did by leaving. If I had stayed I would have fulfilled my degree requirements at a time with far less distractions, such as full time employment and family. Now that I am ready to transfer to the University of California, I have a chance to make up for lost time, do the right thing and be able to say to my children, "I did it and so can you."
By age sixteen, I had taken all I could stand and at seventeen, tried to move out on my own with two friends into a low budget a
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