Jared Arcos

My parents immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico about 17 years ago for the "American Dream". They left all their family and friends leaving everything they ever knew behind, having to start their lives again in an unfamiliar place without knowing the language. Being the eldest daughter of immigrant parents can be challenging, from them having a different view on things to not being able to rely on parents for homework help because they don't speak the language or they didn't have the same learning opportunities. As I get closer to graduating high school I begin to think about the goals I hope to obtain once I graduate and how my parents' sacrifices have brought me closer to achieving them. My parents may have not had the same opportunities to succeed as I do now and this is why I always push myself to get ahead and do my best. This is why I decided to apply to a high school with a dual enrollment program so that when I graduate high school I will have earned an Associates Degree and I could continue my education as a Junior instead of starting as a freshman saving me both time and money. I currently have 27 college credits as a high school junior, I am working towards earning my AA degree in pre-engineering or architecture. I hope to finish high school with more than 60 credits. Having heard of the sacrifices my parents made for my sister and I just so that we will have more opportunities than they had motivates me to want to further my education to make their sacrifices worth it. I chose to further my education so that I can pay back my parents and thank them for everything they have done for me and even help them fulfill some of their dreams and goals. Once I graduate I would like to attend UCLA or Caltech. Math and science have always been my favorite subjects so it makes sense that my dream is to be an engineer and to work for Nasa as a mechanical or aerospace engineer. When someone asks me about my goals I don’t say that “I hope to be the first in my family to graduate and attend university” I say “I will be the first in my family to graduate from university” because I know with all the efforts and dedication I have plus knowing everything my parents have done for me just to get an opportunity like attending JFK that I will reach my goals.