As a human being I still have much to experience and I can not say that one specific experience has made me in to the person I am today, rather my parents, family, and friends have played a large role in shaping who I am today as an individual.
My parents were born and raised in the Punjab region of India and immigrated to the U.S. in the hopes of providing a bright and successful future for their children. Ever since they immigrated to the US, nineteen years ago, they have worked night and day without rest to make sure that my siblings and I can live the life they dreamed for us. However as is the case with many immigrant families their entire lives thus far have been filled with strenuous, back breaking work, which has had lasting effects on my parents, some visible and others not so much. My father works in the city and travels by public transportation everyday. He leaves the house at around eight in the morning and does not return until midnight. Obviously this would have had great effects on my father’s health and these problems manifested in his legs, which were weakened over the years, where it came to the point that they just bled without cause. He now takes great care of them, but it is hard to see him suffer like that. That is one of the reasons for why I will pursue success in life. I wish to see my parents healthy and happy and if I can relieve them of some of their burden then I will be satisfied to know that I have been of some help to them.
In their attempts to achieve a better life they held on to one important aspect of their former lives in India, their values and beliefs. These values were instilled in to my siblings and me. I am thankful to my parents for connecting me to my culture; however there have been times when I have felt suffocated by these very same values. Growing up in a conservative family I was sheltered from the world for a large portion of my life. My access to the “outside” world was limited to family friends and school. Although this enabled me to create very close and personal relationship with my family, there were times when I would become very frustrated with my parents. I was unable to enjoy many of the things that others my age did. My parents restrictions on my social life was influenced largely by the Indian belief that the daughter held all of a family’s honor on her shoulders. If she were to make one wrong decision, she would bring dishonor and shame to her family. This however began to change in the last year. I guess my parents finally understood that it was important for me to experience what the world has to offer first hand so that I can prepare myself for what the future holds. Since my parents have granted me these new priveleges I plan on extending them to activities that I would like to participate in at Baruch.
Although I did say that there were no specific events that shaped the person that I am today, there was one event in my life that influenced me to follow a certain path in life. It was the day that my parents received their green cards. From a very young age I grew up with my parents constantly worrying about their non-permanent status as residents in the U.S. and this shaped a large part of my life. From the time I was six to when they were finally approved when I was fourteen I was annually making visits to court to attend the hearings for my parents appeal case for their green cards. In this way I was first introduced to the court room and the American justice system. The young child that I was, the initial trips to court were a very frightening experience; however no matter how terrified or worried, court and the US justice system never ceased to amaze me. I was always left in awe every time I was in one. These hearings centered on me and my siblings and our future. At one point my parent’s lawyer had prepared me to provide testimony in court. If my parents were denied permanent residence then they would have had to leave the country, taking my siblings and me with them. Our entire lives were at stake and matters were made worse when my parents learned that their attorney was intentionally delaying any chances they had of winning their case just so that he could make more money. We had to find a new lawyer and through his dedication my parents finally one their case and were able to breath a sigh of relief for the first time in years. The actions of my parents’ lawyer and their dilemma made me want to help others like my parents or other people in need of legal aid. These short moments in my life turned in to big important events when I finally decided that I wanted to pursue a career in law to help others in need and to provide them with justice.
Now that I am finished talking about my life I will tell you all about my expectations at Baruch.
Beginning my first semester of college there are many new experiences that I would like to take part in. First I want to become actively involved in the school. I do not want to be a student who just goes home right after her last class. Although at the moment I am the student that I do not want to be, but rest assured that will change by the start of the next semester. Along with that I expect to learn many new things. College is a place filled with many opportunities and I will be using everything offered at Baruch to its fullest. This is the times for me to explore new walks of life and experiment with different subjects. Anything can happen and I intend to enjoy my next four years at Baruch. Of course there will be times when I will worry about the final next week that I forgot to study for or the report due the next day (I will also learn how to manage my time properly by next semester as well), but there will also be times where I will be able to help others through community service whether it be through the school or on my own or attend events held in school be it parties, plays, dances, etc.
I hope that anybody who reads this has found it somewhat intersting and has learned something more about who I am. I know that I am initially seen as a very quiet person, but those who know me well can tell you that I am a very energetic person who is in love with life. Its something that not many people are able to see because I am a shy person, but I hope that I will be able to change that in the years to come.
(I know I went way over the limit but I hope that is ok)