Hi guys:

So, you probably already know the basics about me. I’m Pamela. We’re all in the same LC. How fun!

I guess I’m here to talk about experiences and how they have shaped me. I guess that’s what I’ll do.

My life has not been something completely out of the ordinary. Both of my parents are immigrants from Poland who came here in their early 30s to acquire a better life. They came here after the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and found each other. Bla bla bla, got married and then had my sister and me. My sister is one of the biggest influences in my life. She is probably the most important person in my life. Her name is Katherine and she’s twenty years old. She was the first one in our family to go to college, and I’m the second to follow. Having her in my life, and dealing with the same parents, we rely on each other a lot. My parents and I aren’t as close as I wish we were. I’m not sure if it’s the age difference or the cultural difference, or just the mentality of an immigrant that I do not share, but something drifts us apart. It has become extremely prominent in the last couple of years. I don’t share a lot of the same values as they do, and it upsets them. I’m trying to deal with it, but it’s hard.

One experience that definitely had an impact on me was when my close friend died. He was only a year older than me at the time and it was the most unexpected thing in the world. It made me view life completely differently. I don’t look at death as something so far reaching. And this is not saying that I have become completely pessimistic; it’s just saying that I look at life like tomorrow could be my last, so using up any opportunities to better myself is what I try to do.

I expect college to be a lot more work than high school. I really hope to get the most out of it. I want to still be able to do the things that I love, but at the same time, focus on getting an education that will get me a job I enjoy. I really just hope I do well in every class, and I get adjusted.