My name is Janie Arredondo; I cannot give a clear description of who I really am because as time goes by, and my experiences increase, my knowledge, beliefs and personality change. I come from a family of 6 brothers and 2 sisters; I am the youngest of them all. In my life, family and religion come first. I was born on April 7th, 1998 in Porterville California, but fully proud of my Mexican heritage. Within only three months after being born, we returned to Mexico and lived there until I was four years old. We had to leave our small village, traditions, and family to look for better opportunities, the typical “American Dream.” I can hardly remember my first days in kindergarten, me holding on tight to my mom, bursting myself into tears. Everything was new to me, new language, new people, and place.
As time went by, I got used to everything but got placed on bilingual classes in my elementary school years because I still felt unsure of my English. However, High School was a complete new cycle for me. I couldn’t believe how fast time had gone by and what the following years would be like. Freshmen and sophomore year were tough but anything I couldn’t accomplish. This year however, is as far the toughest of them all. I have always been a very shy person and up to the date I still am. I must confess that due to that, I have lost a lot of opportunities in life that I regret to the fullest. I have lost joining into activities, clubs, and sports because of it. I am strongly encouraged to defeat that fear because it won’t take me anywhere and I know that for a fact. I don’t want to risk losing any job opportunities in the near future because that will just show me that at the end, my goal was not accomplished.
What encourages me to do my best is the support of all my family, especially the support of my mother. I look up to her because she has taught me that no matter how hard a situation gets, there’s not enough reasons to give up because anything can be done with hard work and determination. She has also thought me the importance of receiving an education and how setting a good example is highly important. I agree with this statement because believe it or not, there’s people that look up to you and setting a good example is a form of thanking them by having them follow your footsteps and leading them to the path of success. I believe that God has a purpose for every single one of us and that we are here for a reason. It’s up to us if we want to receive a great outcome of this opportunity or take it for granted. One thing I can assure is that there is no turning back and only you have control of your life.
As time went by, I got used to everything but got placed on bilingual classes in my elementary school years because I still felt unsure of my English. However, High School was a complete new cycle for me. I couldn’t believe how fast time had gone by and what the following years would be like. Freshmen and sophomore year were tough but anything I couldn’t accomplish. This year however, is as far the toughest of them all. I have always been a very shy person and up to the date I still am. I must confess that due to that, I have lost a lot of opportunities in life that I regret to the fullest. I have lost joining into activities, clubs, and sports because of it. I am strongly encouraged to defeat that fear because it won’t take me anywhere and I know that for a fact. I don’t want to risk losing any job opportunities in the near future because that will just show me that at the end, my goal was not accomplished.
What encourages me to do my best is the support of all my family, especially the support of my mother. I look up to her because she has taught me that no matter how hard a situation gets, there’s not enough reasons to give up because anything can be done with hard work and determination. She has also thought me the importance of receiving an education and how setting a good example is highly important. I agree with this statement because believe it or not, there’s people that look up to you and setting a good example is a form of thanking them by having them follow your footsteps and leading them to the path of success. I believe that God has a purpose for every single one of us and that we are here for a reason. It’s up to us if we want to receive a great outcome of this opportunity or take it for granted. One thing I can assure is that there is no turning back and only you have control of your life.