Sunday, May 19, 2013

Personal Statement for College: by Rona Lee*



I was born as the second child in my family in Fuzhou, China. Because of the “One-Child” law in place at the time, my parents took me up on a mountain and hid me away to die, so everyone could act as though I had never existed. A combination of accident (an elderly woman found me after eighteen hours) and love (my parents still wanted me in the face of severe punishment) saved me, but I was made aware very early in my life that, to the people in power, my existence meant nothing.  This knowledge haunted me during my ten years in China, but I would eventually overcome it.
I moved to America in time to begin the fifth grade. I was the only international student in the entire body of five hundred kids in the public elementary school. On my first day, I saw a big sign with M-R-S. C-H-E-S-T-E-R stenciled on it. I knew this must be my classroom, because I held a paper showing the identical symbols. I was hampered by memories of school in China: of desks crowded together within the confines of dark walls, menacing with punishment; of being hit on my right palm with a bamboo stick; blows as loud as thunder and stinging like lightning. But here I was in a new country, with my purple knapsack, my brand new dress with Winnie the Pooh on its right shoulder, and my shiny black shoes. From behind me I heard, “Hi, Rona.” I felt a hug and was guided by the hand into the room, with many students eyeing me from head to toe. I, too, stared, and for the first time I was surrounded by this strange language. While I did not understand the words at first, I began to realize that somehow my existence mattered to Mrs. Chester and other Americans. I had a chance here.
I gained confidence in myself from Mrs. Chester and others, and it buoyed me up through the challenges that faced me.  During my sophomore year in high school, my grandfather in China passed away, and my parents left for China for two months.  They left the family restaurant in my care.  In order to keep the business running, my sister and I had to hire a cook and plead with my high school to allow us to go home every day to help in the restaurant. After I promised that going home would not affect my grades in any of my classes, they relented. Every day, after all of my classes, sports, and school requirements were taken care of, I went to the restaurant to take care of customers.  I would work from 5 PM to 11 PM. on weekdays, and on weekends from 11 AM to 11 PM. For two months, I was a student by day and a restaurant manager, dishwasher, cooker, waiter, cashier, and translator by night.
To ensure that I kept my promises, the school also put me on the “Weekly Sheets” program, an academic requirement for students who are failing their classes. Every Wednesday, after all of my classes, I had to find every one of my teachers and have them sign a sheet that said I was passing all of my tests and quizzes and doing all of my homework. Many of my friends came to believe that I actually was failing. There was nothing I could do, though, but keep working.
During those two months, the only time I had available to do homework was after 11 PM, when my restaurant closed. Nevertheless, determination and hard work helped me to make High Honor Roll for the first time. My restaurant’s business also increased. 
Those two months helped me find a new side of myself. I learned not only how to work under pressure but also how to organize my time wisely. Even though this experience may have been the hardest part of my life, I found that with persistence, hope, and hard work I achieved success.  I am glad that I had the opportunity to challenge myself then, in order to become the person that I am today.
I am the sum of my experiences: living in hiding in a land that did not want me, finding my identity in a new country, and learning my own strength in the face of adversity. These experiences give me the value of my life. I do not have to search for myself. I know who I am.



*Rona Lee currently works in Healthcare and lives in the west coast. 







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