All Nonfiction
- Bullying
- Books
- Academic
- Author Interviews
- Celebrity interviews
- College Articles
- College Essays
- Educator of the Year
- Heroes
- Interviews
- Memoir
- Personal Experience
- Sports
- Travel & Culture
All Opinions
- Bullying
- Current Events / Politics
- Discrimination
- Drugs / Alcohol / Smoking
- Entertainment / Celebrities
- Environment
- Love / Relationships
- Movies / Music / TV
- Pop Culture / Trends
- School / College
- Social Issues / Civics
- Spirituality / Religion
- Sports / Hobbies
All Hot Topics
- Bullying
- Community Service
- Environment
- Health
- Letters to the Editor
- Pride & Prejudice
- What Matters
- Back
Summer Guide
- Program Links
- Program Reviews
- Back
College Guide
- College Links
- College Reviews
- College Essays
- College Articles
- Back
What the Future Is
When people think about the future, they think about a better job or money. I think about being true to myself and being happy with it. This is something I’ve always struggled with. To understand my situation, one needs to understand that I was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. It was my home for many years until my parents decided to move us to a strange country called “America.” I had heard things about it, of course, and some of my relatives even lived there, but I wasn’t interested in moving at all.
Now, everyone knows that moving to another country means some kind of cultural shock because one needs to learn that country’s language, start at a new school, meet new people and visit many new places. Unfortunately I didn’t realize just how hard it would be on me. I was really introverted, so I didn’t make friends easily. To my classmates, I was this strange Asian girl who couldn’t spell her own name or complete even the simplest spelling test. This made me a prime target for the school bullies, and my grades were in the toilet. I was officially a Korean-American now, but I didn’t feel American in the slightest. My parents encouraged me to stick it out, though, and they were always there for me whenever I needed help. I started studying harder than ever, so I could catch up with my classmates. I stayed up all night trying to memorize as many vocabulary words as I could. Gradually I started to understand that my teacher wasn’t an alien and that the bizarre language she was speaking was actually making sense. I started earning A’s and became a part of Honor Roll every semester since middle school. New friends followed soon after.
Going to college will be an important step in my journey, not only because I will have a better future, but because I can show that I can handle any and all challenges and be successful. I didn’t give up my Korean identity. Instead, I just added an American part to my identity, and I’m happy with who I am.
Similar Articles
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
This article has 0 comments.