A Life Changing Story Essay Example for Free

A Life Changing Story Essay apple Speech June 10, 2010 On family line 20, 2002 1 bought my firstborn classic pink iPod. On October of 2005, I bought my first iPod Nano in yellow. Last summer, I bought my first laptop computer, the Macbook Pro, and my first iPod touch. Wow I read shared many a(prenominal) of my first experiences with Apple and I am your loyal customer, and l, Ana Plascencia, am truly honored to be given the opportunity to predict you (the men and women) who set out contri exactlyed to the success of the Apple and who befuddle contri barelyed to my success in steep school. Lets face it your slick technology assisted me with my homework nd research projects, anyowed me to compose my own music, and all(prenominal)owed me to gain exposure to the extraneous world. You are the superior innovators in the world, and you have been distinguished to me because simply by your products you helped me succeed through high school and you have helped me make some of my woolgathers From an early come on my cause inspired me to use set much(prenominal) as come true. passion, perseverance, and discipline to make my dreams a reality.My mother ceaselessly says that the mind puts limits on ones dreams, but the look has the power to overcome those limits and make those dreams come true. I have seen, in my mother and myself, this power of lead to persevere and to strive to be greater than one thinks they potbelly be. But I have similarly come to realize the deeper and truer meaning of my mothers saying. My mother emigrated from Mexico and raised me by herself with little reproduction and little understanding of the English language. I view strength and passionateness motivated her as she worked ternary Jobs, s steady twenty-four hourss a week earning no more than nine twenty-five an hour.At the age of six, I began to work several(prenominal) fourth dimensions a week at restaurants and community events as a Mariachi singer thanks to an uncle of mine ho taught me how to play this great music from an early age. I performed for several hours during the week end ups, earning as much as fifty dollars an hour, in order to help my mother make ends par apply for the both of us. I loved Mariachi music then and still do now. But as I look back, Im am struck by key determine such as working diligently and disciplinarily, along with the power of fellowship a power of the mind that also enabled me to help concur my family even from a young age.As I grew older, I saw that my mother, too, recognized that passion and working diligently were mportant, but by themselves they were not plenteous to fulfill ones dreams. Along with passion and steadfastly work, she considerd the power of knowledge was a crucial key to realizing ones goals. She worked very hard so that I could go to school, to study, so that I might accomplish my dreams. But my mother and I didnt have the same vision at that time. I thought that by working and world focused on making money I could slow help support my mother. But my mother had bigger dreams for me she knew that an education was crucial for my future.She knew that I infallible to have an ducation to open new doors and have the opportunities she didnt have. Of course this tension between my mothers dreams for herself and her dreams for me was not something I reflected upon until later. My mother also instilled in me a dedication to my family and my community. Therefore at Mitty I got involved because it is was important for me to explore and take advantage of the opportunities offered at Mitty. and share the diverse Latin American glosss with the Mitty community. I was also a Mitty ambassador and an active member of campus ministry.In my local community, y passion for helping younger generations develop and modify their skills in reading lead me to co-found the S. T. A. R. S. reading program where I tutor children from low-income families and ignite in them the love fo r learning. Attending Mitty gave me the confidence to co-fund this program and help make a deflection in a childs life, who through reading obtained confidence and a power of knowledge. My dedication for serving my community and my passion for learning have successfully transformed me into the young lady I am today.Today, this young lady that stands efore you nevertheless receive a hardly a(prenominal) weeks ago from Archbishop Mitty High School, thanks to a scholarship that awarded me with the opportunity to attend a college- preparatory institution. The young lady that stands before you is a now a proud woman who volition be the first in her family to attend college and who give be attendance Wellesley College in Massachusetts this forthcoming fall to obtain a dual degree in biochemistry and biomedical engineering so that I may train to mother a medical doctor.My dream to become a doctor began when I started volunteering at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, and was t ouched after a special incident. During mid- July of 2008, I was handed a set of personal history questions and pick uped to interview Spanish- oratory patients. I wasnt worried about having to translate because I expected the questions to be rather basic, but they were deeply serious. The patient I interviewed was Mrs. G. Mrs. G was a forty-five-year old, obese, Hispanic woman suffering from diabetes.The first few questions were neutral enough, but then I translated, have you attempt or have thought of attempting suicide because of your health condition? To my surprise, Mrs. G said, mies. Then I had to ask Mrs. G if her health condition made her feel useless, insignificant, or invaluable, and again she responded, mies. Suddenly her face was cover with a flood of tears, and she began to plead for my help. She wanted me, a fifteen-year-old girl, to help her restore not solely her health, but also her faith in life. At that moment I became frustrated and upset. I matte up useless. I mat insignificant. The only thing I knew to do was to give her a hug and tell her with all my heart that everything was going to be okay. But I knew that was not enough. How could I restore her desire to sleep together if I didnt have the knowledge or skills to make her healthy? Ever since this incident I felt powerless. The idea that I could help and make a difference in an individuals life through being a doctor was exciting. But at that moment I also understood I didnt Just wanted to be a doctor, I wanted to travel the world and offer pro bono health care to people who lacked the resources.I also wanted to be a doctor who gives inspiration and desires of hope. I believe that with this education I can come my heart and be truly useful to my family and my community. If you had met me 5 to 6 age ago, my accomplishments would not have seemed possible or even realistic because I lacked the confidence to believe that a single individual can lead and change the world, especially i f that individual was a minority with little money. Now I understand that I am as capable as anyone else to become a leader for my community and I have the power to transform the world I spirited in.All of you present here today, are successful (businessmen and businesswoman) you have realized some of your dreams had to experience to get to success was difficult, but you have an education, an xtraordinary Job, and a great future ahead of you. More importantly I feel honored to stand before men and women who have the power to affect so many lives through the Apple products. In all you are, and all you must have done to be where you are, you have the power to make a difference in peoples lives.Dont limit yourself and try to be the best you can be because you have the opportunity to come about to deepen your knowledge, achieve personal growth, and make a difference in your communities. You see, Just four years ago, I was given the opportunity to change my ife by attending Mitty, bu t I was naive and close-minded. I was afraid. I was afraid that by attending Mitty and striving to follow a different path than my neighborhood friends, I would have to leave behind my identity and cheat on my culture.I was afraid of being successful because in the neighborhood I grew up in, Mexicans never amounted to anything important which caused me to believe that I would fail like everyone around me did. I truly lost a aesthesis of who I was and who I wanted to be. It may come as a surprise to you, but during affectionateness school I was involved with gangs. Although I wanted to run away from the neighborhood I grew up in and I wanted to change who I was at that time, I was afraid that I could never become a better person.I had big dreams, but I was afraid that I would always be that person somehow. But in the end I realized that my past didnt have to prepare me and that I could change today and be the person I wanted to be. I realized I couldnt let this opportunity go awa y and that I at least had to try to change. In the end I realized that because of my fear I was creating excuses and setting limitations for myself, but that n order to grow, I needed to regard the courage to overcome my fears. Many of you may be wondering, what motivated me to leave behind my fears and act a different path?What motivated me to overcome by own limitations? My family was a key factor, but I was near enlightened to change my path after a visit to Guadalajara, Mexico. A few weeks before the deadline for registration at Mitty, I traveled to Mexico during the summer. During my trip, I was shocked by the poor conditions my family members lived in. In my families nearby ranchitos (small towns), I saw children alking barefooted with ripped clothing plead on the dirt road in the rural countryside.As I saw the look of the childrens faces, I began to picture myself as the child begging on the dirt road. At the moment I understood why my mother worked as hard as she did and encouraged me to strive for greatness. At that moment I began to appreciate the food, the shelter, and the life my mother provided for me in the U. S. My trip to Guadalajara also taught me to value education. In the rural countryside in Guadalajara, I met an older cousin named Roxana she is the hour youngest of her six siblings.At the time, she had graduated from high school 3 years ago, but had to abandon her dream of becoming a physician because her family lacked the financial resources to pay for college. Roxana sacrificed her own dream to help her family survive. Once I heard my cousins story I felt insignificant. I felt ashamed of who I was at the time and how I was wasting my life because I knew that my cousin would have given everything she had to have the opportunities I did. At that point, I felt as if God was purposely rescuing me and offering me a second chance by blessing me with the scholarship.Almost instantly, my anxiety and fears wondering if my cousin ended up acc omplishing her dream, and she did. After dedicating herself four years to work for the survival of her family, Roxana was awarded with a four-year scholarship that enabled her to pursue her dream. The hunger Roxana demonstrated to break free from the wheel of poverty, motivated me to also break free from my past and attend Mitty. My experience at Mitty was one of the most difficult experiences of my life. When I began my education at Mitty I was not very good at speaking English.I was an outcast. I entered a new environment here I experienced a culture shock because more than 56% of the student body was white and only 10% was Hispanic at that current time. In addition I didnt know anyone, I wasnt catholic, I didnt know the rules, and I felt imprisoned in a complete different world where it was hard adjusting emotionally, physically, and mentally. After spending the first month eating in a bathroom stall and preventing myself from integrating into the Mitty community, I said enough and I found the courage to break my shell.I had to work hard everyday and even though I grew tired of having to fit in nd adjust to the workload, I couldnt let anything or anyone chink me. I was given an opportunity to become an educated and well-rounded person, and how could I not do it, I couldnt let myself down. Despite the rigid workload and the many sleepless nights, Mitty truly transformed my entire life. I am intellectually competent and a leader of the Mitty community, but I am also a young lady who is passionate for social justice. In my four-year experience at Mitty, many didnt believe I would make it.Many didnt believe I even deserved to be given an opportunity such as attending a private high school with a full ride. Thanks to the support of my teachers, my counselors, my principal, and friends, I learned to believe in myself and that was all I needed to continue to fight. I am greater than I ever thought I could be, and I know I will continue to grow as I begin a new s tage of my life in college. If I am successful, it is my heartfelt belief that my success will be by some combination of heart and mind.Passion and love may drive the values of sacrifice, hard work, and dedication, but insight, thought and knowledge will focus those values into the actions needed to realize my goals. Insight, thought, and knowledge along with hard work and edication are values that have helped you realize your own goals. You work in an extraordinary environment where your work each day transforms the world we live in. You are leading the way towards a future full of opportunities and new discoveries.My only wish is that from my speech today you remember two things. First, take advantage of the limitless opportunities Apple offers. These opportunities will allow you to deepen your knowledge, realize your greater potential, and become empowered to not only to achieve the ostensibly impossible, but also achieve personal balance in your overall success. You are all alr eady successful businessmen nd businesswomen, but dont feel afraid to take an extra step to find new, innovative ways to contribute to Apple.And finally, I feel privileged to have shared my story with such a special breed of people who can make such a difference because of all of the opportunities you have that others dont. I think you have power and you can pay it forward to others in our society. determine at how my life changed because one school believed in me and took a chance, and each one of you has the power to do the same. This is why I am so excited to be here with you, you are truly the greatest innovators power. Thank you.