College Essay

Overcome

I was overwhelmed with joy. I didn’t realize that I bowed and raised my hand up waving the peace sign up in the air. After noticing people laughing and smiling at me, I saw my arm, and the first thing that came across my mind was “I didn’t just do that in front of people, did I?” . Then I made my exit off the stage and there was a sigh of relief, I was so happy I sang the song to the best of my ability and exited with the most infamous sign in front of college students at the Umass Amherst, Cambodian New Year party.

I am a Cambodian. I live and breathe by that title, but that is not the only thing that shapes my life and perspective. My family plays an important role in motivating and influencing me. I have one older sister and two older brothers who broke the ice for me. My parents were once very strict. My dad use to make sure that school was what we lived and breathed. He would lecture us every day about it and told us that it was no time to fool around. Even a B was not acceptable or even doing any extracurricular activity. I remember when my older sister graduated out of high school and started living on campus at Umass Dartmouth. My dad would make sure she would not hang out with college boys or party. But when she met her first boyfriend, my sister persuaded him that she was in control of herself academically.

I was always scared of my dad. He scolded me a lot so I never had the guts to ask him for anything. But in order to sing I had to ask him this time I would not give up. I remember that my whole family had persuaded him to let me sing at the Cambodian New Year show, but it was entirely up to me to prove it to him with my grades. He approved but I wasn’t to sure if I could sing. I was such a nervous wreck in front of people; I didn’t know how I could overcome the fear of being nervous. But all it took was time and dedication to boost up my confidence from being nervous. Now that my dad is more lenient and understanding we are becoming the best of friends.

As you can see I had succeeded in overcoming my obstacles and fears. From the first year that I sang in Umass Amherst, I had participated in the same show there for 3 consecutive years, I sang the Star Spangle Banner at my 8^th grade graduation, joined chorus and a youth singing group. No I’m not famous like Britney Spears or those other famous singers but I fulfill my dream of singing in front of crowds. I have taught myself to never let any obstacle interfere with my dreams and goal because that struggle will lead me to success no matter how long it takes. And along that way I’ll gain something beautiful like a friendship between a father and a daughter.