<p>I dont know if this is the right place to post it but here goes nothing:</p>
<p>(Tell me if Im violating a rule and Im sorry if I am!)</p>
<p>"Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations." 543 words</p>
<p>Everyone needs a companion in life. To me, ever since I was young, that companion has been my younger brother, Ray. Growing up with such a close relationship has aspired my future aspiration to become a support system to those who lack one. </p>
<p>Only a year apart, Ray and I have gone to the same school since I was in first grade. We acknowledge each other with a head jerk, which is sufficient enough as our salutation. We laughed with the same maniacal laugh, spoke with the same brief tone, and sat with the same rigid posture. In short, we are each others backbones of support. Having such a close bond with my brother is what helped both of us through my familys immigration, and a few years later, my parents divorce. </p>
<p>My family immigrated to the United States from Taiwan in 2004. Devastated by the faltering family business in Taiwan, my mother was ready to bring her family to the United States. My father thought differently. He didnt want to leave his friends, parents or the familiar country he knew as home. After a few years in the U.S., my parents filed for divorce. Unwilling to adapt to a new life, my father packed his bags and returned to Taiwan.</p>
<p>Transitioning to a family headed by a single mother was hard. We learned to cut many expenses in order to pay rent. When we moved to California, language was a big barrier, since none of us knew how to speak English. As the years progressed, my brother and I not only improved our English, but we also learned to depend on each other. When my mom stressed about paying bills, we kept each other company to forget. When we longed for my dad's phone calls, we reminded each other to be resilient. </p>
<p>Ray helped me to become the strong individual I am today. Because of him, I learned to live in the stressful environment of my home by adapting to economic disadvantages, school and stress, knowing that I had someone to turn to. Having such support and companionship at home, Im able to help my friends, who similarly struggle with school and family, because Im able to relate to them. As I grew up, I realized that it was no longer just about me and the struggles I faced at home because everyone goes through hardship. Rather, I learned to forget about my problems momentarily to fully become my friends support. Thriving off these social interactions between my friends, Im finally content that, little by little, Im able to become to them what Ray is to me. </p>
<p>My brothers never-ending support for me has inspired my future aspirations. Whether I become a nurse, pediatrician, counselor or psychiatrist, I want to be that support system for those who lack one. I dont just want to be a friend; I want to be involved entirely and I want to understand. In every situation, children always need someone to whom they can turn for solace and refuge. Having such peer support transformed me into a strong individual who is able to overcome the hardest years of my life. One step at a time, I aspire to become what my brother is to memy confidant. </p>
<p>*</p>
<p>"Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?" 457 words
Being a part of my school's UNICEF club has taught me one very special lesson: how you conduct yourself as a leader has a profound impact with people. Likewise, taking a leadership role and being passionate can positively affect others.</p>
<p>At the beginning, I speculated and even shied away at the idea of being president of the UNICEF club. I was no natural leader; I didn't know how to run a club. However, I realized that this was the perfect opportunity for me to interact with my community and express my social side, since I enjoy being with people. Given the chance, I embraced my leadership.</p>
<p>When it came time for the club's annual Halloween giving campaign, I coordinated club presentations at local elementary schools for the purpose of advocating and fundraising. Our goal was to educate children about the struggles faced by their peers in underdeveloped countries, and encourage them to contribute to the cause. </p>
<p>We, the club presenters, were role models for the students. What we said was absorbed into their being. If we were enthusiastic about giving, this passion resonated to them and became an encouragement for them to contribute. As children, they want to follow the pattern set by adults, just like how as children, we looked up to the older ones as examples. Looking into the crowd of mesmerized children, I knew that my speech, tone and body language had a great effect on our overall presentation. I had one chance to make an impact, and I took the risk of being quirky among children. My tone was bubbly, my hand gestures were engaging and my enthusiasm thrived. I let loose any initial barrier of anxiety and embraced my talkative, exuberant nature. While I led, my club members picked up the enthusiasm and began to behave like professionals. We weren't high schoolers anymore; we were role models.</p>
<p>In the end, I learned that the way you conduct yourself as a leader has a profound impact with others around you. The more passion I conveyed, the more change I saw develop. The children were so excited about giving; they even wanted to send food and water. We transformed a group of ordinary children into a group of equipped, energized and enthusiastic leaders. Our contribution not only fundraised over $8,000 that school year to the childrens emergency relief, but we also changed the attitude among the younger generation. </p>
<p>To this day, there would be no club nor Halloween campaign without the members and their individual portions in the club. I am able to give the club the responsibility, enthusiasm and leadership that it needed. By interacting with my community, I was able to further perfect my social character to train my leadership skills.</p>