<p>The prompt is: 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.</p>
<p>Being a citizen in the City of Buffalo doesnt exactly draw envy from outsiders and identifying as a student in the Buffalo Public City School District is similar to having the title unemployed; others are filled with empathy, and offer their apologies. As an adolescent though, learning to live and be happy with what you have is second nature and youre unaware of better conditions unless youve had the chance to experience them. To mature is to become aware of and begin to understand your surroundings. On opening day of my freshman year in high school, the real outside world was abruptly unlocked to me; I was like a curious little puppy getting loose and running away for the first time.
To get to my high school, I would have to cross the entire city. My life journey began with a single step outside, the first time being solely responsible for myself. The true nature of my city unveiled itself in each step toward the train I took. Knowing that Buffalo had once been one of the most sought after places to live because of its close proximity to Canada and its booming steel industry, I couldnt fathom to be looking at seven abandoned homes on my very own street. How did this happen? was one of several questions shouting in my head. The train ride was filled with stories of losses, pain, and suffering. No matter who I spoke to, I found myself sympathizing with and sharing my own personal stories.
Before I knew it, I entered the doors of Leonardo da Vinci High School. Conversations went wild in the cafeteria about how our summers went. My soon to be best friend informed the table about how her father was shot in the east side of Buffalo, a mundane occurrence in the gang life in this neighborhood. I told the story about seeing gang fights on my street and being scared to death watching them through my attic window. Talking about all this openly made me realize that our city had some serious problems. I came home that day and asked my mom if we could move to a rich area, wondering why I had to live in an area that was so unsafe and poverty stricken. She told me that I would one day benefit from it, that sometimes in life everything happens for a reason. This wasnt exactly the answer I wanted. The next year I entered a Career Discovery college course. The first thing the professor asked me was whats an important issue to you? It was then that an enlightenment took place in my brain. I knew why I was born in Buffalo.
I think to myself how different my life would have been had I not grown up in the city of Buffalo. If I had lived in some small suburban town, perhaps my life would be different, and perhaps I would be aspiring to become a doctor, or a teacher. But, as my mother says, everything happens for a reason. Living in Buffalo has inspired me to be the change I wish to see in the world. I will not stand for the conditions the people in my city have gone through. I want to bring Buffalo back to the city it used to be, an in demand city with an economy that has other cities trying to replicate.</p>
<p>Thank you SO much for your help <3</p>