<p>This is my UC Prompt #1 Essay. Any thoughts on how to improve? i.e. add something here, remove that, etc.</p>
<p>" When my dad's parents brought him to America from Mexico, they had a vision, a dream: to have a better life not only for themselves, but for their son. They would achieve this goal through hard work and determination. As my dad grew up, he was not met with academic support or any push from his parents to go to college. Instead he got a job early on to support my mom and my then-new-born sister. He made an honest living, turning nothing into something in hopes of giving me more opportunities than he had.
My whole community possesses similar qualities to that of my dad- hard working but no higher education. Determined yet underrepresented. But these citizens of my community work hard to give their children what they never had: a chance to go to a good college, a chance to become somebody, a chance to give a voice to the otherwise silent, the unheard.
My dad gets no vacation days, no paid time off. He rarely visits the doctor unless it is an emergency. His work availability as a truck driver is at the mercy of the economy's health. He is the epitome of the hard working immigrant who left everything behind to start a new, better life.
Now I have the opportunity to receive a higher education. I see it better to work hard mentally rather than straining oneself physically. My dad has laid out the tools to succeed, now I have to get to work. I have to work in order to give him a break, he who has worked so hard for me. My goals have become larger than life as I have grown up. I yearn to become successful. I yearn to make not only my school and family proud, but my community as a whole proud. I know it will not be easy, but nothing good comes easy. And when I do achieve an acceptable level of success, I know it will be well worth the time, effort and sacrifices made."</p>
<p>Thanks for reading!</p>