<p>Below I have my essay for the following prompt: 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. Any suggestions, corrections, or comments are a big help! </p>
<p>UC PROMPT 1 </p>
<p>Opportunity without hard work is nothing, but hard work without opportunity might not be as significant either.<br>
This past summer, I had the treat of experiencing several life changing and inspiring events. One of these was getting to return to Guadalajara—the place it all began. My parents were born and raised there. Guadalajara is not just a tourist destination for me; it is a place I feel I belong to and a city that has been crucial to my sense of self.
As I walked the streets of downtown Guadalajara, I couldn’t help but let my senses be pulled like a game of tug of war. The loudness of rush hour resonated in my ears while I watched a woman in braids and vibrant colors extend a cup with one arm while the other held a crying baby. A man played the guitar singing old boleros grandma used to sing over a hot pot of beans. Children played at the plaza chasing pigeons in circles provoking the birds to flap their wings over our heads and fly away to a different part of the plaza just to be chased again. As I glanced here and there and let my senses be pulled, I started to wonder what life could have been like if we had stayed. </p>
<p>Every time I rode the bus, I saw something different. Schoolchildren in their uniforms flirting with each other, middle aged men standing with their arms extended to hang onto the poles over their heads as the effect of their long hard-working day stunk up the bus. Women with grocery bags talking to each other about what happened last night in the last episode of their telenovelas. This is something I don’t get to see everyday back in San Diego. </p>
<p>It is not a bad place to be, but it sure is hard to survive there. Being a spectator of the lifestyle of Mexico, I understand the privilege it is to live in the United States. Being a part of both ends of the spectrum has allowed me to not only understand a variety of people, but also appreciate different lifestyles and cultures. Mexico has given me a place to feel at comfort but the United States offers me a future as big as my aspirations and dreams. The United States has given me hope and the opportunity I would not have had in Mexico. Mexico has taught me to fall and get back up on my own, but the U.S. has given me the opportunity to put the lessons learned from Mexico to practice. </p>
<p>A perfect display of how these two worlds can come together is Dr. Q. I have had the privilege of calling Dr. Alfredo Quinones Hinojosa a role model in my life. An innovative neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins University who went from picking tomatoes to holding a scalpel and watching the most complex organ in our body dance with the heart, as he describes it; he has inspired me to pursue a career in neuroscience. </p>
<p>Dr. Q serves as a symbol of the perfect partnership between hard work and opportunity. I strive to work towards finding opportunities that will let me continue my journey. Inspired not only by Dr. Q’s journey and the hope it gives me, but by the science he studies, I long to someday become a neuroscientist. I am amazed by the limitless capacity of the brain and its perfection. This amazement, drive, and the lessons that Mexico has taught me about hard work and the opportunity the United States can give me serve as the bus stops that will get me to my destination: exploring the vastness of the human brain. </p>
<p>The people at the plaza, my parents, my ancestors, my teachers, my friends, but most importantly the pride all these give me are what empower me day to day to work hard to earn my opportunities. Like my mom says, “Nada cae del cielo,” “Nothing comes falling from the sky.” </p>