Peer Review Essay Draft # 1

English 1A
Spring 2009-4795
Nancy Ngoc Mai
Essay # 1
The Most Challenging Moment in my Education
After high school, I came to the United States to continue my study abroad, and to carry my parents’ wishes in higher education. Even though I had chosen a major of Business Administrative, I still had no idea of what I wanted to do if I would graduate. I didn’t want to be a teacher because I hated school so much. My father was a businessman, so I guessed I would rather be a businesswoman. I spent two years struggling in a community college because of the language barrier, and also because I really didn’t like school. Luckily, I did most of my prerequisites for that major. However, I figured out I was not interested in school anymore. I felt that I had spent so many years studying already. I had dropped out of school, worked for money and enjoyed life as any young person would. I was living a wasted life without serious thoughts about life or anything else. Then, I took the first trip back home to visit my parents who were living in Vietnam after being away for five years. After seeing friends at a class reunion, I realized that education is very important and I had been wasting time looking for the meaning of life out of education.
At that trip, I had a chance to attend my class reunion with all of my high school friends. I was shocked and surprised when we talked about our personal life. My friends were all graduated from a four-year college, had earned a Bachelor degree, and some were working on a Masters degree. Some even wanted to go for a PhD degree. Compared to them, I was nothing. I was just a high school graduate, nothing more. Not even to mention that, some of them didn’t achieve the academic performance as I did. I was so embarrassed when they asked me what I had achieved during the five years in America. I couldn’t answer their question. My parents were upset about my decision. I was confused and depressed afterward. What could I have done in those years? I could become a business woman, a lawyer, or even working on become a doctor. I didn’t become anything.
After that trip, I had decided to go back to America and do something, at least for my own sake. After giving serious thoughts about what my life would be, education was my only option to make changes. Without education I can’t accomplish anything. I didn’t want to become just a labor worker. I wanted to be able to use my brain for challenges. I wanted to change my life around. I wanted to be proud of myself when I told my high school friends or my family about who I was. I wanted people to take me seriously because of my knowledge. I decided to go back to school. However, I didn’t continue my education in Business because I feel like I had no interest in it anymore. People were talking a lot about the medical field. So I decided to explore myself in this subject. It was really hard at the beginning. I was struggling between school, a full time job and a new baby. With my husband’s support, I was able to fully engage myself in studying; to concentrate in learning. I had mostly overcome my fear about the language barrier.
My life has turned around. I love school so much, and I am so regretful for those wasted years. I graduated from Empire College with a Clinical Medical Assistant certificate, became a state certified Medical Assistant. I realized that I really like the medical field. I am thinking about going to the Medical school for a Doctor degree but my age seems to limit me from going that direction. Now I just want to become a Nurse. School is hard but I definitely love it. I rather go to school than go to work now. Yet I still have to work part time in order to financially support my own family and me. Life is busy, hard and unexpected but I would rather strike through it. I have wasted so much of my younger years in unnecessary and useless things. Time will never going backward again. And if I don’t try my best to achieve my goal, I would never be able to do it again.
Also, I realized that my identity was not affirmed just by working and working. I wanted something else besides just working for the money. Something could give me more challenges. And of course, I wanted to do something beneficial to give back to our society. Honestly, more education could mean higher pay, more opportunities to find a job. I am pursuing this Pre-Nursing program because I believe that I can do it. A lot of people can do it, why not me, right? I had always been the one who sit back and follow others’ directions or wishes. Now, I want to take the action, to take control of my life. I want to fulfill my dream and show the world that I, as anyone else, could become anything once I set my heart to it. Nothing can stop me now.
I feel proud and confident about myself enough to continue my dream goal. Education is the first and the most important step to be successful in life. Even though there are many challenges, education will eventually pay you back for your hard work. I want to encourage young people and my children to give serious thoughts about education. Education will lead you to where you want to be as long as you set your heart in it. You will be able to achieve your dream goals. I am working on my dreams now. That class reunion with my high school friends several years ago was my most important turning point in life. It opened my eyes to a whole new life and education. It led me to who I am now. It gave me the absolute reason to pursue an educational goal.