Pearlene Geraldo Nobody Said It Was Going To Be Easy Most of us have different backgrounds and different experiences which makes us different from others. It makes us special and makes us stand out. We are all striving to be the best for perfection; sometimes we forget that no one is perfect. When filing an application, we want to be flawless and stand out so we can be selected. Everyone has a special talent or interest that he/she thinks when used it will be to his/her advantage. In my case I would have to use my experiences. When I first came from Ghana, West Africa, it was really hard for me to fit in. Here is a little background about my country and life there. As you may already know my birth country, Ghana, is a third world country. This obviously insinuates that the economy is not as booming as it is here. Systems are not sophisticated as they are here. The majority of the citizens live in poverty. However, contrary to most Americans' perception, we do have schools, hospitals, and many other facilities. Even though they are sometimes not up to the standards of a first world country, we are able to get by pretty well. I must admit I felt the difference in the two worlds when I first came here. The difference in culture, differences in language, the differences in clothing and even food stood out to me. But most especially I felt the difference in the school systems. While back home school was conducted in a manner similar to the British system, the American system was slightly different. My first year in high school highlighted these differences. Life in high school was really frustrating and depressing. I had no one to talk to or call my friend and the friends I had only talked to me when they needed homework or answers to assignments. I remember being bullied because of my accent. I had one awful experience that I’m still trying to overcome. It was a presentation day and I had to present one of my favorite works. My enthusiasm diminished when I started speaking. The confusion on the faces of the students and the murmur at the back was enough to tell me something was wrong. The students complained to the teacher that they couldn't understand what I was saying and the teacher made me stop. This singular experience heightened my stage fright and decreased my overall confidence in myself. In times like this, the only reason I am able to get by is that I remember what my Mama told me, “ Nobody said it was going to be easy, but with perseverance, it will be worth it at the end.” I’m still waiting for the “worthy” part at the end. These experiences might be insignificant to my application, nevertheless I feel empty and incomplete if I don't add this part of my story to my application. Currently I am doing better and my experiences have actually changed my perception and thoughts about life in general. I have friends of all races who share similar experiences and these experiences have created an even greater bond and solidarity among us. Indeed it wasn’t easy, but we went through it and hopefully we will come out successful. I hope your school will be part of my success story. The story of a Black African immigrant and strong girl. I Hope I will one day be able to tell these experiences to encourage people in similar situations on a larger platform. My success story will be told either way.

"Nobody said it was going to be easy. Life never gets easy, it gets hard as you move forward", these were the last words I heard from my mother before boarding the to America. In 2018, my life changed, I can't say if it was for the better or for worse because life in America is hard and different from the life I knew. I was born in Ghana, West Africa. I moved to America for a better future and a better education. America they say is a land of opportunities. Before I started school, my dad told me I will b fine and the kids are not bullies like how they portray it in movies. I am going to be fine. My first day in school was awful and I cried throughout the day. It was different from what I am used to in Africa and the kids were very mean and rude. Freshman year was terrible and I wanted to move back to Ghana. The students bullied me because of my accent. A teacher didn't let me present my work because the students were complaining about my accent. When I am answering a question or asking a question, they will be laughing and saying all sorts of words to me. I hated myself and my life. I didn't have friends. The so-called friends I had were opportunists, they are only my friends when they need homework answers. My life in high school was really depressing and sad, but I went through it all. What kept me going was the words my mother told me before coming. To succeed you have to endure all the pain and overcome every obstacle. I know I am not the only one who went through this, a lot of kids out there are going through pain and stress. It got to a point I even thought of suicide but I don't live for those kids. I live my life the way I want it and I am not changing myself for anyone. I started talking to students who were new to the school or the country. I made some good friends and helped lots of people who are going through what I went through. I want to study Nursing in school and work my way up to Doctoring or Nurses Anesthesiologist. I want to earn money to create an organization that will help and support kids in Africa. There are lots of organizations created for that same purpose but I don't see any change. Kids who are supposed to be in school are on the street with no food to eat, no shelter to cover their heads, and with no parents. Children are being sold for parents to get money to feed the younger ones. When I see this in the news or on social media, I cry because I am very lucky and privileged and I thank God for that. Girls from the age of 13-19 are being raped or they are on the streets selling their bodies to feed their families. They didn't ask to be born. And the government is doing nothing about it. African government is corrupt and the leaders are selfish. They ruin the country and they send their families abroad for education and good health care access whilst we the citizens are suffering. I want to help those who can't help themselves. I want to build an orphanage where orphans are treated like humans and they are well taken care of. I realize my life is actually better than the average African living in Africa so I stopped complaining about how bad my life was and I embraced the positive side of it. I am in the land of opportunities, I have to make use of it and study to get to the top then help my fellow Africans. I tell people around me that no matter how hard your life is right now, it is better than somebody. Stop complaining and make the best out of every situation because "At the end of every tunnel there is a light". For my dreams to come true, I will need help and support and I believe that that help will come from you.

"Nobody said it was going to be easy. Life never gets easy, it gets hard as you move forward", these were the last words I heard from my mother before boarding the to America. In 2018, my life changed, I can't say if it was for the better or for worse because life in America is hard and different from the life I knew. I was born in Ghana, West Africa. I moved to America for a better future and a better education. America they say is a land of opportunities. Before I started school, my dad told me I will b fine and the kids are not bullies like how they portray it in movies. I am going to be fine. My first day in school was awful and I cried throughout the day. It was different from what I am used to in Africa and the kids were very mean and rude. Freshman year was terrible and I wanted to move back to Ghana. The students bullied me because of my accent. A teacher didn't let me present my work because the students were complaining about my accent. When I am answering a question or asking a question, they will be laughing and saying all sorts of words to me. I hated myself and my life. I didn't have friends. The so-called friends I had were opportunists, they are only my friends when they need homework answers. My life in high school was really depressing and sad, but I went through it all. What kept me going was the words my mother told me before coming. To succeed you have to endure all the pain and overcome every obstacle. I know I am not the only one who went through this, a lot of kids out there are going through pain and stress. It got to a point I even thought of suicide but I don't live for those kids. I live my life the way I want it and I am not changing myself for anyone. I started talking to students who were new to the school or the country. I made some good friends and helped lots of people who are going through what I went through. I want to study Nursing in school and work my way up to Doctoring or Nurses Anesthesiologist. I want to earn money to create an organization that will help and support kids in Africa. There are lots of organizations created for that same purpose but I don't see any change. Kids who are supposed to be in school are on the street with no food to eat, no shelter to cover their heads, and with no parents. Children are being sold for parents to get money to feed the younger ones. When I see this in the news or on social media, I cry because I am very lucky and privileged and I thank God for that. Girls from the age of 13-19 are being raped or they are on the streets selling their bodies to feed their families. They didn't ask to be born. And the government is doing nothing about it. African government is corrupt and the leaders are selfish. They ruin the country and they send their families abroad for education and good health care access whilst we the citizens are suffering. I want to help those who can't help themselves. I want to build an orphanage where orphans are treated like humans and they are well taken care of. I realize my life is actually better than the average African living in Africa so I stopped complaining about how bad my life was and I embraced the positive side of it. I am in the land of opportunities, I have to make use of it and study to get to the top then help my fellow Africans. I tell people around me that no matter how hard your life is right now, it is better than somebody's. Stop complaining and make the best out of every situation because "At the end of every tunnel there is a light". For my dreams to come true, I will need help and support and I believe that that help will come from you.