When people look at me they see one thing: a girl with a bubbly personality who has her life together, who seems like she never experienced pain or hardships. One big thing that I have learned from my own life is that looks can be deceiving. Contrary to what people assume, I don't come from a wealthy family, whose parents had everything they wanted. I don't come from a family that hands everything to me without any effort. I am in fact, from a family of refugees, from parents who were denied university education because of their faith, and who worked until they were sick in order to provide for me. I am someone who has worked hard in school to pave a path for my future, one that's successful and full of happiness, so I would be able to support my family. While I am not here to dramatize my life, I am here to tell my story and who I truly am. I am indeed a daughter of immigrants who have suffered from their religious beliefs. My parents and I moved to America when I was nine. We moved to America because they didn't want me to experience the bullying as they did and so I could pursue my dreams, living a healthy, stable life. Like any other person whose life changed drastically in a matter of days, I wanted my life back. When we moved here, everything was hard. I missed my grandparents and friends that I left in Ukraine, I didn't know English, and my parents didn't have a normal job. We were all struggling. I remember my parents crying and feeling sick because of their car dealership cleaning job and I remember my own tears in the middle of class in elementary school. Life was tough. But we got through it. I knew that there is no point in crying when this was my life now, whether I liked it or not. I started trying really hard to learn English, made new friends, and helped my parents with different documents, and translated a lot for them as time went on. Although I can only see my dad in the mornings and at night now, he has a job that he likes and is healthy and happy again. My mom may have tested her luck with different bosses from different occupations, but she finally found a job that she loves two years ago. I am very proud of them. They motivate me to move forward and chase my dreams, I wouldn't be who I am today without their struggles and their support. I always worked hard in school because my parents told me it will pay off when I am applying to college. They put education as my number one priority and as I grow older I couldn't be more thankful that they did. Nine-year-old me would be so proud of where I am now. If I didn't experience such hardships and circumstances that I couldn't avoid I would've never worked harder to know more vocabulary to make more friends at school or to write better quality essays. If I didn't experience such hardships I wouldn't have known that hard work always pays off. I am thankful for my hardships and the past because they have shaped me to be ambitious and follow my dream. I am thankful for my past because now I am more confident in myself, my knowledge, and my worth. I know that no matter where I go, I will be strong enough to withstand any struggles, and in the end, I will pay my parents back for everything they have done for me. I can confidently make a promise to myself that their hard work, and our mutual struggle, will not go to waste.