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  • Essay / I am an immigrant and I am a human - 1212

    As a product of immigration, I have been shaped by the unique benefits and challenges of spending my developmental years in multiple cultures. I was born in the rural province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines, but spent most of my early childhood in Manila, the country's capital. When I was six, my family moved to Singapore for several years before settling in Guam on my ninth birthday, when my father got a job with an international hotel franchise. Learning to navigate the cultural gaps in my life quickly became a norm, one that shaped my values ​​and priorities. Through trial and error, I developed skills to adapt and succeed across cultural boundaries while continually meeting new people during my travels. Even though I capitalized on the benefits and loved my nomadic life, I couldn't ignore the inevitable costs that accompanied my experiences. Some of the challenges included an acute lack of stabilization and the feeling that “home” was always somewhere else, which hindered the sense of belonging to a given place. For example, I was hesitant to claim ownership of any of the countries I grew up in due to ethnic and cultural barriers, but I also felt seen as an outsider whenever I returned to my home country legal, the Philippines. Over the years, my fluency in English has masked my international upbringing and nomadic history, producing a “hidden immigrant” mentality. Additionally, due to my family constantly moving, the transition to a new culture and cost of living was very difficult. I knew from a young age that my parents wouldn't be able to afford many things, much less a college education for my siblings and me. The ever-changing horizons of my life brought about by internships in extracurricular activities aimed at promoting positive youth development are directly related to my own areas of interest. Given the opportunity to work with faculty whose work is so closely aligned with my own research ambitions, I will be able to create and refine truly meaningful and meaningful work. With a doctorate from CU-Boulder, I intend to pursue a career of lifelong learning as a professor or researcher. The enthusiasm for making meaningful discoveries, better understanding existing knowledge, and conveying its importance to others drives me to continue my path in academia. I am convinced that this is the path that is right for me and that your school is the best place for me to achieve my goals. I sincerely hope to have the opportunity to demonstrate my commitment, drive and determination as a student of your university.