A real story happened in my life - Essay Example

This essay explores how an opportunity to study in the US changed my life and gave me an opportunity to give back to society back at home. I was born in the outskirts of the beautiful city of Valparaiso that is known to Chile’s business and tourist hub. At this time, times got tough and my parents had to move in the city in search for better paying jobs and improved quality of life for my siblings and I. My parents did their best to give the best education for my siblings and I. My education experience in Chile was difficult as anticipated.

I can confidently say that I wasted three years of my life going round in circles. When I was two years old, I enrolled in a special class for students with disabilities. Although this class was meant to form a solid foundation for my education, it turned out to be a huge disappointment to my parents, as I could not read a single word in Braille. I spent two years in regular kindergarten and one and a half years in first grade. My education was not getting any better and the oral lessons offered were of no use to me.

My parents started looking for ways for me to access the kind of education I needed. We got a few rejections but eventually, the Arkansas school for the blind accepted my application. This was the first time I was away from my family and friends and I felt so lonely and scared. I had seen my parents try their best to give me a better education and was not going to disappoint them in any way. At the time I enrolled in the school, there were a few international students and we were treated better than the natives were (Isibor 73).

The institution had excellent facilities for study and play and I felt that life had given me the chance to discover my talents and be an inspiration to children in Chile. As other children played during recess, I sat alone on the bench. The teachers were concerned and often encouraged me to join my peers in play. There has been a constant increase in the number of foreign students seeking to pursue education in the US and this trend is likely to increase in future as shown in the graph below.

Changes in the U. S. Population (U.S. Department of Labor) When I first came to the institution, I had to learn and adjust to new experiences. My former education experience was oral and I thought this would continue. In my first year, I learnt to write and read Braille. The teacher in charge was stern and firm and I quickly adjusted to her teaching style. She taught me some of the most valuable lessons that I have applied to date. I had not interacted with children from ethnic and cultural backgrounds and this opportunity enabled me to interact with them (Isibor 74).

It also gave me the chance to make new friends away from home. I had never given much thought to being able to move around and carry out my routine activities independently. At the end of my first week in the institution, I was assigned a mobility instructor and I was presented my first cane after completing my first mobility test. The mobility instructors taught me on how to move around independently. Over time, my mobility skills improved immensely as I could walk around the school alone and handle activities including play better.

My teacher helped me draft letters to my parents who were amazed at my progress and this encouraged me to be better every day. The greatest disappointment occurred during the holidays when the school social worker notified me that I would not be going home, as my parents could not