My mom came from an affluent family. She was at the top of her class and was popular in school. The neighbors adored her and younger children looked up to her. Upon graduating, she became a math teacher at a local school. But her life turned upside down when she was nineteen. She was forced to immigrate to the United States with almost nothing, not even a winter jacket to face harsh New York winters. And on top of that,...

It didn’t take me long to figure out my family wasn’t the typical white picket fence American family. Both my parents immigrated to the United States from China. Neither of my parents pursued a college education—my dad dropped out of high school to help support his family and my mom simply didn't have the chance with two younger sisters to care for, alone in a foreign land. I am not at all ashamed by the fact that...

It’s an uncomfortable topic. It makes people squirm in their seats. Avoid eye contact. Talk in hushed voices. Suicide. This year it was a fellow classmate, whom I never got to know. A year ago, it was a young middle school student who rode my bus. Two years ago, it was a mother who was discovered by her teenage sons. Three years ago, it was an athlete who was known to be funny and was a friend to many....

wealthy, cultured,...

i want to take...

ask a teacher that enjoyed having...

be a well rounded student. it's actually what all colleges want....

i emphasized the fact that i was a first generation college student in...