Many of my school peers are children of American-born parents and have lived the "stereotypical" American life thus far. The same cannot be said for me; I was the first person in my entire family to have been born in the United States of America. My parents are immigrants from the small satellite country of Belarus, my older sister included. Being born into a family that had to start over in a new country proved to be a challenge, but that did not discourage my family from pursuing our goals. My life experience was far from normal and stereotypical; I did not get to experience the many things that my peers experienced, I grew up under the influence of Russian culture and Russian ways of life, and I was taught both Russian and English from birth. It took me a long time to appreciate being able to speak two languages from a young age; I used to be afraid to be seen as an outcast because of it, but I became proud of it and it helps me learn French in school. Growing up with immigrant parents affected my entire life, it made education harder and because my parents had to work a lot to be able to sustain our family, I grew up with a heavy dependence on my older sister and myself.

While I used to complain about life when I was younger; looking back now, I realize that my background shaped me into a more mature, hard-working, persistent person faster than some of my peers. My background also helped me appreciate the small things in life, not take anything for granted, and understand the value of seemingly minuscule things. So no matter your background, know that you and your actions define who you are and what you make of yourself.