The day I emigrated from Taiwan to the United States still remains a vivid part of my memory. As I cried and waived to my friends and family, my life flashed in front of my eyes as .
if it was going to fade away and a new life was going to be born. The moment I stepped into the .
airplane, I knew that my life would change forever. I would have to confront many difficulties, .
including learning a foreign language. I would need to grow up and take responsibility for .
myself. Feeling overwhelmed, I told myself to do my best and not to give up. In the five years .
that I have lived in the United States, I have learned to speak English and I have gained .
appreciation of many different cultures. Most importantly, I have become more independent and .
responsible. .
The first day of seventh grade I was very frightened. For the entire day, I sat in the .
classroom and understood nothing. I felt like I was falling into a hopeless hole. Depressed, I .
thought it would be impossible for me to learn English well. However, many people who loved .
me, especially my father, kept encouraging me. He not only shared his own experiences with .
me, but he also told me not to be afraid of speaking English. In contrast to my fears, he insisted .
that I speak as much as possible. Therefore, I started forcing myself to speak English, even .
though I felt embarrassed about my poor pronunciation. As I made progress in both speaking .
and writing, I started to feel that I could relate to everybody else. Seeing my achievement, I felt .
certain that my determination and passion for learning has created a solid foundation for .
successes in college. .