Growing up in a family that has a dominant military background has influenced who I am as a person today. Back in Vietnam, my father was a veteran that helped serve the country he grew up in. The gruesome images of poverty and deprivation during war time had sparked his inner fire, thus, motivating him to further help the less fortunate lives of many others. My father would often tell me stories about his experiences during his service and the heroic sacrifices of many soldiers for their nation. It was those stories about the dedication and self-sacrifice of those real-life heroes, along with the fire of my father's ambition that motivated me to follow his footsteps of joining the military, specifically the United States Navy. .
Seven years ago, my mother, my sister and I were finally able to reunited once again with my father here in America. During the years of growing up in this country, it opened my eyes to appreciating the greatness of the people and the true understanding of knowledge, especially during my sophomore year when I joined The Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) in high school up until now. Being in the Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps has given an appreciation of honor as a young citizen and developed a sense of responsibility among subordinates. We humans holds many doors in our lives, we have the freedom to choose our destiny. The Navy is what I can feel and see myself walking in that path, the path of stability, maturity, and leadership.
During the first couple years in America , my limited comprehension of English was challenging for me, plus I had to adapt to a new environment , I had encountered many difficulties during those time. Reflecting back to the time when I was in 7th grade, I experienced the first time of bullying. Being a new student from a different country, along with my lacking ability of speaking and hearing English I became an easy target for the bullies.
