Memoir Essay: One life changing event or memory

I have experienced many memorable events in my life, but perhaps the most wonderful moment that I have experienced so far is when I received the news that my student visa to the United States had been approved by the US Embassy Officer. At that moment, I knew that my life would change forever, and I would be embarking on a new exciting journey. .Applying for an F1 Visa is not an easy process for Vietnamese students, especially for students who have failed the interview process multiple times like I did. Finally after failing the previous five interviews I finally succeeded on my sixth try. I was so ecstatic when I heard the news that I was given the opportunity to study aboard in the USA; it was evident that all my hard work had finally paid off! The day before I left Vietnam, my emotions were filled with both nervousness and excitement because I knew endless possibilities that were awaiting me.

Unfortunately, not everything was as easy as I thought it was going to be. Having the opportunity to study in the United States is considered a privilege to international students, particularly students in third world developing countries because it is known to have one of top educational systems When I was a high school student, my future plans were to get in to and graduate with high honors from a university in the united states, so I could come back to Vietnam again and help make a difference. I was really fascinated when my friends who were studying overseas told me about the creative teaching methods and the diverse learning styles that the United States offer as well as the modern facilities on campus. My Dao parents supported me in carrying out my dream. Those reasons were a motivation factor for me to study hard and never back down. After graduation from high- school, I started to apply for a student visa to study at Edmond Community College in Seattle, Washington.

For some objective reasons, I was denied the visa five times in three years. I felt so disappointed at that time but I did not give up. Failure in previous times just made me become more experienced and persistent in applying for the visa. I found and joined the joint program between Danang University of Economics and Towson University in Danang city which allows students to study two years in Vietnam and transfer to study in the United States. After the two year study, I once again applied for the visa and got it at the sixth try. Five years after the first time I was rejected my dreams of studying in the United States finally became a reality. My new life began when I first came to the United States about two months ago.

Everything was new and totally different than it was in Vietnam, where I was born and raised for twenty four years. I had to face with many harsh situations; one of the most important and most challenging obstacles was the language. It was hard for me to understand what the teacher said during a law and legal environment class. I had to ask for the notes to bring home and then looked up the words by a dictionary. I remembered being the only Asian in my marketing class, I would sit and work alone because nobody wanted to have me in their groups due to the language barrier. Food was also a serious problem for me the first month, I was not use to the American food and I craved and missed the food back home in my native Dao country. I was so homesick and missed my family terribly adapting to a new environment without them made me feel so empty and lonely. Back in Vietnam, my parents got divorced when I was twelve, although they were no longer married they both still loved and sacrificed everything for me.

The tuition and living expenses in the United States are often expensive for international students like me, because I have to pay more than average residents that qualify to receive financial assistance for educational expenses by their government. I understand that my parents had to work hard and save money in order to cover all my educational expenditures. Whenever I spoke to my parents on the phone and saw them on the video chats, my heart was broken and I was close to tears because I saw how old and hard they have to work just so I could live out my dreams of obtaining an education in America. Every time I think back and realize the sacrifices my parents had to make, I told myself to try my best and look towards the future.

After two months I was starting to adapt to my new environment and things were finally looking up for me! I also adapted to the American food and learned how to enjoy it more . My classmates started talking to me and made friends with me. Day by day I started improving little by little. Now I feel more confident about myself, and I have gained more experience and knowledge through all of my tough times . For my future plans I want to choose Business Administration as my major, with a minor in Finance. My main objective is to get a master degree in business. If all goes as planned, I will try and establish a business in the United States and Vietnam after Dao I graduate. I would like to bring the experience I obtained from my study to apply in Vietnam and hope that it would bring back good outcomes. Being able to live and study in a country like the United States helped me realize many valuable things.

Although there will be many obstacles waiting for me ahead, I believe that I will overcome them as my confidence grows each day and my motivation for success gets stronger. I have changed a lot since I first came to this country, and I am optimistic about what lies ahead for me. It is essential to move on and deal with challenges in order to be successful. I am excited for the future and the new journey I am, I cannot wait to take more advantage of the opportunities that I have been provided with to make a better life for myself and family.