Narrative Writing
Marcos Martinez
For me, life began on July 8th, 1998 in the small agricultural town of Lindsay, California. I have a family of seven which include my parents, 3 younger sisters and 1 older brother. My parents left their home in Mexico and settled in Lindsay, California with the hope of having a better life. Like the majority of people in Lindsay, my parents are agricultural, immigrant field workers which made things tough for me growing up as a kid. I think it’s the events that occurred while growing up that have shaped me into who I am and have directed me into my path.
As a young boy, I remember seeing my dad get home from work. He would come home tired, dirty and sweaty but believe it or not, he always seemed to have a smile on his face so much so that I always wondered if his job was really that difficult. It wasn’t until my adolescent years that I found out for myself when my dad first took me to work in the fields. I was just twelve years old when I first worked with my dad and it was literally the most exhausting experience I had ever done. Aside from the rigor of field work, I also saw how little pay field work garnered. From that day on, I’ve been going in the fields with my dad to help him out with money needed to pay the bills. By the time I was fifteen years old, I had already experienced multiple agricultural jobs in California, Oregon and Washington. Working in the fields during such a young age was a real hardship, but it was during those days that I realized the importance of a hard work ethic. It was also during those days that I realized how much dedication and hard work my dad put into supporting our family.
My dad always told me “Tienes la oportunidad de ser algo en la vida -- toma esa oportunidad” (“You have the opportunity to be something in life, take that opportunity”) and it's something that I’ve always kept in mind. He also told me that the more you struggle and suffer, the more motivated you become to do better. Witnessing my dad work so hard in order to support the family has had a big impact on me. It has truly shaped me into the respectful, humble and hardworking person I am today. It’s what led me to my path of attending a University of California campus after graduating from high school. I also want to be the person my little sisters look up to and set a good example for them by being their role model. As I embark on my final months as a high school student, I hope to live up to the expectations of my parents and be the first college graduate in my family.
For me, life began on July 8th, 1998 in the small agricultural town of Lindsay, California. I have a family of seven which include my parents, 3 younger sisters and 1 older brother. My parents left their home in Mexico and settled in Lindsay, California with the hope of having a better life. Like the majority of people in Lindsay, my parents are agricultural, immigrant field workers which made things tough for me growing up as a kid. I think it’s the events that occurred while growing up that have shaped me into who I am and have directed me into my path.
As a young boy, I remember seeing my dad get home from work. He would come home tired, dirty and sweaty but believe it or not, he always seemed to have a smile on his face so much so that I always wondered if his job was really that difficult. It wasn’t until my adolescent years that I found out for myself when my dad first took me to work in the fields. I was just twelve years old when I first worked with my dad and it was literally the most exhausting experience I had ever done. Aside from the rigor of field work, I also saw how little pay field work garnered. From that day on, I’ve been going in the fields with my dad to help him out with money needed to pay the bills. By the time I was fifteen years old, I had already experienced multiple agricultural jobs in California, Oregon and Washington. Working in the fields during such a young age was a real hardship, but it was during those days that I realized the importance of a hard work ethic. It was also during those days that I realized how much dedication and hard work my dad put into supporting our family.
My dad always told me “Tienes la oportunidad de ser algo en la vida -- toma esa oportunidad” (“You have the opportunity to be something in life, take that opportunity”) and it's something that I’ve always kept in mind. He also told me that the more you struggle and suffer, the more motivated you become to do better. Witnessing my dad work so hard in order to support the family has had a big impact on me. It has truly shaped me into the respectful, humble and hardworking person I am today. It’s what led me to my path of attending a University of California campus after graduating from high school. I also want to be the person my little sisters look up to and set a good example for them by being their role model. As I embark on my final months as a high school student, I hope to live up to the expectations of my parents and be the first college graduate in my family.