College Admissions Essay: My Journey To New York City

Traveling between the Bronx and Manhattan has allowed me to see that even though they are so close in distance, everyone is yet so far. Being raised in the Bronx has allowed me to gain a sense of home and recognition, but also how stereotypes are meant to deceive us. The Bronx is labeled as a dangerous place, where violence occurs, but people neglect the beauty and happiness that surrounds it too. Meanwhile, when people think of Manhattan, they see it as the heart of New York where everyone is living their dreams. When in reality, the “heart” of New York is much more distant from itself, and that is not just because it is on an island.

New York City’s hustle, bustle, and grind is appealing to my go-getter persona. The first time I visited the city, my mind immediately took me to a place of unsurpassed euphoria; the university’s location is significant to me. As a ballerina, and overall artistic individual, New York City is the ideal city for me to explore my creative avenues and grow and learn as an agog individual in. Due to recent social events, my soul ignited a fire. I’ve never felt more sympathy for people that I did not know until a superfluity of dubious police killings began popping up in the media.

An opportunity arose to visit the city of my dreams. My school’s basketball team was participating in a tournament at Yeshiva University, and my friend Zach had an apartment that we could stay in nearby in Washington Heights. My parents were skeptical at first, because they were concerned with the safety of Washington Heights. I eventually persuaded them to let me stay with Zach, when my uncle Rich volunteered to backstop my trip. I began to contact my uncle Rich who lives in the Upper East Side of New York, to see if he had any advice on what to do while in New York. He worked together with me to brainstorm ideas of how to maximize my trip. I tried to get Zach involved with the planning but he became overwhelmed, and preferred to live by the play it by ear mentality. After a few weeks of planning with Rich, it came time to board the plane in West Palm Beach. Zach and I sat next to a girl who was a native New Yorker. I asked her “what do you do for fun in New York.” She responded by saying “ the best part of New York is getting lost.” I thought that she had an interesting response, but I didn’t plan on getting lost.

It was June of 2013 and I was in my room cooling, watching “Good Luck Charlie”. My mom came into my room saying that she was ready to move out of New York. Obviously I did not want to move out of the city I was born in. My mom never liked living in New York, so she always thought about moving. So the plan was to move in August. Time went by and I was thinking about what North Carolina would be like. I really wasn’t thinking about the friends I was leaving in Brooklyn, that never crossed my mind.

Three days after my high school graduation, Randolph and I spent a day in a whole new city. Being from Roselle, I had never really been to one of the most beautiful city such as downtown Chicago. Spending the day in Chicago was like discovering a new way of living life that I had only heard from siblings and the news. I checked my bags to make sure I didn’t leave anything essential behind and I checked them five more times. we were sleepy during the flight as we arrived at the airport and made our way to the gate. The streets are filled with an atmosphere that is like a child on a shopping spree in a candy store. I was thrilled as I realized that I was in one of the biggest airport in the United States. watching the Chicago Cubs win the World Series was the most amazing feeling.

Growing up in Manhattan was an epitome of excitement. Back in the day, and also to its founding, New York has always been a beehive of activities. Going down memory lane, I reminisce on trips that we’d take to loads of places around the city for entertainment during weekends and on holidays. Raised by Spanish immigrants, my father was a chef in a small but busy restaurant along Fifth Avenue. Since I can recall, fifth avenue has always had some of the major and well known fashion stores and hotels in the city. This would have

Initially after high school I decided to move across the country in order to find myself, my passions, and my career goals. I attended WW-P South in Princeton Junction where many of my friends chose TCNJ. I always loved TCNJ but I knew I wasn't academically ready to be part of the community just yet. I started at a private university in California which turned out to be an amazing experience but also a lesson learned that it was not for me. Everything was new and overwhelming and it was the first time being completely on my own. After completing my freshmen year, I moved to a community college to do better academically and work a little on the side. My passion for pursing a degree boosted during my second community college that I attended.

One major goal is to move to a place that I can have countless job opportunities for what I am passionate about, like New York. I want to be a fashion merchandising and be able to be a buyer for a brand or for a department store. With that, there is a long process and it will be a huge commitment to move to another state. I am dedicated to making this happen because it is what am passionate about and am driven to accomplish this goal.

Despite the fact that the alarm is blaring at an earlier time than usual, I couldn’t be anymore ecstatic. I’d forgotten what it’s like to wake up in the City that never sleeps. Quickly getting dressed and running out the door, I look over my schedule. Still in disbelief that I’m actually here, and the fact that the city is my campus still amazes me. I make it through the hustle and bustle of the city streets that only New York can provide. I run into some girls that I recognized from orientation who seem to be lost, I point them in the right direction of the D train. Already knowing the Subway and street systems definitely helps me out and makes me happy to know I can help fellow students as well. New York City was my playground as a child,

I am a first-generation, Chicano and will soon finish my last semester before I transfer to a four year university in the upcoming fall. Coming from a first-generation household, I have had to overcome many obstacles to be in the position that I am now in. Community college has been a valuable resource that has allowed me to pursue an amazing education at a low price which has eased the burden of high tuition on my parents. Sometimes it is the cost of education that impedes those that seek it and scholarships are one avenue in which they become easier to travel down the path to success. Coming out of Gilroy High School years ago, I was unsure of what I wanted to major in and devote myself to but I had the amazing opportunity of enrolling in University of California, Merced.

At the age of four, most girls are asking for the newest barbie dolls and sparkly dress-up tiaras for a birthday present. But I always enjoyed beating to a different drum, begging instead for my parents to take me into the city. And thus began my love affair with New York City. From that point on, my birthdays often involved trips to NYC, with unique cultural, food, and art experiences. As I grew up, I began to use every and any excuse I could possibly justify, to escape to the metropolis. By the age of nine years old, I became involved in professional theatre and music in NYC and Connecticut. I became intoxicated by performing and was obsessed with it. I participated in over 20 professional musicals and plays between the ages of nine and thirteen.

Changes in life can be tough to go through and sometimes they can be easy. Some of these things are harder than others and some can be a better choice. Like moving is one thing that changed my way i looked at people. Then there is growing up, growing up can be hard. Last but not least there is education. These things that you experience can change your perspective on how you look at life.

Have you ever visited a place you have never seen before or walked their streets and all of a sudden you start being a person who lives there? Well I have when I went to New York for the first time. My Girl Scout Troop and I decided to take a nice trip to New York. Many of us had never been there before and couldn’t wait to see the places and cultural sites New York was known for. For example The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Time Square, and famous Broadway Plays.

I was born and raised in Dominican Republic. I am the first daughter of my parents. I was educated in Dominican Republic from elementary school to college, where I finished my bachelor in Law at Universidad Dominicana O&M. After graduating at a very young age I stated working with the Judicial System as a Prosecutor in a court of peace and later as a Justice of Peace, and Judge of a Criminal Court for about 8 years.

The sounds of the city penetrated the walls of the cab as we drove through the streets of Manhattan. I could hardly wait to partake in the action that was happening outside. The buildings themselves were an amazing site to behold. The buildings took on personalities of their own. Each building was bigger and more graceful than the next. When lights were added to the mix it was a dazzling combination. The city itself felt like a great big hug, and I felt overwhelmed by its power. The city allowed me to become part of it just like many others many years ago who immigrated to this awesome city. As I was looking out of the cab I finally got to see in person the sight of all sights; Times Square. The main juncture of