Celeste Vazquez

A recalcitrant rose is one that truly grows despite its concrete-ridden soil, its cascade watering, and zero sunlight. Similarly, my obstinate character survives because of what I’ve learned from my obstacles. Each factor is a puzzle piece displaying the independent image of my rose. These aspects range from a general view to specific units. They either represent the traits that I have gained or wish to obtain. Conflicting perspectives are distributed throughout society. As someone from the Hispanic community, I recognize that racism affects this group of people because of stereotypes about immigration and more. During my childhood, my mother was studying to gain her citizenship in the United States. As a part of her routine, I would quiz her and pronounce words that she didn’t know well. The days and nights she spent reviewing taught me the basic essence of determination and perseverance necessary to succeed.Separately, the effects of the general profiling system have made me reflect over who I would like to be in the future. I answer this by respecting and tolerating others because many variables contribute to a person’s personality, not just his or her nationality. Moreover, if I want to help stop these prejudices, then I, too, must work persistently to tear down the barriers. This stamina consistently appears in my experiences. I dreamed of having a career in the future to make sure that a tense situation I lived through does not recur. There was a time when my family suffered a combination of different financial struggles. My family members each had to play a part in moving everyone forward because teamwork and sacrifice were actions that would pull us out of the vortex. I had to be independent and take care of my schoolwork properly because I could not bear the thought of becoming yet another source of stress and worry for them.In addition, I was a very sheltered individual, which kept me safe but deprived me of experiences away from the dark cloud of pessimism. It became difficult to cope with the combination of everyone’s struggles without any distractions. It became clear that I should find an escape. My religion’s Confirmation program held a retreat in the mountains that made me discover my pathway to enlightenment. What did help me overcome this depression was its short counseling program that helped me understand the importance of optimism, love, support, and faith. Through this, I learned how to meditate effectively. As I reflect over my life, I see the awesome power of choice. Whether I am happy with what I have is my decision, and whether I overcome a challenge depends on my attitude. The rose decides to rise above the ground and enjoy the light rain in the hope of seeing the sunlight soon. Likewise, I must choose to be who I am and live my life as best I can.