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As the youngest of four siblings and the first of them to graduate from college, I have always had to push myself to achieve my goals. Since my first semester at the 新彩网, my dream has been to be accepted into a Psychology PhD program. Because of this, my entire college experience has been high-stakes. It was pertinent for me not only to attend and graduate from university, but be highly accomplished while doing it.

Looking back, the pressure to do well in school听isn鈥檛 new. I鈥檝e always been the scholarly black听sheep in my family. In elementary school, while听my siblings largely occupied themselves with听video games and sports, I spent much of my听time reading piles of books. Moving to middle听and high school, my three older siblings took听primarily general education classes. I, on the听other hand, found myself in all honors classes听and a member of my school鈥檚 academic team. As听such, my scholarly persona is how I distinguished听myself from other members of my family, and I听have felt obligated to keep up this image.

When it came to college, however, there was听another added pressure. I鈥檓 a first-generation听college student, meaning neither of my parents听have four-year college degrees. Because my听parents had children young, they weren鈥檛 able to听attend college in their youth. My dad eventually听received a two-year technical degree, but my听mother was never able to graduate from a postsecondary听program. While she entered college听for nursing when I was in middle school, she听withdrew because of her worsening disability.听Seeing my mom get sicker, unable to achieve her听dream of being a nurse, saddened me. I鈥檓 nearly听inseparable from my mother鈥攕ome would call听me a 鈥渕omma鈥檚 boy鈥濃�攕o I wanted nothing more听for her than her accomplishing everything she'd听desired. Witnessing my mother surrender her听own dream motivated me to make my parents听proud and fulfill my own goals of attending听college and, eventually, graduate school.

Even with my high motivation and academic听aptitude, college has not come without its fair听share of struggles. Because my parents don't听have college degrees, neither of them were fully听prepared to assist me in the process of navigating听college. Learning how to talk to professors, ask听for help and find resources, and properly interact听with my classmates was a battle that I initially lost听more often than I won, and had to struggle with听on my own.

At times, this was frustrating; I wished more than听anything that my parents could fully understand听how hard I was working. Additionally, the听pressure to do well, compounded with my听parents鈥� struggles to help me, elevated my stress.听However, with time, I sought out faculty and staff听at the University who were able to relate and assist听more. With their support, college was much less听daunting than it could鈥檝e been.

Despite all of the pressure and struggles associated听with my family and first generation status, I am听thrilled to say I accomplished all of my goals. I听graduated summa cum laude and as a University听Honors Scholar, and I have been accepted into the听University of Oregon鈥檚 Psychology PhD program,听which I began this fall. Although I know the path听ahead will contain just as much pressure and听struggle as my undergraduate career, I am excited听to move forward, knowing I am making my听parents, siblings and community proud.