My story started when I was just a little boy. I was born in a village in Mustang, Nepal: a very developing country with unadvanced technologies.  We didn’t have warm clothing, lights, or vehicles. In the winter, it was difficult to harvest food due to poor weather. We used fire for light and horses for transportation. My family persevered because our village would share their food and resources when they could. 

When I was born, my mom took care of me and my other five siblings while my dad traveled the world in search of a better future for us. At the age of three, I moved from Mustang to Kathmandu where I was sent to boarding school. The teachers were allowed to hit us which made me want to run away. 

Six years later, my life changed. I moved to America with my mom, my four brothers, and my sister. I dreamt of a New York full of possibilities, where everyone was friendly and welcoming. 

However, on the plane, I struggled to communicate with others because I didn’t speak any English. During the flight, I went to use the bathroom but couldn’t open the handle because it was not structured like the ones in my country. When one of the flight attendants came to help me, I felt the glare of the surrounding passengers and was so embarrassed that I slept for the remainder of the flight to escape their judgment.  

After we landed, I quickly forgot my shame when I met my father for the first time. That was my happiest memory. As we drove to my new home, I admired the gigantic buildings and how big New York truly was. In comparison, my village was minuscule. Already, I was so excited about my new life.

My new life came to a new school. Although I knew New Yorkers were nice, I still thought teachers were allowed to abuse students. My dad reassured me, claiming it was different here, but I still struggled. My English did not improve, and I was jealous of every kid who had a translator when I did not because no one spoke my language. The school became the worst part of my life; I was bullied and could not stand up for myself because of the language barrier.

 One day, my mom came to pick me up from school and took me to drop off food for my dad at his workplace. My dad was my role model; I imagined him working inside an office as one of the lead executives of a business company. In reality, he was a construction worker. When we met him at his site, sweat and dirt dripped down his face. He was clearly tired, but I knew he had no other option than to work to put clothes on our backs and food on the table. I was devastated and wanted to help.

 I knew I had to learn English. I asked my dad for help but he didn’t know the language past the basics. He taught me how to introduce myself, which was all he knew at that time. As time passed by, I learned English from my siblings’ friends who spoke my language. My English became better and I graduated from ESL classes and worked my way into AP English. 

Seeing my father work so hard motivated me to excel and put all my efforts into education. As time passed, I made new friends and my grades started to go up. Every time my father saw my report card, he smiled and each smile inspired me to strive for the best. I saw how hard my parents worked to get me to where I am today. I take education seriously so that in the future, I can create positive change for my family as well as for other families that are in need.