Throughout my life, I have witnessed many people, like athletes and celebrities, who have achieved great things. Furthermore, I could easily admire their work and claim that they are people whom I could shape my life around. Except none of them can match what my father has done. I feel like my father’s work is something I admire and build my life around his because without his work, I would be nothing close to the person I am today or would I have the chance to pursue the American Dream of prosperity and happiness.
In 1985, my father arrived in the United States of America from México. He came to the country with a few dollars in his pocket, a sack of clothes on his back, and a dream. That dream was the American Dream. Unfortunately for him, the United States offered few decent jobs for uneducated immigrants. He was forced to take a job with a landscaping company where he would have to work long hours for 6 days a week in order to make a decent wage. Luckily, he worked hard and pushed forward and was able to start his own landscaping business. By this time, he was married with three children and made enough money to give us a nice home, pay the bills, and put food on the table. After eighteen long years in landscaping, the long hours of labor started to take a toll on him. His allergies were so bad that when he would get home it felt as if he were sneezing up a storm. Then, he went to the doctor and received the news that he had two herniated discs in his back. This meant he would have to sacrifice his landscaping business and find a new job. He was able to obtain Class A Driver’s License and become a commercial truck driver. Once again, he was able to keep putting food on the table, even it meant that he had to drive ten hours a day, 6 days a week on the road. His work ethic and drive has granted me the opportunity to try and reach the American Dream.
The thing I admire about my father’s work is the work ethic and drive he shows. As long I can remember, my father has always had a motivation in life to keep pushing forward. No matter how hard the circumstances of life have been, he has always kept pushing forward. It did not matter how bad his back hurt or how tired he was, he would always get up early in the morning to keep giving us a better life. I admire this work ethic and drive to such a large extent because it has allowed him to achieve so much with very little. My father’s highest level education was middle school. With this in my mind, he has not only been able to create a life for himself in the United States, but also for his family. I have been able to live a great life and receive an education because of his work ethic and drive.
My father’s work ethic and drive has impacted my life in a great way. Seeing my father achieve so much with so little creates a drive in me to achieve that American Dream of happiness and prosperity. Through grade school, I pushed myself in order to be like him. I wanted to be the smartest student in all of my classes. Like him, I pushed forward through life and distractions in order to receive good grades. Hence, I was able to graduate high school with honors. Thanks to him, I was able to get accepted in Kennesaw State University and find myself in a situation where I can continue to further my education and success in life. As I continue forward in life, I am going to model my work ethic and drive after his. I want to acquire my bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. The only way I am going to be able to achieve this is with a work ethic and drive like his. I am going to need it because I feel as if this the only way I will be able to match my father’s achievements. Moreover, I feel as if the only way I can recompense my father for all the sacrifices is by one day walking across a stage and receiving my degree with him sitting in the crowd.
All in all, my father and his work is something I greatly admire. He may seem like just a simple and uneducated immigrant, but to me he is the greatest person alive. The ambition he has demonstrated in life even when the odds were fully against him has set a great example for me. This example has helped mold me into the person that I am today.