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Author: Honorata Ventres Description: It is touching in many ways, and not so untypical of our students here. It may be most poignant for what is not said. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Content: On April 17, 1993, I made the biggest decision in my life. I decided to come to America to make a difference in my future. It still feels like this happened just yesterday. At the time I was only eighteen years old. Of course in other peoples eyes, I was way too young to be making that kind of decision but, to me at the time it was a very important thing for lots of reasons. I grew up in the southern part of Poland in a very small town named Nowosielce with lots of farms all around. The people in my town were too busy minding someone else's business most of the time. Everyone had to act a certain way to be accepted in the community. From my point of view, I didn't see any future in my country. I wasn't happy about the school that I was sent to and life in general. When I came here my feelings were torn apart between leaving my school, all of my friends, and most importantly, my parents. On the other hand I saw great opportunity ahead of me.
In the beginning when I came to the U.S. I lived in Stamford, Connecticut with my brother in a very small apartment. It was a two story building with multiple families from other countries. Two months later my brother helped me to get a job one hundred miles away from him in a well known hotel in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. I didn't speak any English at the time and it was a very difficult experience. Everyday, in some way, was a struggle. On the other hand, looking back at the bright side, making my own money and being able to support myself meant a lot to me. After I made enough money to buy a car I quit my job, moved back to Stamford and started my own business by cleaning houses. My life had changed tremendously from where I started. I was so proud of myself. How many teenagers have you ever seen that go to a foreign country and bring themselves up without parent's help?
Even though I didn't have an easy teenage life, and those years passed by me too quickly, my life turned out better than I ever would imagine. Now I am married, have a nice house and four beautiful children. To be a good role model to my kids, my next goal is to complete my High School GED requirement which I did not have the opportunity to do it when I first came to America.
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