I grew up in an encouraging family where both my parents highly valued education. Although they had high school diplomas, neither could afford to attend college; a combination of family and financial problems ultimately interrupted their journey. As a result, my parents often reminded me that getting a good education meant better opportunities for my future. To my parents, that seemed to be the overall goal: a better life for me than they had. My parents wanted me to excel and supported me financially and emotionally, which their parents were unable to provide. Their desire to facilitate a change in my destiny is one of many essential events that contributed to my worldview. Growing up as a Mexican-American, I was exposed to a completely different range of foods, people, and customs. My home was largely filled with images of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and numerous other saints. These images, as well as a number of different candles and incense, demonstrated my culture's strong belief in the Catholic faith. The food also had a distinctive Mexican taste as the flavors combined with the spiciness of the peppers produced an overall appetizing meal. Spanish was spoken regularly at home in daily conversations with family and friends. It wasn't until I started preschool and, to a lesser extent, kindergarten, that I learned to speak the English language perfectly. However, I started acquiring English much earlier by watching educational television programs such as Caillou, Dragon Tales, and Clifford the Big Read Dog. I developed a pattern of routine religiously watching these educational shows where the main characters became like close friends, constantly teaching me new things and showing... middle of the paper... like I had lived those same experiences. I came to college with many common misconceptions about the so-called college experience. Similar to William Dereiewicz's argument, for me college has become the one thing everyone has to do to make more money. To be more successful I had to look at “STEM fields: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics” (27). I am personally guilty of falling into this common misconception, but I have since learned that college is more about experiences. The college gives you the skills you need to work in your chosen specialization. I came to Montevallo to major in Biology, but now I have begun to question this decision. Looking to the future, I hope that I will adapt to my newfound independence and develop my own set of moral beliefs and, similar to those of my parents, provide my future children with better opportunities than I had.