A high school experience from which I learned a lesson that can be applied to the future was getting rejected from several universities. It has taken me time to put my pride aside and to be strong enough to tell people, after all my hard work, that I got rejected from all the UCs I applied to such as Davis, Santa Cruz, Irvine, and Berkeley.

But after taking it personally many times, although I shouldn’t have, I realized that things happen for a reason. I pushed myself very hard in high school in order to help my chances of getting into a UC by trying to be a competitive candidate. Although I took plenty of AP classes and have participated in many activities, I was not yet prepared for these very considerably “elite” schools.

The rejections took a harsh toll on my self-esteem. Now, I see it as a lesson. I learned I should not give up on my dreams no matter what, and I should be open-minded and resourceful because life comes with many obstacles that can be overcome. I was not sure if going to a four-year school right away was honestly best for me. I allowed people’s debased perceptions of people who go to community college to get to me. But it does not matter what school a student attends, it is about what the student can make and gain from it.

To top it all off, throughout my life I have grown in a household with many financial restraints. I grew up in a complicated financial situation where my family was and still is considered “middle class” because of my parents combined income. As a result, I do not qualify for financial aid. Yet, we have continually struggled to make ends meet and pay bills due to the high living cost of California. Because I joined the workforce at a young age, I have learned how hard it is to obtain money and how fast it can be spent.

That is why I came to the conclusion that attending Diablo Valley College is the best fit for me financially and mentally.  Therefore, I choose to be cautious and to take this experience as something that happened for a reason and it is what’s best for the next two years of my life.