Alejandra Prego Thing 3 I had a very privileged childhood.

My mother and father were happily married, I had an adorable younger sister, and we lived in a beautiful house. I attended a prestigious German

't (I\Oy~ f (.,w~cl v:. ......... of the students complained about the work load and the rigorous expectation, I embraced it. My
school required that every student be enrolled in a German course every semester. Learning German was diffi.cult, but I love a challenge and I will do anything to defeat it. This was the start of my love for books, writing, and education.
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itixe and they highly focusecion education. Although most

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My life drastically changed when I was nine years old. I lived in Nicaragua and my mother told my sister and I that we were coming to the United States for vacation, however; our two week vacation turned into a permanent stay. I did not know how to speak English and that made school very difficult for me. For the first time in my life I did not understand the lessons being taught in school. I was extremely frustrated with myself and it was obvious in the classroom. Therefore, my teachers recommended me for the ESL program. My mother was not ~ ~ vJh~? e,..\'" bl).c..-te. (;,cs :t1 e 6 ~ --,I. 1 cJ:,"" ..... open to this idea. She knew I could learn English in a regular classroom by talking to my peers and constantly studying. She would always buy me books and make sure I read every day. I was determined to learn this new language as quickly as possible.
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Another struggle that came about our move was making friends. The language barrier between my peers and I made it difficult to understand each other. My peers weren't tolerant of other cultures and instead of embracing a new culture; they constantly put me down about my accent. I only made one friend that year. I was committed to learning this new language because

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I was tired offeeling confused and lonely. I began by reading my little cousins Dr.Seus's books even though I was in fourth grade. Their parents loved reading and they showered their kids in books. I took full advantage of this. I loved everything about them; the pictures, the colors, the characters, and the rhymes. I would sit in a corner in their room and read those books for hours. I have to thank thing 1, thing 2, Sam I am, and every other Dr. Seuss's character for teaching me basic nouns, verbs, colors, and numbers. When I was more familiar with the English language I started reading more advanced books, I enjoyed them because I always found new words to learn. Once I was fluent in English I realized J still enjoyed reading just as much. Now that I look back on it, I realize that J didn't just enjoy reading to learn English, but I enjoyed reading to learn in general. This stuck with me throughout my life. I love books and I read them as often as I can. / My mother has always motivated me to try my best, without any shortcuts. She moved ~
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to the United States to give my sister and me a better life and she has always expressed the importance of reading and writing. J think that's why I truly enjoy reading and writing. It has always been around me in a positive, important manner.

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