Mistakes as the opportunity of life improvement by Romy

Mistakes as the opportunity of life improvement by Romy - February 2017 Scholarship Essay

I used to go to one of the most prestigious universities in Peru. My life was easy, all what I had to do was studying. After three years at Law School, my single mother lost her job and she could not afford my tuition anymore. So, I decided to look for my father who was living in Washington State for several years, and I moved to the U.S. hoping a better future for my educational plans.
I remember how much I regret this decision after the first year living here. I saw myself waiting tables, cleaning toilets and doing all what I was not expecting to do; and even worse, my father proved me all the reasons why my mother decided to raise me by herself, so I was alone, completely alone.
I could come back to Peru and figure out how to finish my education down there, but I did not want to give up. I wanted to finish this story with a much more dignified end, so I decided to move forward and stop feeling sorry for myself, I decided to fight back my misfortune.
I stopped working in two jobs and kept my morning full time job, so I could take ESL classes in the evenings to improve my English skills for college; after a year, I could enroll in my first classes toward my associates degree in Business, and even when I was so tired, I did not allow myself to complaint because I was proud of being able to reverse the consequences of my own mistakes.
My mistake was huge. I left my home, my mother, my friends and my city without doing any previous calculations of any possible outcomes. The consequences of my impulsive decision were very dangerous for a 22 years old girl, because I was very near to become homeless, if sleeping in people’s couches doesn’t count.
However, without even knowing it, I was taking advantage of this mistake. I learned so much about myself and about the world around me. A mistake creates a chance to change your life for better or worse, but if you decide to stand up and fight for yourself to reverse the negative outcomes, you can be in the place that you want to be. Even if the mistake change your life dramatically, you still have the power to use new knowledge from bad experience and go on.