Autobiography

The earliest memory I have of reading was before starting kindergarten. My grandma would sit down with me and my sister and she read to us a laminated book. It was the short version of Gulliver’s Travel. Also it was in Spanish because we were living in Puerto Rico and we didn’t know English at the time. I also remember when she told my older brother to teach me how to write in cursive. By then I was already in school, but we were not learning how to write in cursive. I always wondered why she was eager in teaching me all of this even before I learned it at school.To my surprise, my grandma told me that unlike me and my siblings, she had grown up in a household where not everyone was able to go to school and obtain at least a GED certificate. Therefore, as a child I always remember her being the person that pushed me to learn. Especially, to see it as an opportunity to grow and understand many things considering that I was a very curious child. However, as I grew older other family members encouraged me in different aspects. Once I had reached middle school it was my grandfather who taught me the importance of learning English. He even got my mom to sign me up for the bilingual program in our school. As it can be imagined, soon after this, I started reading and writing in English as well. In the summer when I would visit my family in New Jersey they would also teach us how to speak in English

For some reason, I considered myself literate once I fully understood the English language. I think that is because I felt I knew Spanish by default and English required time and dedication. I remember getting frustrated because I would memorize a lot of information for my tests, but I didn't really understand what it meant. Yet one day a friend asked me for help, because she was struggling with the bilingual courses and I was able to translate everything for her with no problem. Growing up, family members always encouraged my sister and I to value education.  

Once I got older, my father supported my decision to pursue graduate studies and take all the opportunities I can to further my education. My grandfather and aunt being educators themselves, have been great role models and through them I've witnessed just how important literacy is. I try to keep reading books apart from the ones required by college because I've found it to be the best way to expand my vocabulary. I now feel comfortable expressing myself in both English and Spanish, but I know I have much more to learn. Also working in a place where I interact with many tourists, it is very important to understand and communicate with them. This has motivated me to try learning to read and write in other languages as well.