February 12, 2023 

The City College of New York 

160 Convent Ave. 

New York, NY, 10031 

Dear Professor Jacobson: 

I was born in El Salvador on February 23, 2004. My whole name is completely after my dad’s brother who passed away. At around age one and three months, me and my mother left El Salvador to join my father in the United States. At the time my mom was only 19 when we emigrated, and she had just lost her mother. It was a difficult decision that she made but it was all for the opportunity to live a better life with me and my father somewhere else. During those 17 years of being here I was able to accomplish and learn a lot more than what I would’ve if I had stayed in El Salvador. It is for this reason that I am extremely grateful for this opportunity that I was given and plan on accomplishing more achievements in the future. Also continuing to make my parents proud. I also want to be a good example for my sister since we have a 15-year gap between us, I want her to look up to me, attend college and take advantage of the opportunity she has. I say this since my uncle was an example for me since he graduated college and achieved a master’s degree in computer science and was someone who I looked up to from a young age. 

Some of the accomplishments that I achieved during those 17 years are related to my academic studies. One accomplishment was being able to graduate from a Catholic private middle school with honors. Another academic accomplishment was being able to be on the honor roll every year in high school. Also, graduating early from high school with a 90 average was a big accomplishment as I was able to have about 6 months off to prepare for college. A recent accomplishment was being accepted into City College as it was the only college I truly wanted to attend. One accomplishment not related to academics was being able to become an American citizen in 2015. Another one was being able to have a sibling, I see this as an accomplishment as I was an only child for about 15 years and my mother had a few miscarriages, and when my sister was born, it was an extremely joyous and memorable moment for us. 

However, with these many accomplishments I also faced many challenges along the way. One major challenge was adjusting to a Catholic school and struggling to learn how to write in script. The earliest challenge I remember was trying to memorize the times table during elementary school for a contest that was being held, I spent my hours with my mom and uncle trying to memorize them, and ultimately, I was tied for first place. A major challenge recently was trying to adjust to this new life as a college student as I felt it feels completely different from high school. College tuition is also a challenge for me and my family as we do not qualify for any type of financial aid so as a result my father must pay the full tuition amount each semester, which I am grateful for.  

Currently my major is undecided, but I want to major in civil engineering. This major connects to my future goals as I always liked the idea of building and constructing since I was a child. With being a civil engineer, I will be able to do something I’ve always wanted while helping the city or state that I reside in. This is a goal since I would feel great about myself and my abilities in being able to give back to the place where I reside in by helping construct or design many projects. I imagine myself in the future hopefully as a civil engineer either in New York or another major city helping with constructing whatever is needed such as buildings, bridges, airports, and many more. Some engineering challenges that I wish to encounter in the future are projects that may involve using solar energy, providing more access to clean water, using eco-friendly materials, and participating in urban infrastructure. 

Sincerely, 

Oscar Vasquez