Basta ya de injusticia y maldad. (Away with injustice and evil) Cuba clama y reclama libertad! (Cuba claims and reclaims freedom) These lyrics by popular Cuban singer Willy Chirino define my familys history and heartbreak. In 1959, Fidel Castro took control of Cuba. That same year, my grandparents left the country with their daughter and barely the clothes on their backs. They were determined to leave to provide the best for their small child. Upon arriving in New York City, my grandparents were forced to live in poverty because a job transfer that had been promised them was no longer available. They were poverty-stricken with a small child, in a country where they could neither read, write, nor speak the language. Nevertheless, they were determined to succeed. With much perseverance, they rose out of poverty. This determination elucidates the Cuban-American culture and motivated me to be the best that I could be. My grandparents risked their life to provide freedom for me and my family. I am determined to show them their efforts were not in vain. When I entered high school, I enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program, a very academically rigorous program. I have worked very hard to take all the most difficult courses, as well as maintain a prominent grade point average. Furthermore, I became involved in several extra-curricular activities. Most importantly, I began to volunteer. I joined Key Club and dedicated most of my time to helping others. The year I became president of our Key Club, we donated over 9,000 community service hours to such projects as the Florida Network, the drive to end Iodine Deficiency Disorder, and many other local charities. I am now Student Council President for my second consecutive year. I have not only maintained my Grade Point Average, but I have dedicated most of my time to helping others. I have done most of this because I enjoy it, but I have also done this in appreciation and...
