Jessica Pabon
6/2/14
UC Personal Statement
Life growing up wasn’t always perfect, all families have their up and downs. My family for example had many ups and downs. I can honestly say my family is my rock, and together we’ve overcome the toughest battles. Where I am today, where I’m living, and the people I have in my life showed me how to become a better person, to set high goals for myself. I’m very happy where I stand today, and thankful for overcoming the toughest battles.
I was born in Upland, California; raised in Ontario, California. Living in Ontario, my parents didn’t make the best of decisions. When I was 6 years old, my step dad was arrested for assaulting my mom while intoxicated. He went to jail for a year, when he got out him and my mom worked things out and decided they both wanted to change their lifestyles. So we moved to a small town called Lindsay. It was a huge change moving from the city to a farming town. Leaving all of our family and friends was hard, but when I started a new year in school as a third grader I grew to like the change. Meeting new people, and trying new things was great.
I live in a family of three sisters and one brother. The oldest; my step brother Ruben, and sister Angela, youngest; Marina, and Layla, who passed away at the age of 2, I am unfortunately the middle child. Growing up family was always the most important, even though we had our ups and downs, we learned at the end of the day no matter what we loved each other. On September 29, 2011 at about 8 a.m. my little sister Layla passed away. My older brother Ruben was babysitting her and his couple month old son, Layla was playing with her toys and one went under the couch recliner. She went under to get it and somehow got her head stuck between two bars and suffocated. Not only was that day my dad’s birthday it was also the longest and hardest day of my life. Layla was the most happiest, loving, and funny two year old I’ve ever met, the whole town knew who she was and loved her dearly. When she died it seemed like the whole town was grieving. Another perk of living in a small town is you have a helping hand everywhere you go. After this battle my family and I went through, I’ve always told myself if I can get through this I can get through anything.
In Ontario there were so many things to do, we would go to the park, or drive 40 minutes to Disneyland. My entire family lives in the LA area, so we would have family barbeques almost every day. Here in Lindsay in order for my family to visit or us go visit them we have to drive 3 to 4 hours, which is a lot of money gas wise, so we rarely see our family. Due to the fact that we live so far away now we always miss special occasions, and holidays. Living in a small town has its perks, everyone is family, so even if we weren’t with our family in LA we always had friends who are like family to us.
As a kid I remember always telling myself I wanted to be a cop, I wanted to protect people and fight bad guys; every kids dream right? When I was about 5 years old I was sitting on top of my grandmas slide that led into the pool, somehow I slipped off and fell into the deep end not knowing how to swim. My sister at the time had a Boston terrier named Bugsy. When he seen that I was drowning he jumped in after me, grabbed me by my bathing suit and pulled me to my mom who pulled me out of the water. I think from that day on my love for animals grew so much my mom had to physically stop me from going to every dog or animal I seen and trying to pet it and even sometimes bring it home. Today, any stray I see I just want to bring them home, show them love, and find them a home. My entire family are dog lovers so any time a dog had puppies or got sick I was right by its side 24/7 just wanting to love them and comfort them. So now that I’m older my dream in to become a Veterinarian, and/or open up an animal shelter.
I consider myself very involved in the community, sports, school, and church. In school I’m in ASB, which means I’m very involved in many school activities and community projects. I also play volleyball, and softball, volleyball being my favorite sport I play on a club team. Being 5’9 I have many on going knee pains, which just recently I tore my meniscus playing in my club tournament. This injury had me out of sports for 5 months. This was another challenge I faced, being so involved in sports and being physically active it was so irritating not being able to do anything, I was barely able to walk on my own. This injury taught me how to be patient, and that although I was set back for so long, hard work and dedication pays off in the long run.
My family wasn’t always the family to be in church every Sunday, we would occasionally go. When my sister Layla was born my parents realized they didn’t want her growing up in a cruel world. So we started going to church every single Sunday. We would hop around from church to church, until up about 2 years ago we found a church where it automatically felt like home, like we belonged. Ever since then, my family and I haven’t missed a church service, we got very involved in the church, and in youth group. The church is my family, and I am very blessed, God has shown my family and I so much mercy and his grace. We know that in order for us to live the life we want we have to let go and let God.
So living the life I am now, and going through the things I’ve gone through has shaped me into the person I am, and to the person I’m yet to become. I would have never thought I would be where I am today because of what I’ve gone through. Where I am today, and how I’m living my life is all thanks to my parents and the grace of God.
6/2/14
UC Personal Statement
Life growing up wasn’t always perfect, all families have their up and downs. My family for example had many ups and downs. I can honestly say my family is my rock, and together we’ve overcome the toughest battles. Where I am today, where I’m living, and the people I have in my life showed me how to become a better person, to set high goals for myself. I’m very happy where I stand today, and thankful for overcoming the toughest battles.
I was born in Upland, California; raised in Ontario, California. Living in Ontario, my parents didn’t make the best of decisions. When I was 6 years old, my step dad was arrested for assaulting my mom while intoxicated. He went to jail for a year, when he got out him and my mom worked things out and decided they both wanted to change their lifestyles. So we moved to a small town called Lindsay. It was a huge change moving from the city to a farming town. Leaving all of our family and friends was hard, but when I started a new year in school as a third grader I grew to like the change. Meeting new people, and trying new things was great.
I live in a family of three sisters and one brother. The oldest; my step brother Ruben, and sister Angela, youngest; Marina, and Layla, who passed away at the age of 2, I am unfortunately the middle child. Growing up family was always the most important, even though we had our ups and downs, we learned at the end of the day no matter what we loved each other. On September 29, 2011 at about 8 a.m. my little sister Layla passed away. My older brother Ruben was babysitting her and his couple month old son, Layla was playing with her toys and one went under the couch recliner. She went under to get it and somehow got her head stuck between two bars and suffocated. Not only was that day my dad’s birthday it was also the longest and hardest day of my life. Layla was the most happiest, loving, and funny two year old I’ve ever met, the whole town knew who she was and loved her dearly. When she died it seemed like the whole town was grieving. Another perk of living in a small town is you have a helping hand everywhere you go. After this battle my family and I went through, I’ve always told myself if I can get through this I can get through anything.
In Ontario there were so many things to do, we would go to the park, or drive 40 minutes to Disneyland. My entire family lives in the LA area, so we would have family barbeques almost every day. Here in Lindsay in order for my family to visit or us go visit them we have to drive 3 to 4 hours, which is a lot of money gas wise, so we rarely see our family. Due to the fact that we live so far away now we always miss special occasions, and holidays. Living in a small town has its perks, everyone is family, so even if we weren’t with our family in LA we always had friends who are like family to us.
As a kid I remember always telling myself I wanted to be a cop, I wanted to protect people and fight bad guys; every kids dream right? When I was about 5 years old I was sitting on top of my grandmas slide that led into the pool, somehow I slipped off and fell into the deep end not knowing how to swim. My sister at the time had a Boston terrier named Bugsy. When he seen that I was drowning he jumped in after me, grabbed me by my bathing suit and pulled me to my mom who pulled me out of the water. I think from that day on my love for animals grew so much my mom had to physically stop me from going to every dog or animal I seen and trying to pet it and even sometimes bring it home. Today, any stray I see I just want to bring them home, show them love, and find them a home. My entire family are dog lovers so any time a dog had puppies or got sick I was right by its side 24/7 just wanting to love them and comfort them. So now that I’m older my dream in to become a Veterinarian, and/or open up an animal shelter.
I consider myself very involved in the community, sports, school, and church. In school I’m in ASB, which means I’m very involved in many school activities and community projects. I also play volleyball, and softball, volleyball being my favorite sport I play on a club team. Being 5’9 I have many on going knee pains, which just recently I tore my meniscus playing in my club tournament. This injury had me out of sports for 5 months. This was another challenge I faced, being so involved in sports and being physically active it was so irritating not being able to do anything, I was barely able to walk on my own. This injury taught me how to be patient, and that although I was set back for so long, hard work and dedication pays off in the long run.
My family wasn’t always the family to be in church every Sunday, we would occasionally go. When my sister Layla was born my parents realized they didn’t want her growing up in a cruel world. So we started going to church every single Sunday. We would hop around from church to church, until up about 2 years ago we found a church where it automatically felt like home, like we belonged. Ever since then, my family and I haven’t missed a church service, we got very involved in the church, and in youth group. The church is my family, and I am very blessed, God has shown my family and I so much mercy and his grace. We know that in order for us to live the life we want we have to let go and let God.
So living the life I am now, and going through the things I’ve gone through has shaped me into the person I am, and to the person I’m yet to become. I would have never thought I would be where I am today because of what I’ve gone through. Where I am today, and how I’m living my life is all thanks to my parents and the grace of God.