I was born to a man who carved the American dream into his bloodline.

When I first moved to America, I became exposed to the complex mesh of sound that entrapped and entangled off unfamiliar tongues. But I never placed myself in a situation in which I needed to converse in English, so I became incapable of formulating sentences out loud. Thus, I developed a fear of communication: a fear of speaking.
This fear restricted me, existing as a barrier in my mouth. In middle school, I ran for treasurer. But in front of a crowd of people with their eyes on me, I felt helplessly lost. Not knowing how to react, every time I opened my mouth, attempting to spit out my speech, my body ordered me to burst into uncontrollable laughter and deprived me of the ability to calm down. The silence screamed volumes, and my legs started dancing to the loudness of my heart beat.

So when I signed up for a model congress conference, I imagined sitting in committee for the entire four days without opening my mouth in order to avoid humiliation. But when I entered into Senate Appropriations, I became surrounded by people who fervently spoke out for the lower class against reducing senior social security benefits, and their excitement was contagious. I watched as my body allowed me to raise my placard to be put onto the speakers list. As my legs marched to the podium, I spoke, calling out for the elimination of the payroll tax cap in order to save the lower class from sinking into poverty. In front of the entire committee, my legs frantically trembled again, and my heart pounded against my chest. But when I finished my speech, I witnessed the democratic side acknowledge my words, and I possessed pride and recognized the potential of power in my ability to influence people with speech. Realizing that my need to divulge my beliefs overpowered my fear of speaking, I discovered an ability to craft my thoughts into words that can be used to change people’s opinions, inspiring action and support; I under covered a part of me that I never knew existed. That experience ignited my obsession with learning about issues both domestic and international, and attempting to find creative ways to open people’s minds to my perception on certain political issues such as through poetry. As I am evolving, I aspire to become a leader: one that will devote herself to speaking up for her beliefs in congress.

I admit, my body still trembles and shakes when I am called on in class, but I do not let myself feel defeated and trapped by fear. The term “American” once felt so distant, and a role in government once seemed paradoxical, but I define “The American Dream” as transforming wild imaginations into possibilities, thus creating new opportunities. Out of my struggle with speech and my fascination with politics, I have created my own American dream.