Growing up in a small rural village in China, the last thing I could ever dream of was coming to the Big Apple. “I saw snow for the first time! I just saw Central Park live!” the first days after my first landing at JFK were full of excitement and curiosity, I explored the city with all my passion, hoping to know every little detail. However, things got worse after I started school; where I realized I was an outlier in the class. I don't speak English, I don't know any pop culture or references. Every time a student says a joke and the whole class bursts out laughing, I laugh along even though I don't even understand the joke. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay This sense of out of place stuck with me throughout elementary and middle school. I thought it would disappear as soon as I became fluent in English and familiar with the cultural references. But it attacked me and slowly turned into my insecurity. However, I reached the turning point in my life after I started working at A+, a tutoring school. To be honest, I wasn't good at it at first. I was clumsy and incompetent. Whenever a teacher or student asked me a question, I always responded with “um… I’m not sure.” When an angry parent would barge into the school, holding a C+ report card in my face, screaming because his child wasn't improving, I would freeze and give puppy dog ​​eyes at my colleagues, hoping one of them would step in and save me. I thought maybe I wasn't cut out. because of this. But at the same time I wanted to prove to others that I could handle challenges. Therefore, I started asking my colleagues for advice on how to deal with different situations. I saw them handling a crying child during school, and I secretly stored it in my heart, telling myself that this is what I should do. "Why is my child bad at English?" I learn to answer these types of questions by discussing with parents the student's work ethic, study skills, and assuring the parent that I will offer additional help to the students instead of just passing the phone to someone else. I'd be lying if I said this job wasn't frustrating. Sometimes I explain a math concept to the same student for the tenth time but he still seems confused. Sometimes a child with a nosebleed would walk in front of me, pinching his nose and asking me what he should do when I have an office full of students and parents waiting to talk to someone. But it's worth it. It's worth it when the student looks "ahh" after trying 3 different approaches to explaining the concept, and the next time I check the record, their math score has increased from 50 to 70. It's worth it after I've been talking to different people and the office is empty again. The student then stands in front of me, hands me the towel that I wet and put on her forehead, and says “Thank you, miss”. And soon after, he started smiling and greeting me every time he enters and leaves the school. They're little things like a paper crane with a thank you written on it that tells me that what I do is appreciated. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get A+ Custom Essay offers me a place to grow as an individual and discover my passion. I can honestly say that I would not be who I am now without this experience. I have learned the importance of community service and this has transformed me into a mature and patient person, and creates a niche that I am looking for.