Personal Statement

June 14, 2003: It was a sunny day in Thailand; that was the day I first touched a soccer

ball. I was 2 years old that time, who is my dad hold me to kick a soccer since I can’t really kick

a soccer. As I got older day by day, I started to take soccer seriously and wanted to be a

professional soccer player to achieve my goal and my whole family’s goal. I played soccer with

my brother everyday; he is 10 years old than me. My brother was way better than me and started

to look up to him.

As years go by my brother left me on February 3, 2009, to go to United States. His last

word to me was “focus on your dream of become a professional soccer and take care of dad.”

After he left, I was so lonely and don’t have nobody to play soccer with. It was a challenge for

me without having my brother around me. Everyday I will think about him and how we used to

spend time together and play soccer. One day I have a conservation with my dad to ask when

will we going to move to United States too. He said to me “Va sa nga tho, pa tho opha hta na

pa.” (“I don’t know yet, we will have to wait for long time.”) The moment that we finished with

our conservation, I run into my room and started to cry. Once in a while my brother called back

home to talk to my dad and I can’t talk to him because we don’t have phone station and the only

way to get a signal is to go up the mountain.

On November 23, 2009, my dad had a surprise new for me. He told me that “pha ya mo

American” (“we will go to United States in a few months”) and I was so happy. I was looking

forward to meeting my brother again. Few a months we left our hometown to move to United

States. When we arrived at United States, it was Texas that we arrived at. I ask my dad “va ma o

ba a” (“is my brother around here”) and he said “toe.” (“no.”) It was pain that my brother was
not in Texas and I had been looked forward to this. I thought to myself that I need to be strong in

order to be happy. When my dad buy a phone it was the first time I talking to my brother again. I

was cry and ask him to pick me up.

It was June 2010, I finished third grade in Texas which was where I first began to learn

English. We decided to move to where my brother lived after I finished third grade. We took the

bus to Charlotte and it took a day and a night. When we arrived in Charlotte, I saw my brother

for the first time in a long time. I was so happy to see him and hopeful that we would play soccer

together soon. The first thing he said to me was, “Na da ta, Va moe ta na.” (“You have grown up,

and I’m so glad to see you again.”) I had united with my brother again after such a long time.

I was a different person when I united with my brother because I used to be a crybaby but

now I am strong enough to be on my own. I learned that being apart can be hurtful but at the

same time it helps you to become strong. I learned many things through the challenge of my

brother’s absence. I learned to be independent and take care of myself.