These essays were written by students in class. They received a minimal amount of feedback from the instructor.
| Julio |
| Nihorka 1 |
| Innel |
| Nihorka 2 |
| Tatyana |
Julio Cardenas
ESL 91
Spring, 2003
Essay Topic: each of us has one person who has made a difference in our lives. For some of us, this person may be a family member; for others, a teacher; for others, a friend. Think of the one person who has been most influential in your life. Describe the influence that person had on you, and explains why you believe she/he has been so important in your life.
A Strong Influence
Each person has someone that has made a difference in
his/her life. In many case or circumstances when we are children, we adopt
someone, for example, a cartoon hero or a movie star, as an influential figure
that gives to us another view of life. In other cases, the influential person
may be a family member, a relative, or a teacher. However, in my situation, the
influential person who made a change in my life is one of my friends, George
Nieves.
My life was dominated by fear to make the wrong
decisions I was afraid of myself, and I found myself different from others in
the school and everywhere because I could not speak English like other people.
However, that was before I met George Nieves, a Spanish 52-year-old man, a
veteran of the Vietnam War.
George is a man that has suffered many emotional
problems in his life. When he was early in his 20’s, he was sent to Vietnam,
where he was very affected emotionally by everything that he did and saw in the
war. When he came back to the United States, George was depressed, but he went
back to the school. In college, George studied physical education. After studying,
he was interested in sports and physical recreation, so he worked with children
and teenagers. He was interested in helping the children and teenagers because
he wanted to take them off the street and give them a better future with sports
discipline. He got a job with the New York City Park and Recreation department,
where he worked for many years with a good reputation and admiration. However,
his life started to change; his bad dream from Vietnam was always around him.
George was affected psychologically. He was very affected by the drugs used as
medicines. For the reason he became addicted to marijuana because he found it
as the only method to get out of his problems and kill his emotional pain.
Those problems cost him his job.
Five-years later George started to work again. He
worked at a recreational center for children and teens that wanted to be
boxers. George was a voluntary worker in this place before I met him. After a
few months, we become friends. He was very interested in talking with me about
school and education but unfortunately, I was out of the school by this time,
so I did not bring any topics to the conversation. I had graduated from high
school, but I was scared to go to college because I was afraid of my English.
However George motivated me to study, read books about sports, nutrition and
other subjects. After this help that George gave me, I wanted to come to Kings
borough Community College to improve my English and study physical education.
In addition, he motivated me to study hard every day to progress more.
I believe that when people help others to accomplish
goals everything comes easily, and this person does not need to be a perfect
human, a super hero from a cartoon show or a movie star to be a great and
positive influential person. In some cases like mine, this influential person
can be a simple person with defects and problems that people in some cases
face. I give thanks to George, who now is retired from his job; I give merit
for everything that he did for me and for being a strong influence in my life.
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Nihorka
Hernández
ESL 91
Spring, 2003
Essay Topic: each of us has one person who has made a difference in our lives. For some of us, this person may be a family member; for others, a teacher; for others, a friend. Think of the one person who has been most influential in your life. Describe the influence that person had on you, and explains why you believe she/he has been so important in your life.
In our lives, we
always have a person that is very important for us. That person can be our
lover, teacher, or friend. I have two special persons in my life. These people
are my children. They are my twin boys and their names are Brian and Dionis.
They are everything in my life. They helped influence me to be the best that I
can be.
Before I had my
children, I never thought that children were so important and serious. My life
was different because I had the freedom to enjoy life and to do a lot of
things. For example; I traveled more often and went out to the movies, to the
discotheque, and other places.
When my children were born, my life changed completely because I had the role of a mother. Since that time, I couldn’t go to every place with them because they were hyperactive babies. During their growth, I could not keep my eyes off of from them because if I did, I would lose sight of them because they would be running and jumping around the place like two little monkeys. I could not even go to the disco and casinos with my sons because these places are for adults only. My sons influenced me to become more serious in my life. For this reason, now, I think twice about every decision I make in my life.
My sons have been good children because I gave them
a good discipline at home. I forbid them to go out alone until I am sure and
believe that they can cope with all the dangers that are on the street and any
places outside. I also don’t
allow them to get along with bad peers because if they get along with bad
friends, then they will learn bad moves. For example; they could get addicted
to drugs or to smoke. Or maybe they will try to imitate these bad people. For
instance; they could become killers, robbers, or rapists. So far, my sons have
understood me everything that I told them about drugs and smoking. For this reason, I am very proud of them because they are very obedient
children. I hope to God that in the future, all my efforts will not have been
in vain.
I try to do all my best
for my children because I love them a lot. They also gave me the strength to
return to school and finish my education. In the future, I want them to follow
in my footsteps and finish their education too because I do not want them to
suffer in their lives. I would desire that they have their own good jobs. I
also wish with all my heart that my children become good men because these
days, anything can happen. I just expect in the future that they will struggle
to become good sons, husbands and fathers.
They will always be special in my life. My sons
have influenced me to appreciate many things in life, including the time I
spend with them and to not take things for granted. I have become more
organized because of them. I prioritize my time according to what I feel is
more important. I try to spend quality time with my sons. My children have been
so important in my life. They are my life, my strength and my heart. Without
them, my life isn’t the same. They are the only ones that I have in my life and
that I know care about me.
As I have said many
times before, my children have made a difference in my life. Without them, my
life would have no sense. I believe that it is very important to have someone
beside us because we never know when this person will do us a big favor, to
make a difference in our lives.
Innel Exume
ESL 91
Spring, 2003
Essay Topic: each of us has one person who has made a difference in our lives. For some of us, this person may be a family member; for others, a teacher; for others, a friend. Think of the one person who has been most influential in your life. Describe the influence that person had on you, and explains why you believe she/he has been so important in your life.
The
person who has the most influence in my life is my mother. She has always stood by my side whether in
good times or in bad. Although my
father has always been in my life I have had a closer relationship with my
mom. I admire my mom the most because
she is easy to talk to, always willing and ready to listen to me even if I
don’t make sense sometimes. When I am
feeling lonely I can pick up the phone and call her and in a matter of seconds
I feel better. My mom is my first
girlfriend. The reason I say this is
because in my relationships whenever I needed some advice she was there for
me. She has taught me to be respect and
treat others exactly the way I want to be treated. My mom always tells me “to help other people especially the old
ones because that would make you remember your grandmother every time you see
an old lady. What ever it might be you still have to help other people who
cannot help themselves so God will help no matter the circumstances”.
My
mom knows me so well; She knows when I am hungry, happy, sad, and broke. My mom is very important to my life; She is
my hero. She is a hard working women
who has raised five strong children on a tight budget and practically by
herself. She has put clothes on our
backs and still has the time to listen to us.
If this isn’t amazing I don’t know what is, She has encouraged me to
stay in school and make something of myself.
It is because of that I am still here strong today. No matter how old I get I’m still her
baby. A mother’s loves is truely
amazing. It doesn’t matter if your
ugly, beautiful physically or mentally challenged your mother still loves you. I don’t know what I would I do if she
weren’t around. Her support and love is
what keeps going day by day.
In conclusion the person who has had the most influence on my life will be my mom. This is because of the encouragement she has has given me the morals she has instilled in me and the ability to work hard to achieve my goals.
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Nihorka Hernandez
ESL 91
Spring, 2003
Essay Topic: Write a letter to the person with whom you most disagree in which you present your argument against his/her position on global warming. Be sure to use persuasive evidence to support your position. This persuasive evidence should consist of references to and quotes from texts written by those who support your opinion. Begin your letter with “Dear _____:”
Dear Dr. Fred S. Singer:
I am writing this letter to you
because I have heard some comments about you and the global warming. I know
that you don’t believe that global warming could be a danger for our planet.
You think we should not worry about it. But with all my respect, I want to tell
you that I disagree with your opinion because the earth cannot take care of
itself. The earth needs our help to give us a better life. We have to realize
that the earth is our home. We cannot forget about it because it is our
responsibility to take care of the earth.
Dr. Singer, I think that all the
problems that we are facing with global warming cannot wait because the earth
could be sinking little by little. You, Dr. Singer say, “If the ocean warms,
the water will expand and sea level will rise.” And you also say, “Mountain
glaciers will tend to melt and therefore, add water to rivers, and rivers will
add the water to the ocean, and that also will produce a rise.” Can you imagine
if this happens? The coastal areas in America, Gulf, Europe, South Atlantic and
most islands of this planet could be destroyed. Most people and animals of this
world would have to live in the mountains because it is the higher place to
live without danger of dying by drowning. Human beings and animals could also
die because they would not have enough food to eat and clean water to drink.
However, they need food and water to survive. For that reason, it is very
important that ocean and rivers stay calm for our good.
In
addition, it is very important that we take care of the global warming now
because in this world, there are a lot of chemicals that can harm the
atmosphere of the earth. These chemicals can also kill people, animals, plants
and any creatures that live on this planet. These chemicals could give us any
type of diseases up to a point that human beings and animals could die. You,
Dr. Singer say, “Since aerosols are mostly emitted in the northern hemisphere,
where industrial activities are rampant, we would expect the northern
hemisphere to be warming less quickly than the southern hemisphere. In fact, we
would expect the northern hemisphere to be cooling. But the data show the
opposite. Both the surface data and the satellite data agree that, in the last
20 years, the northern hemisphere has warmed more quickly than the southern
hemisphere.” Are you telling us that
the northern hemisphere has warmed up faster than the southern hemisphere?
Aerosols could be very harmful for the atmosphere of the earth. What would
happen if both hemispheres warmed up at the same time? I think the temperature
would rise so high that it would affect the climate of the earth. For example;
Instead of having a cool winter, we would have a hot winter. People and any
creatures of this world would not find a place to live and this would cause the
death to all human beings.
Dr. Singer, the earth is our home.
If we do not take care of the earth now, then later it would be too late.
People must know how to protect our world and prevent bad things from
happening. Otherwise, in the future people will struggle for survival.
Dr. Singer, I want
to thank you for taking your time to read my letter carefully and thoroughly.
Thank you again.
Nihorka Hernandez
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