Kensington CAPA student overcomes hardships for a fresh start in Philadelphia

Editor’s note: This essay was submitted by a student at Kensington Creative and Performing Arts High School through a community partnership with Kensington Voice. The essay was developed from an autobiography assignment that Rebecca Mulligan assigned to students who speak English as a second language to improve their English proficiency.  

I came to Philadelphia with my mom when I was nine years old, but I returned to Puerto Rico because I really didn’t like the environment. What I didn’t like about Philadelphia as a child was the cold, the people I didn’t know, and especially the language.

From 2014 to 2020, I lived with my father in Puerto Rico, and he was a very selfish person. He was a bad father and very sexist. He always spoke badly of my mother to me. One day, I made the decision to call the police and tell them everything that had happened since I started living with him. 

I thank God I don’t live with my dad anymore. I feel happy with the life I’m living now with my mom. Since she’s not like him, she means the world to me, and I’m thankful I had the courage to call the police because I couldn’t bear living with him anymore. He treated me badly. 

Also, I never liked my father’s wife. She was always looking for a reason for my father to have any little argument with me. 

After the whole process, I can rest easy knowing that I now live with my mother and everything has gone very well for me. I also saw my sister again after a couple of years. I couldn’t see her because I lived in Puerto Rico. I was there the whole time without seeing my two sisters and my mother, but when I got here to the mainland United States, I was able to meet them again. Now, I can see my nephew grow up.

I like the life I live now. Many bad things have happened to me, but I know how to solve them in a good way. Many people have tried to hurt or destroy me, but you always have to stay strong in the face of bad situations. 

As I said before, you have to learn to overcome things because life will always put you in the way of something bad, and there is always a way out of every problem. Sometimes I feel destroyed and like it’s the end, but it’s not. You shouldn’t give people who hurt you the satisfaction. You can be strong and continue living. 

I am very grateful for everything  I have, like new and best friends who I love. Everything has turned out quite well for me. Now I know that I will always have the people who love me. I am grateful for everything and everyone I have met throughout my life because those people have made me the person I am today.