Person Who Has Significantly Influenced My Life - Admission/Application Essay Example

When my father arrived on American soil, my father did not speak the English language and that meant work opportunities were limited. Instead of being dejected, he continued looking for a job and finally settled on an offer to work in construction. My father understood his responsibilities to his family and was willing to do whatever it took to make a decent, honest way of living.

While working in construction, my father continued to harbor dreams of opening a restaurant. Food was and is his passion, and he believed that he could use my grandmother’s recipes from Italy and turn them into unique dishes that the local neighborhood would enjoy. After much sacrifice and savings, my father finally realized his dream and opened his first pizzeria in a small town called Keeseville. Dedicating all his energy and time to this new business meant that my father had to live and sleep in the restaurant’s storage area, and be away from his family as our home was in Montreal, which was one hour away from the restaurant. I remember visiting my father with my mother and seeing how hard he worked. My father had long days, where he would wake up at eight in the morning to prepare for the day, and would only fall into bed close to midnight. Even with this punishing schedule, my father was happy that he did not compromise his ideals but was following his passion.

Working ninety hours a week at the restaurant, my father was evermore dedicated, ambitious and understood the value of working hard. His effort paid off when he started having regular customers who enjoyed his simple, natural and great-tasting food. Word spread about my father’s pizzeria and soon, he had customers driving from towns that were one hour away. With the encouragement of these loyal customers, the next step in my father’s plan was to open another restaurant and two years later, he realized his goal. The second restaurant was opened in Adirondacks and he dedicated the success of both restaurants to his family and my grandmother. My father drew inspiration and encouragement from my grandmother who taught him all he know about cooking great food, solid business values, and unwavering determination.

Watching my father over the years, I have come to understand that action really does speak louder than words. Many people who talk about my father’s success now may not understand the personal challenges he had to go through as he made it look so easy. Throughout his struggle to realize his dream of opening a successful restaurant in the United States, my father has demonstrated that sacrifices are necessary in order to achieve your goal, and that talent alone is no substitute for hard work. I hope to use these life lessons my father has provided me and apply them to the new challenges I look forward to facing in your school.