The Argentinian economy was booming and my family was doing very well. As my sister and I grew up, we attended some of the best, and most expensive, private schools in the country. At Lincoln, an American International school, English was the primary language spoken, and, of course, everybody also spoke Spanish. Cantonese Chinese was my first language, though, as my parents are originally from Hong Kong. My sister and I also attended Chinese schools during the weekends to learn Mandarin Chinese. But, to be fair, I always hated going to Chinese school and never became a fluent Mandarin speaker. Growing up in Argentina was the perfect childhood. It was undoubtedly privileged and full of opportunities. Unfortunately, the developing country's economy has proved time and time again to be extremely unstable. So, in 2002 my mother, sister, and I packed our bags and moved to sunny South Florida. My father stayed in Buenos Aires to continue his business.
It was the summer before fourth grade and we just moved continents. There were basketball hoops on every driveway, kids playing freely in the streets, big, shiny cars, and these spiky-looking trees! Suburban Coral Springs was a whole new world. Fitting in was my biggest challenge the first couple of years. Everybody had short, spiky hair, played basketball, and listened to rap music, so I followed. It wasn't until sixth grade that I discovered something I truly loved— tennis. I started playing in the summer while I was visiting my father back in Buenos Aires, he actually forced me to go play with him. I thought I was good, I wanted to get better, I fell in love. The next year, I left school early every day to train at the Chris Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton and completed the classes I was skipping online with Broward Virtual School. I climbed to become a top 50 ranked player in Florida and had my sights set at playing professionally. High school came and I moved back to Buenos Aires to live with my father for my sophomore and junior years to realize my dream. I was training full time at the Guillermo Vilas Tennis Academy, meanwhile studying online full time with Broward Virtual. I wanted to go pro, but not as badly as I missed my friends and life back in the states. I got burnt-out, the load of full-time training and full-time self-education was too much for me. I went back to my regular high school for my senior year and didn't pick up my tennis racquet again for a several years.
Finally, I finished high school and then I was supposed to go to college. With no clue where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, I attended Palm Beach State College for what felt like nothing more than the thirteenth grade. I commuted from home and hated it. Education was never my priority, I wanted to do something else. During my second semester, I landed a job at a three-star Marriott hotel in Fort Lauderdale with the help of a friend. Oh my goodness! Life never felt so alive. I was 18 years young living at home and was receiving a steady $700+ paycheck biweekly serving tables at the Marriott's Blue Fire Grille restaurant. I was great at my job and loved every minute of it. Quickly, my focus shifted from college to work. I wanted to work more and make more money. I studied less, my grades suffered. I bought a brand new car, partied twice a week and still had money to save. Everything was great. Everything was great until I realized I was at my second year of college with barely any credits and I would probably never graduate. I certainly didn't want to wait tables for the rest of my life. My sister, who was at her last year at University of Florida, was urging me to move to Gainesville. She would help me buckle down and provide a sort-of mentorship en route to an education.
It was time to decide what major I wanted to pursue. My plan was to get a degree and go back to the hotel industry, one I had a foot-in-the-door in and knew I was good at. I figured hospitality is frequently offered as a two-year degree, so I chose business administration as my major to get an advantage. I continued to work while I was attending Santa Fe College, as I had to pay rent and was not yet finished paying off my car. The following two years were the toughest. My monthly spending went from fully discretionary to counting pennies for gas, groceries, rent, and the car I thought I could afford. Thank heavens for financial aid! I couldn't be more ready to graduate, but the finish line seemed so far away. I mean, I hadn't even transferred to a university yet! During my last semester at Santa Fe I discovered the UF Online College of Business. Did this mean I could move back home, save $5000 a year on rent, and still get a degree from the University of Florida?
In the summer of last year, I graduated from Santa Fe and it happened— I was accepted into the UF Online College of Business. I was selling everything I owned to cover my last month's rent in Gainesville and the outrageously expensive utility bill from GRU, not to mention my credit card bill which was maxed out. I made the transition back home, which is now Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and felt the weight of a crummy apartment and stacks of instant noodles lifted off my shoulders. Today, I'm proud to be a Florida Gator and am closer to my family than ever before. I started playing tennis again and am employed with the City of Palm Beach Gardens at the local tennis center, where I hope to be teaching tennis soon. After this long journey, I've learned that there are tons of opportunities that an education provides and it is not just piece of paper that informs employers that you are qualified for a job. Once again, I don't know what I want to do for the rest of my life, but I know I don't want to settle for the job I once had. I also know the University of Florida will provide me with the tools and resources to find out. I'm only a year and a half away from graduation and I plan on making it count! Go Gators!
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