Go Hard or Go Home — My Arrival Story

I would like to share a piece of advice to anyone reading this blog. I know I am not your friend (I can be though if you leave a comment!) or your parent but if I can help or motive somebody out there it will make me happy.

I was just a kid of 18 years old when I decided to come to some wrestling tournaments in Arizona (remember, I’m from Mexico). The infrastructure behind the tournaments was impressive and right away I really wanted to stay and compete here in U.S. I only could participate in one tournament because they were so expensive. But I won! I won the only tournament that I could afford (thank you to my parents!). In that tournament I caught one coach’s attention (Fernando).

 

I noticed he was always around to see my matches, so I introduced myself and we exchanged e-mails to keep in touch. “He is a great guy” I thought. After some months of emailing each other, Fernando put in front of me the opportunity that was going to change my life. He asked if I would like to come to U.S. to finish high school and learn English. There are not words enough to describe the feelings that came over me. I said yes right away! The only problem I could foresee was that I did not have any prior or even basic knowledge of the English language. The only two words I knew were “bathroom” and “food” and I think I could not pronounce them correct!

One of the hardest days in my life was leaving my home country. I had to give up friends, family, culture, food, my living style, basically everything I had and I knew for this one single shot of success. It was going to be way more difficult than just trying to “learn a little English and finish high school” as Fernando inferred.

carlos family

I was under a lot of pressure. In one year I had to get a scholarship, finish high school, and learn more than basic English or I would have to go back to Mexico and leave my wrestling team. Fernando helped me do all the paper work required to get in high school. He had faith in me.

Everyone in the school told me that to graduate from high school, for someone in zero level English, was going to take a minimum of 2 years of special classes. Even my consul said to me, “Carlos, I am sorry to tell you this but finishing high school in one year is not something achievable.” The only thought that came to my mind after everybody told me that what I wanted was impossible was, “No body will tell me what I can or I can’t do, I am graduating!!”

I still remember the first day of classes; it was cloudy, wet and very cold. The school placed me in an English program for level zero English students. I can think of nothing that has challenged me more than the first two months of high school. I could not understand anything in classes or in regular basic situations. I used to get very frustrated in the two regular classes I was taking – Pre-calculus and U.S. History – classes that even for English speakers are complicated. I pushed my self every single day for the next six months. Then suddenly I could understand 60 percent of the whole class. For me that was what I needed to push myself even farther. The next week I went to the principle to tell her that I was dropping the special classes to become a regular student. Regular classes were awful and hard and I wasn’t able to communicate with any professor yet. But finally, when those 12 months were over, somehow, I overcame every single obstacle. I passed all the classes; I passed the state test; I finished the 3 credits I was behind; I got a scholarship; and I graduated. It was one of my happiest days in my life.

This is just a short part of what I have been through. I’m writing this because I would like to reach as many students as I can to tell them that any obstacle, any hard class, any problem can be solved if you want it bad enough. I know Embry-Riddle is not an easy college but it is one of the best. I encourage you to try as hard as you can and eventually you will overcome what is stopping you. If I could graduate from high school without any English knowledge, you can get done whatever you want.

—As my old coach from Mexico always told me ” Go hard or go home.”  That’s the best I can translate it.

Have an awesome semester!

carlos family

An Opportunity for a Good Life

My name is Carlos Apodaca, I am an international student from Mexico and a wrestler. I am a guest blogger and would like to share my story.

Three different colleges offered me a scholarship when I finished High School in Rio Rico, AZ. The three scholarships were tempting offers to take, but when I compared the benefits they could give me, choosing became easy. I chose without any doubt the scholarship that wrestling coach KC Rock offered me. Embry-Riddle was the best option for success. Embry-Riddle is not only one of the best in aeronautical sciences, it  also has a strong, welcoming feeling for students from around the world; no matter what color, belief, religion, race, or sexual orientation. In fact, I feel that Embry-Riddle is free of discrimination.

Embry-Riddle welcomed me last semester in their English program known as ERLI that helped me to improve my English skills. I was able to pass the TOEFL test after six months. I cannot find words to describe how kind, warm, and friendly everyone was with me when I arrived, especially the people at CIPS office (Center for International Programs and Services). They were always patient with me and never freaked out, even when I did not fully understand all the paper work I had to turn in, when I gave them the wronCIPSg address and made a very important paper of immigration almost go to the other side of Mexico, or when they couldn’t understand what I was saying in e-mail or when I was talking. I am very thankful for them because otherwise I wouldn’t be here holding in my hands an opportunity that has the potential to change my life for good.

Not long ago I contemplated what Embry-Riddle offers its students and I realized that this college offers an opportunity of a better life for students that work for it. Students attending Embry-Riddle are warriors of body and soul, they want to succeed more than they want to breathe, and they’d rather die than give up. For me Embry-Riddle embodies many things, but mainly it is an opportunity to improve my life, to become a better person, and to get prepared for the world out there. This college gives us the tools to succeed in our lives.

ERAU International festival 2015

ERAU International festival 2015

I  thought that no one was going to take care about me when at first came to the U.S., that everyone was going to leave me out of everything and I thought that I was going to be alone all the time. However, I was mistaken. I have made many good friends that worry when they have not seen me in a while. I feel nostalgic sometimes when I think about my family and friends back in Mexico, but that feeling fades away when I think about the new family that I have right here at Embry-Riddle.

 

Una oportunidad de vida.

Mi nombre es Carlos Apodaca, soy un estudiante internacional de México y practico lucha grecorromana. Me gustaría compartir mi historia con todos ustedes.

Tres diferentes universidades me ofrecieron beca al terminar mis estudios de nivel superior en Rio Rico, AZ. Las tres becas  que se me habían ofrecido eran muy tentadoras, pero al comparar los beneficios que cada una de ellas me podía ofrecer, elegir a que universidad asistir fue una decisión fácil. Elegí sin ningún tipo de duda la beca que el entrenador principal KC Rock me ofreció en primera instancia. Elegir Embry-Riddle como primera opción, creo que es la mejor elección para una vida éxito. Embry-Riddle no es solo la mejor universidad en ciencias aeronáuticas, también es una universidad que se distingue por aceptar e impulsar estudiantes alrededor del mundo a asistan a esta prodigiosa universidad; no importa el color, creencias, religión, raza, u orientación sexual. En esencia, siento que  Embry-Riddle es un colegio donde la discriminación no será  tolerada bajo ninguna circunstancia.

Embry-Riddle me recibió el semestre pasado en un programa de Ingles conocido como ERLI que me ayudo a mejorar en mi Ingles a nivel universidad. Gracias a este curso pude pasar un examen llamado TOEFL en menos de seis meses. Me faltan palabras para describir que tan amables, buena gente, y amistosos toda la comunidad de Embry-Riddle fueron cuando llegue, en especial los trabajadores de la oficina CSPI (Centro y Servicios al Programa Internacional). Todo el tiempo me tuvieron paciencia y nunca se desesperaron, incluso cuando no entendía completamente ningún trámite que se necesitaba hacer para estar totalmente inscrito, incluso cuando les di una dirección incorrecta y mandaron un papel de imigracion casi asta la otra punta de Mexico, o cuando no me entendían al momento de escribir un correo o cunado trababa de entablar un conversación con ellos, siempre me tuvieron paciencia. Estoy muy  agradecido con ellos,  sin esas increíbles personas no estaría aquí escribiendo este blog y sosteniendo en mis manos una oportunidad que tiene el potencial de cambiar mi vida por completo.

No  hace mucho estaba pensando que es lo que Embry-Riddle ofrece a sus estudiantes y llegue a una conclusión; Embry-Ridde ofrece una oportunidad para obtener una mejor calidad de vida a todos aquellos que trabajan duro para obtenerla. Estudiantes que asisten a esta  universidad son guerreros en cuerpo y alma, ellos desean triunfar tanto como desean respirar,  preferirían morir antes de rendirse. Embry-Riddle representa muchas cosas pero principalmente es una oportunidad para mejorar tu calidad de vida, crecer como persona,  y al final pero no menos importante, esta universidad nos da las armas para sobrevivir en el mundo real.

Cuando recién llegue a E.U.A yo pensé que a nadie le  iba a importar, que nadie se iba a preocupar por mi, y que me iban a excluir de los círculos sociales. Sin embargo, estaba equivocado. He hecho muchos amigos que me buscan cuando por algún motivo no me han visto por más de dos días. Algunas veces me siento nostálgico cuando pienso en mi familia, amigos y conocidos que deje en México, pero ese sentimiento desaparece cuando pienso en la nueva familia que encontré aquí en Embry-Riddle.