The following is a essay I wrote so that my daddy could win UCR's Parent of the Year:
I honestly feel like nothing that I could write would adequately explain what an outstanding parent/person my father is. However, knowing the joy it would bring him to know he was nominated is enough inspiration to try and give this explanation.
His story starts off a teenager in Santiago, Chile. Raised by only his mother he followed her and immigrated to the United States. Not only must this have been a total culture shock, but he had to leave he was accustomed to including close friends and family. Regardless of this dramatic change he was content living in Miami, Florida for some time until a tragic moment. A teen driver hit my grandmother while she was crossing the street and caused her to die in my father’s arms. Although I never met his mother I'm proud to have her name because she was the one who raised my father.
In spite of this tragedy my father continued persevering by learning English and learning a trade. Around this time my father also met my mother in church and 4 years later married her. They have been happily married for about thirty-five years. Shortly after moving to California my dad started working for an Aerospace company in Orange County. With this fairly secure job he was able to buy a home here in Riverside. One of my favorite childhood memories are of me running to the door as he got home from work and hugging him. I never really got to see him very often because he worked all possible over time to keep my mother at home with my brothers and I and provide for our needs.
For the past 24 years he has worked for the same Aerospace Company. My father wakes up at 2:00 a.m. in the morning to start his day and returns around 5:00 p.m. after battling the 91fwy rush hour traffic daily. Only to be in bed by 8:00 p.m. or so and do the same thing again the very next day. At several times his company has become insecure due to market problems. However, he was never been affected by any layoffs because of his value to the company. My father has always had the best work ethic and earns every cent he makes by producing substantially more then others in his departments. Although he has never had the luxury of time to complete a secondary education he has excelled in his company to supervising positions.
At the risk of sounding too religious I’d like to say that my father is the most Christ like person I know. I say this because he has given up his own life so that my brothers and I can have the opportunities that he did not have. I am obtaining my education here at UCR for my own benefit, but the greatest source of motivation is thinking of my father’s sacrifice of waking up so early and being on his feet for hours, day after day and year after year. Never once have I heard him complain. I have promised him that the day I receive my diploma I will turn around and hand it straight to him because in my eyes he deserves it more then me. If it weren’t for him I would have never been able to achieve anything that I have thus far. His love is one of my greatest inspirations.
Because of my essay we were able to go to a special catered breakfast at UCR. Although my father did not win, he received a copy of my essay along with a certificate and was honored along with many other deserving parents. I love my daddy!
