I am Ruhama Halake. Ruhama is a Hebrew surname, which means “One who has been spared”, many people struggle to pronounce it correctly. It Is cliché to say that the challenges that I faced in life have made me a stronger person, but in this case, it happens to be true. I was born into two immigrant families, both of whom who never had the opportunity to complete college in Ethiopia, and were barely surviving. My parents vowed that I would never have to live through what they’ve been through and my life would be better than theirs.

For as long as I can remember, I have always had caring parents that wanted the best for me and my siblings.They sacrificed so much for us to come to the U.S in order to live a better life. They both worked hard jobs, keeping up with the bills and supplying the needs for me and my siblings. We grew up in a happy, small and healthy home. I lived with both my parents and I had a great childhood until I reached middle school, that’s when everything began to change for me.

Middle school was hard for me, I moved from Arizona to a new middle school in Oregon. I didn’t know anyone that went to that school and it became hard making friends. I remained isolated from my peers and became lonely. Soon after, I made friends but I still …show more content…
I remember withdrawing from my friends and social events. I remember being at my lowest point in life, thinking that I didn’t have a purpose in life and everyone would be better off without me. I felt abandoned and isolated. The summer going into my eighth-grade year my mom and I took a trip to Ethiopia. I had a great time spending quality time with my family. I felt really loved and cherished and it was a great mental break for me. When I returned back to the united states, I started to feel happier again. I vowed to myself to not let nothing hold me back from enjoying life. It felt as if I came back as a new