Kevin Nguyen
11th Grade
La Quinta High School
Orange County
My entry explores the nature of water and how it relates back to us. Water is malleable and flexible, meaning that anyone can bend and mold it to whatever shape they like. Similarly, parents bend and mold their children. From the moment they are born, parents guide them towards a better direction. However, as children grow up, they may feel controlled or insecure. These negative thoughts can bubble up in silence, leaving them vulnerable. The goal of my entry is to tell youth that the challenges of meeting your parents’ lofty expectations, especially in Vietnamese culture, should not define them. The expectations we think are from our parents may actually be amplified by our own expectations for ourselves. And, sometimes, they can be more unforgiving. Youth need to reexamine their way of thinking and never forget, at the end of the day, they are their parents’ child. No matter what, their parents will always be proud of them.
