Autobiography

"In the end, it's not the years in your life that counts, but the life in your years." Abraham Lincoln. A few days ago, I met up with friends that I haven't seen in ages. As we shopped and cruised from mall to mall, we reminisced about the good old days, told each other about where we were and what we're planning to do with life. That day, I realized how much I have accomplished in life, and how much more I aspire to do in the following years. At age nineteen, though the number of years in my life is not too great, I know that the life in my years have been great so far.

My life began just before dawn on the 15th of February 1986 in Immaculate Concepcion Hospital in Manila, Philippines. After thirty-six hours of screaming and pushing, my mother's difficult labor finally paid off when I came about. I was born to Israel and Maria Victoria Cruz. I had one older brother and now three more younger brothers, leaving me the to be the only daughter in the family.

My passion for learning began as I started kindergarten in International Christian Academy and graduated from preschool with the highest honors. I continued to Elementary school in Nazareth School, then to Marikina Christian Academy, then to Faith Academy, moving to a new school every year. Due to my father's line of work, I did not only transfer schools, but my whole family moved to a new neighborhood annually. Though the transition was difficult all the time, I managed to concentrate all my efforts into my studies. I didn't know then that the greatest challenge was yet to be met.

In 1996, my father lost his construction company and was forced to immediately find a new job to support us. He was offered a high-paying job by StarKist Inc, although the job was located in an island none of us ever head of. This new job drastically changed our lives, since we packed up and left our friends, family, and all we had to relocate to American Samoa. This transition seemed to be the hardest challenge in my life since I had to adjust to a new country, culture, environment, as well as people. Time became my only friend, and through it, I met and got accustomed to new people and new interests.

I studied grade school in Samoa Baptist Academy. I was an active member of the National Junior Honor Society and yearly participated in the island-wide Math and Science Fairs. I graduated as the Salutatorian of the class in the year 2000. I continued to high school in