Everybody has probably thought about the question "What event or circumstance has shaped me to be the way I am?" When asked this question, I am forced to reflect long and hard upon all aspects of my life. Like most others, there are many people and events that have shaped me as a person. However, nothing has influenced my life more than the fact that I am blind. Most people would have a hard time imagining that anything positive could come out of being blind. Thus, it is labeled a "disability."

  In my case, this disability has driven me to excel beyond all expectations. It has given me the courage to stand strong and be hardworking, persistent, and optimistic amidst immense disadvantages and low expectations. I realized that many blind people were not making efforts to succeed and became easily discouraged. Many of these people lacked any future aspirations. For them, being blind was enough of an excuse not to succeed. Realizing this, I made a vow to study hard and become famous in order to show them that being blind is not as big of an obstacle as they might think. My disability did not only propel me to study hard, but it also made me an optimistic person. I wanted to show people that not all blind people are depressed. I have always tried to smile and display a positive attitude. While at times it may have seemed a little forced, eventually I grew into the person I was trying so hard to become. I began to see the positive side of things. I knew that if I had the ability to overcome my disability, there was absolutely nothing in this world that I would not be able to conquer. Ironically, being blind has granted me a type of resolve and confidence that I otherwise would not have developed.

  As much as I would love to take sole credit for my strength of character, I would not be where I am if it were not for my family. They instilled in me a sense that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. By not handing everything to me, my family taught me how to survive on my own. They understood the delicate balance between when to help and when not to help. In instances where they thought I might become too overwhelmed, there helping hand was more than felt and greatly appreciated. Due to the support of my family, being blind became a positive force in my life. They helped me to see that it is a defining characteristic of me…something that sets me apart and makes me unique. This paradigm shift is one of the most important lessons that I learned from my family. I am grateful for having the opportunity to experience two totally different cultures: Korean and American. Though I have only been in the States for about two and a half years, I can appreciate all the complexities and struggles that I had to and still have to endure in America due to my unfamiliarity with this culture and language. However, it is another obstacle that I believe has built my character and made me even stronger.

  I have been fortunate enough to be blessed with a talent for music. I long for the world to feel the same joy and peace that I feel when I play my music. By taking music classes at a young age, participating in bands and orchestras, and through the countless hours of private lessons, music has become a natural, integral part of my life. I have played the piano for nearly 15 years. Though the piano is the instrument that I most excel in, I am also very familiar with the keyboard, drums, soprano saxophone, violin, and the guitar. Consequently, I have received many accolades for my music.

  I believe that God gave me this gift of musical ability, so I would ultimately like to in-turn bring glory to Christ through my music. I intend to accomplish this by forming a contemporary Christian band. My target group would be the youths of our society. Music is an extremely powerful influence among the youth. I believe that music can inspire the young to become great leaders in the future. My aim is to bring them clean, healthy and inspiring music so that they will be positively influenced by my music. I hope to counteract the destructive effects forced onto this generation by all the filthy music by providing the people of this culture clean, healthy, and inspiring music.

  All in all, I can earnestly say that I am appreciative for my disability, my music, my family, and my background. Most people would see my life as a series of obstacles. However, I see a unique life filled with inexplicable blessings.

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