2025 Cambree Burraston Spanish Fork HS

Perfection

Growing up in an Asian household was tough. I was expected to be the perfect role model, which was exhausting at times. I love my family dearly, but no matter how hard I tried I felt as if I would never be enough, which left me to wonder who I am as a person. I felt lost trying to balance making my family proud and finding myself as an individual. I was constantly reminded of the future and goals that I was expected to achieve, but I felt I could never reach them. My mental health declined as I struggled to balance my own expectations and my family’s expectations of me. All my life I strived to please my family. My childhood was confusing and ever-changing, as I was expected to act as mature as an adult while being treated like a child.
As I got older, I became very independent. I learned to make my own choices and eventually took that freedom to try new things. Unfortunately, my parents disapproved of this new me. They were straightforward with their feelings about the choices I was making. This time period of my life felt impossible to overcome.
Hurtful statements were exchanged, and I quickly became distant from my family. I felt terrible because I was supposed to succeed and make them proud. My role was to be a good example, but it felt like everything I did was wrong. Everything that my parents said to me stuck for a long time and still do. I truly believed that I wasn’t good enough.
“Cambree, what is wrong with you?”
These words repeated in my mind daily, distracting me from my usual routine. My motivation vanished, and my grades dropped. It felt like I had become a disappointment to my entire family, but worst of all, I was a disappointment to myself. All I ever wanted was to make my family proud, but since I couldn’t even do that, what was the point of living? My deteriorating mental health controlled all aspects of my life. I was losing hope for my future, and I stopped caring for my mind and body. Every day was a battle, fighting not to end it all.
Although I was struggling, I was still kind to others. I didn’t want to be the reason someone else felt the way I did. I never had a lot of friends, so I made an effort to make a kind gesture for a stranger every day, even if it was just holding the door or complimenting a classmate. I noticed how happy it made other people, but more importantly, it made me happy. I finally realized my worth, knowing someone else smiled today because I existed.
I learned many lessons from these experiences, but most importantly that kindness goes a long way, no matter how big or small. Although meeting a specific standard is difficult, being kind and trying my best can still be enough. I know I can be proud of myself, not just for changing my mindset, but for being an independent young woman in a world full of expectations and judgment. My emotional growth is something my family would have never expected, but to me, is a far more impressive achievement.