Using these notes: These experiences built my resilience, independence, and my confidence. Describe how did it do it? Talk about my experiences, what I did based on those experiences and how it changed me. I learned mediation and yoga, what did those things do for me. I realized I wasn't a victim, and I can choose a better circumstance for myself. I had the power to improve my life. EMPHASIZE WHAT YOU LEARNED AND HOW YOU GREW

change the last paragraph of the essay:

Essay:

When I was three years old, my parents' divorce set in motion a series of experiences that ultimately built my resilience, independence, and finally my confidence in my ability to adapt and prosper. My dreams and goals for the future as a research scientist have grown out of all I learned about survival under financial instability and duress.

By the time I turned 10, I had lived in hotels, my mom's car, and apartments in multiple cities. Life with my mom was an unpredictable journey, filled with constant moves and financial stress. Yet, despite the instability, we managed. With her encouragement, I even started a greeting card company that thrived as we moved from place to place. We sold the cards at local markets, and the extra income helped us cover expenses. Though the constant upheaval was challenging, it taught me to adapt, survive, and keep moving forward no matter the circumstances.

Living on the go meant that certain sensory experiences became etched into my memory. The citrusy Kleenex smell in the motels where we stayed and the cold, sterile sheets of yet another unfamiliar bed became a constant reminder of our temporary existence. I couldn't help wondering why I was stuck in this life, while my friends had the luxury of things like expensive jasmine-scented diffusers. Those thoughts slowly turned into frustration and anger. Why couldn't I change my situation? Why did this have to be my life?

While my mom had full custody and full financial responsibility for me, I still visited my father on occasional weekends. The contrast between his world and ours was jarring. My mom and I scraped by, living in and out of motels, while my father lived in a spacious, affluent home in Los Gatos. When I stayed with him, he showered me with giftsnew iPhones, a MacBook, whatever I casually mentioned. For my 10-year-old self, it seemed like a dream come true, a world of comfort and stability that I hadn't known.

One summer my mom needed me to stay with my dad for an extended period. I felt like I had achieved nirvana because during that time I got everything I wanted. My father urged me to move in with him permanently. Overwhelmed and blinded by the promise of security I so desperately craved, I made the decision to leave my mom and live with him.

But reality quickly shattered the illusion. I had imagined a life of ease, but what I found was isolation and loneliness. My father's home was full of extended adult family members, and there wasn't even a room for me. I slept in the living room for months. The promises of a better life faded as I spent my days alone, trapped in a house where no one ever left except for doctor's appointments. My social life suffered tooI had no close friends, no real connections, and I began to feel completely cut off from the world. Eventually, the isolation and mounting anxiety culminated in panic attacks, which overshadowed any comfort that material wealth had promised. After three depressing years of living with my dad, Irealized I wasn't a victim, and I can choose a better circumstance for myself.....decided to return to my mom.

It's been four years now, and in that time, I've grown in ways I never expected. Living with my mom again has brought me a sense of stabilitynot the financial kind, but emotional and mental stability that I had lacked. I've learned to appreciate the value of relationships over possessions, and my confidence has grown. Through her love and support, I've come to understand that genuine happiness doesn't come from things but from the people who care about me and the environment that nurtures my growth.