“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
I am the repository of my parents' hopes and dreams.

Our unbroken history stretches far back across borders and oceans I do not know and now finds itself newly planted here. How will I add another link to the chain? I will dig my hands deep into the earth, feel it squish between my fingers. I will build things. I want to construct large skyscrapers that leap into the sky; to chisel small, indestructible gems; to nurture a family that makes everything else seem insignificant. I want to grasp a person's quiddity, to never cast away a human being, to enkindle people to work hard for the zest of the challenge. My job is to give the next generation the opportunities and the love my parents gave me.

I'm going to make them proud.

— Patrick Chung