Connecting the “Brand” to “on”

Dear Professor, Zayas,

            I am very pleased to have you as one of my writing teachers this semester. I hope this letter finds you doing well, I’d love to share some information about myself with you today. My name is Brandon Enrique Miranda; I am twenty-four years old and a sophomore returning to college after one of many sidetracks and personal matters. This is my first time attending City College and a school in Manhattan or let alone New York since before COVID, which is extremely exciting because I do value my education despite the challenges that have presented themselves throughout my life to this point. I look forward to giving more insight into who I am and where I’ve been to get here and dropped onto your grace and expertise; I cannot wait to apply more advanced techniques of writing for the benefit of my career in the future.

            For as long as I can remember I’ve always wanted to become an Architect, which remains to be my goal even this far into my life. I was regarded as a “quiet” but respectful child growing up, but I also had a love for learning systems and design. I enjoyed the complexities and layers of how systems needed to be established to operate, but at the very same time I loved that to build these complex systems, you had to build them differently and uniquely so they would fit like a jigsaw puzzle. This, mixed with my infatuation with skyscrapers and how buildings flowed and took people around; I knew very young I wanted to build things (that and my early childhood goal of appearing and acting like Bob the Builder). When I was around six years old, I mostly had LEGOs of all sorts of media that I enjoyed, which then I also made custom builds of certain “design concepts” for ideas that would not stand to pass any building codes now, but were gracefully accepted from my family. I was formally introduced to the word and idea of architecture then as well when my godmother saw me with a custom build and complemented me “you can go off and be a great architect” and it was then where I had an epiphany of the potential and power I could hold if I went out and became this vital role that has built our society. From then on, I’ve carried the ambition with me wearing it like a scarf, but why am I telling you this? I feel it has been the backdrop for every decision I have made; it comprises all of what I have tried to embody on my time here on Earth. After I set myself to this goal, I continued grade school, middle, and found an opportunity to attend a high school in The Bronx named “The NYC Charter HS for Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Industries” and yes, that is the name; I chose to spare the mouthful of words by abbreviating NYC and HS although they made me say that full name every time for four years, joy. While the school was not perfect by any means, they did have wonderful connections that allowed me to participate firsthand in firms and see some big projects the city has had in the past decade (LaGuardia Airport redesign, Kosciuszko Bridge). It was the most amazing experience that obliterated my young adolescent brain, and all seemed well for my future with my career, but as you might be asking yourself, what happened?

            “Good can exist without evil, whereas evil cannot exist without good.” – Thomas Aquinas; I’m sure you’re no stranger to the forces of both good and evil, and my upbringing has been nothing short of that rollercoaster. Already being born as a Hispanic male in New York City from a struggling, poverty-stricken set of young parents was one thing. Another is when domestic abuse and early parentification at age eleven taking effect; having large burdens with unacknowledged feelings and thoughts took early root in planting a tree of negativity that took from my soul. I turned to please my loved ones and give my energy to others while mine was ignored. I loved my parents growing up but having to understand these complex feelings and aggressive behaviors confused me, was everyone like this? Am I destined to be like this? I refused such behaviors, always knowing I have wanted nothing in my life but peace, I have forever loved peace and peaceful moments. So, I committed myself to bring peace, for my mother and I who had to go through the tragedies and struggles we faced then. Luckily life got a little better when my stepfather or as I call him my ‘real father’ came into our lives. My mother found someone trusting and I found a father figure that I challenged for many years after becoming a complicated adolescent. Life still had many challenges for us as a family, but blessings like my little sister came from it, many things happened to us, but we prevailed. That was until we lost my dear father a year and a half ago. Right as things were looking its best for us and the future, life, or death in this case, reminded us of how sudden things can just halt. I had to come back from living and attending school in Louisiana to be here for my mom and sister since, which I would do again every time.

Life has tried to kick me down, yet I stand here telling you this because I will still find my way, I will commit myself because I know I must get better, for me and my family’s sake. Life has been so kind and then so cruel to me, yet I love it all the same; it has shaped my framework and my dedication to take care of my loved ones and be the best human I can be for myself and for our complicated world.