My Upper-Middle Class Family and Why I'm Here

(In response to #2 on pg. 186)
I would say that my family is part of this ever-so-quickly disappearing “middle class”. Perhaps we would fit better into the “upper-middle class” category, but that's just splitting hairs. I've had many aspirations throughout my life, only some of which have prevailed through my teen years. The one that I think is most interesting to discuss in relation to my family's economic and social status is my goal to attend and graduate college. Ever since I can remember, college was a non-issue. It was pretty much assumed in my family that my siblings and I would graduate high school and go to a “good” four-year school. My parents both attended college and use their degrees in their careers, so as children the model was that in order to get a good job (preferably one you enjoyed) we had to go to college.
I would say that I decided what I wanted to major in in college and what I wanted to do with my life somewhere during my sophomore year of high school. I started out taking ASL classes as soon as I entered high school and quickly progressed and fell in love with the language. Where did this aspiration come from? The study of ASL is certainly not as intellectual as either of my parents' fields of study, nor my brother's. I got interested in ASL through a program at my middle school that allowed us to help out at a near-by school for disabled kids as an elective. Many of the teachers and children their knew sign language and (as I returned to volunteer on my own accord for the summer) I began to pick pick some of it up and use it with my friends. Perhaps this idea of volunteering and helping the less fortunate comes from the idea that we, as products of upper-middle class families, were in some ways responsible for using our privilege to help others (eg. I didn't need to get a job that summer). I also was able to take ASL classes at a local community center that cost a fair amount of money.
One major road block came my way in terms of financial support from my family. While visiting colleges my junior year of high school (something that my parents' money and ability to take time off work allowed me to do) I was very intrigued by Northeastern University in Boston. They had a great campus and a real cool ASL interpreting department. I applied early decision and was accepted (much to my surprise). However, the school's non-need-based financial aid system made it impossible for my family to afford the $40,000/year tuition. I was able to get into Columbia and we have been able to get enough aid for it to be quite affordable. So, despite my first attempt's failure, I was still able to attend a very descent four-year college.