About Me

"Don't allow things to take control of your life, take control of your own life." 

My name is Jiaxin Huang, I am a student majoring in Hospitality at LaGuardia Community College. I am currently enrolled as a full time student and a part-time employee at Best Western Hotel. I was born in China and have been in the United States since I was 20 years old. Originally I was majoring in accounting however, I discovered that it was not my dream, but rather my mother encouraged me to pursue it. After getting my associates degree in accounting I discovered that I had no interest in becoming an accountant for the rest of my life.

I felt that I wanted to live a different life; I wanted a life that will make an impact on others around me and make me feel like I have fulfilled a purpose. I also wanted to see the world, experience different cultures and integrate myself into the American way of life. I wanted to do something that will contribute to society in a positive way. Eventually in the fall of 2011, I stepped out of my comfort zone and decided to join the United States Marine Corps. I saw it as my opportunity to not only contribute to my own country and the world, but also to learn more about my own limitations. The lesson I learned while serving in the Marines is the value of my own life. It’s quite often that people ask me why I wanted to join the Marines; something that puts my life in danger and I always answer with “because I want to build my own story.” I wanted to walk down the path of my life with something that will add value and something that is different from a simple day job. I found my goals in my life after serving the military. I’ve been to over seven countries throughout the four years that I served. It opened my eyes to life outside of what I’ve known for most of my life growing up in China. 

Since coming back from serving in the Marines I live by a simple rule and that is; don’t allow things to control your life, take control of your own life. This is related to everything that adds value to my life such as my loved ones, friends, work and most important my own identity. I believe that for most of my life I had conformed to what my parents want or what society demands. After 26 years of my life I finally broke free from the cycle and took things into my own hands. I had originally felt lost and without goals. I cared about fulfilling the expectations put on my shoulders, I never thought twice about what I wanted and was controlled by what others wanted. However, I am now clear and have a positive outlook on working hard and getting my goals accomplished. 

My short-term goal is to graduate from LaGuardia Community College and then transfer to a senior college. I believe that the college education will be the next big step into creating my future. My long-term goal is to become a hotel manager. I believe that I will become a leader and influence people in a positive way. I want to motivate and promote a positive attitude through sharing my own experiences to people around me and hope that they too, can take control of their own lives as I have done.