Question from a 16 year old foreigner.

[Janus]

Hello good sirs,
My name is Doğukan, I'm a Turkish lad of sixteen years of age. I hail you from the coastal city of İzmir. I respect you guys a lot. I self-taught myself how to read and write when I was 4, and ever since then I had a thing with video games. Playing video games is also the main reason why I was able to learn English on my own. The basis of learning a language is interest, and I spent a great portion of my childhood playing videogames. Playing videogames and and writing letters have a lot in common - they both make you practice your linguistic abilities and they create new worlds in your mind. I started doing both when I was a kid. So now I've got a lot of mates abroad, a drawerful of letters and many gifted games, all thanks to an interest sparked by videogames. Earning money over this interest, too, started when I was just a little boy. At school, I would do other people's English homeworks in exchange for money (and spend it all on games afterwards). When I got older and the bar started to raise, I started doing better jobs like working as a guide in the summer, showing tourists around, helping *actual* translators with the jobs they found too nugatory for pocket money, and for the last two summers I've been working as a translator on a cafe here in my city.

On the academic side, I find myself adequate. I graduated from elementary school three years ago, with many letters and certificates of commendations and an almost perfect GPA. I'm now attending highschool. I attended a private highschool with scholarships for two years, but this year I decided to switch to a government one, one of the best in my city. When I was 7, a company that offers language courses, starting at the age of 14, offered me an exceptional full scholarship and advertisement chances. I attended that course for a year, but quit afterwards, found it too boring. On 2008, I won silver medal at a nationwide English competition named "Happy Communicators", organized by one of the most famous private schools in the country. I must also inform you that I consistently maintained perfect grades on my English classes throughout my academic career.

Physically, I'm not very tall, about 5"8. I used to be a fat bastard, but through sheer willpower I dropped from 190 pounds, all fat to 130 pounds with some muscle.

I can't say that I really like my country, it's missing many civil values which America does not. I was thinking of serving along fellow Marines to earn my citizenship. I've read a lot about the process, which requires me to obtain a green card and such. I'll get it one way or another, but what do veterans think? Do you fellows give me a chance to serve in the marines, and any advice please?

Thanks in advance.

[m14ed]

Let an Old Marine Congratulate you please youngster...
You use punctuation in your sentences and paragraphs,
your profile even has enough basic information on it to know who,
if not where you are, and you write cohesively.
Marines , in case you don't know, respect you for who you prove to be on a daily basis.
The title "MARINE" isn't easy to earn, but not impossible as we Marines can all attest.
You get to be a Marine by not stopping on earning the title.
You haven't failed if you haven't quit. (if you fall 10 times, rise from the fall 11 times)
Good luck,

[Janus]

Thank you, sir. That's what "Always Faithful" means. Becoming a marine would mean more to me just earning a citizenship, it would mean, to me, standing for something in life. Millions of people come and go to life without making any difference to their lives or the lives of the people around them. Becoming a Marine means being able to do both, and that's what I want to do. Becoming a Marine means being honorable, that's changing yourself. Becoming a Marine means that some veiled little girl in Afghanistan will be able to go to school because of you. That's changing the world around you. I want to do both.

[Rocky C]

What an inspirational young man !!!
I've read this post 4 times.
I wish every 16 year old in the World could read this.

I took out the " Semper Fi " at the end of your post because you should not use it to sign off until you earn the Title of a " United States Marine " which I have no doubt you will.

Job well done and Good Luck young one................

[afraziaaaa]

What you want to accomplish will take a while. I hope you stay committed. It sounds like you might make a great Marine if you are who you say you are.

[Apache]

Outstanding young man
Keep up the drive and motivation
I look forward to seeing more good reports from you.

[DrZ]

We can see you have started planning your life already which is a very good plan. Continue keeping your grades up and if you are not in really good shape...working on getting there. No matter how good of shape you are in, it will never be enough. After you get your green card to start the enlistment qualification, you will take the ASVAB to see what jobs you can qualify to do in the Marines. I am not sure about being a linguist due to the possible security clearances but mention to your recruiter that you are fluent in this and that language. If security does not get in your way...you could be a valuable addition.

Other then those suggestions, please take some time to enjoy your youth. The Marine Corps will be here when you are qualified and ready.

I enjoyed your post. It is refreshing to read something from a person of your age that I don't have to translate first.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Well done. Some of our own young Padawan's could learn a thing or two here.

[SlingerDun]

...Do you fellows give me a chance to serve in the marines...

Yes, sure

Question: what "civil values" do you expect to find living in the USA that Turkey does not currently offer? What if you fail to find the missing values in this foreign country, after all is said and done?

[Janus]

I'd say that it's too long of a list to count all in single message, but our press freedom is under attack, an individual's freedom of speech is nowhere to be found, your liberties are often limited by various Islamic bygones, and such behaviour is actually supported by the big majority of the people, so government does pretty much everything it wants, they are enforcing their rule through "hacking" the constitution. due to the government's religious roots and my lack of, I'm pretty much an outcast. throughout my life I had to raise myself, and I raised myself with Western, perhaps American values. this is why I feel homesick for a place that I've never been, and this is why I dare fighting for it.

[Natadog]

Great Post Janus! I wish you luck in your future, sounds to me like you will do what it takes to become an American, then Marine, as long as you keep up that drive, you will accomplish your dream! Everything is possible when you put your mind to it.

[Janus]

Thank you for your support, sir.

[Apache]

I'm sure I can safely speak for all
Glad to be able to talk with you,you exhibit a lot of Positive qualities

One of your questions was would you be accepted
Judging by the responses you received ---- I would say Mission Acomplished

[Janus]

I'd like to thank everyone for their support, every piece of good word helped me clear my mind and strengthen my faith in a future where I can change things.

[Apache]

If I can be of assistance---- let me know