I don’t deny that everyone has to face a lot of challenges while pursuing their academic or career goals. But I think my case is somewhat different because my challenges are not some common hurdles that come along this journey of becoming a professionally responsible citizen.
When I came to the United States, I had just completed high school and couldn’t continue my studies for the next 12 years due to various personal issues. At this stage, it is very easy for someone to abandon education and live an already settled life. But I knew the importance of education in life and therefore when I was finally able to receive a formal education, I immediately joined a college. But starting a college after so many years was a not challenge, instead of adjusting myself to the environment of the college specifically the classroom was! For most students, college is the place to start a new life, meeting new people, engaging in different new activities, and take a leap towards ultimate career and professional goals. I had the same aspirations but I was much different from all other students because I hadn’t joined college immediately after high school but have had spent over 12 years. So, my young, enthusiastic, and energetic classmates were not comfortable talking with me, have me involved in their discussions, or get along with me as just their other classmates. Apart from that, being a non-native English speaker, there was a language barrier as well that became a major issue for me to communicate effectively with my classmates and teachers. It was even difficult for me to understand the class lectures. I was going through a tough situation but when I learned that “WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING” I became very motivated to overcome these challenges instead of submitting against them.
So, having a clear goal of becoming an inspiration professional in mind, I decided to tackle all the issues gradually and effectively. I started to learn English through various booklets and online courses and engage myself with my classmates to earn their trust. I was an introvert initially, but the team projects at college helped a lot in overcoming the language barrier and exhibiting that I could be a friend who despite her age is as energetic, optimistic, and motivated as my other classmates were. This was the time when I realized that I have developed the necessary leadership qualities of taking initiatives and convince people to become a part of them. However, this was not the sole issue that made my academic journey difficult.
I am a mother of 10 years old boy and unlike any of my classmates, I had to manage my home, my child, and my college simultaneously. I have a joint family but unfortunately, I didn’t receive any kind of support from them during my college degree. Moreover, as my child was growing, things were becoming more and more challenging because now I also had to take care of his education. But I knew it very clear that if I became successful in managing all these things effectively, I would become a good example for many of my family members and friends who were facing very similar issues but couldn’t start their college. Also, I started to look at these issues in a bigger perspective that many of my students were having their kind of personal and financial challenges but they were tackling them very effectively. So, I became determined to fulfill my all responsibilities and my dreams by focusing more on the opportunities and rewards than just complaining about hard circumstances. This successful management of my different roles made me a resilient person and helped me achieve my college degree with overall very high grades.
But I was not just focused on grades, instead, I knew very well that becoming a successful professional requires a hands-on experience of the learned concepts and excellent communication and interpersonal skills. So, to develop them, I regularly managed to participate in different co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. Throughout my college degree, I have been involved in various research projects, community development services, and academic discussions. And because of this consistent and productive participation, I am serving as a senator of a science club and mentor in research programs and labs. I am very optimistic to showcase these skills and excel in them by pursuing this degree to ultimately achieve my career objectives. In this regard, this scholarship becomes an essential factor.
