My dream by Abdelrahman

My dream by Abdelrahman - December 2023 Scholarship Essay

Since I was 6, I had a deep interest in pursuing a career in STEM. This interest turned into ambition after a tragic loss; my uncle, who was like a second father to me, fell victim to COVID-19. This tragedy sparked a fire in me to pursue a career in medicine. I was dedicated to making sure that no one else felt the heartbreak I experienced that night.

A major theme in my life was relocation. During my freshman year, I had to balance between two high schools simultaneously—one in person in Alexandria, Egypt, and the other on Zoom in Pullman, WA. Despite all of the instability and hectic sleeping patterns, my learning didn't come from grades. I actively participated in sports, engaged in community service, and took on family responsibilities. I worked on my YouTube channel and created content that hundreds of thousands found meaningful. I even started my first successful side hustle: sneaker reselling. At the age of 16, I worked two jobs, practiced football, and did college classes all at the same time.

I was so busy that I felt like I was just doing all these things without purpose. One night, I sat down with myself. I put a blank white paper in front of me and wrote "What do you want?" I looked at the empty page for nearly 30 minutes. I tried to think of things I desired; then I started drawing dots. Each dot I put down on the paper was I dream I once had.

First dot: make my mother proud.
Second dot: financial freedom.
Third dot: respect.
Fourth dot: honor my uncle's memories.
Fifth dot: buy a BMW.
Sixth dot: save lives.

The dots didn't end. From dreams as small as a clean haircut to dreams as big as changing the world, I tried to connect these dots and come up with a conclusion. In my head, all the dots combined together into a big black circle, which was one big dream: become like Doctor Strange. I want to live my life like how he lived before he learned magic. He was a wealthy surgeon. He was an expert. He was respected. He had a loving wife, a big house, and fancy cars. Most importantly, he was saving lives. This is my dream, my goal, and my purpose.

Going to college is the first step to making my dream come true. As an undergraduate student, I plan to take on a very rigorous workload and excel in all my classes. I want to engage in research and gain as much experience as possible. I intend to devote all my extra time to finding new ideas and discovering ways to improve biomedical technology. I hope that after extensive efforts and several failed attempts, I can invent a new tool that could change surgical procedures and patient care into something even better.

After I complete my bachelor's degree, I plan to go to medical school and get my MD degree. My ultimate goal is to become a surgeon who utilizes some of the tools and technology that he personally created. In addition to helping patients, I want to help other surgeons/doctors/physicians as well. One of my goals is to start a company that will make my inventions available to all doctors across the world. That way I can enhance medical procedures and make a positive impact worldwide.

Getting that bachelor's degree is something I have to do in order to achieve these goals and turn my words into action. Pursuing a better education serves as the link between my ambitions and the many opportunities that lie ahead.