Changes by Anindita

Changes by Anindita - April 2020 Scholarship Essay

I am the child of immigrants. My parents decided to move from Bangladesh to the United States in hopes of achieving the American Dream that is assumed to happen to everyone and very much glorified all over the world. Back in Bangladesh, my father was a successful banker and my mother was on the path to becoming a future doctor. However, just like many immigrants that come here, my parents did not achieve that dream that was promised. The only jobs my parents were able to get was driving a taxi and working in a convenience store as those were the only available jobs. With the jobs they have, they are barely able to feed my brother and I, let alone themselves. They sacrificed so much time and money in order for me to have the most successful life that they once had.
My parents let go of their entire life to enable a better future for me. I am grateful each and everyday for their hard work to provide for me and my siblings. Paying for a college tuition is a tough job when both of my parents are not native English speakers. I believe that I am one of the lucky few who are hand given such an opportunity to receive an education without facing struggles outside of financial situations. Attending college and earning a degree is my goal to make my parents proud of accomplishing what they had left their home country without accomplishing. It is me getting one step closer to helping children in Bangladesh receive an education that they desire but are unable to afford.
Attending college is important if you have an idea of what your future looks like, otherwise it can end up as a waste of time and debt if you take it as a way to just receive a piece of paper that states your degree. It depends per person if they take college seriously or not, but for me personally, I believe attending college is important. As much as my family struggles financially on a daily basis, imagine thousands of children on the streets of Bangladesh who have no family or home to go back to every night or even have the chance to explore their desires as they stay merely dreams. It is not fair when students don’t take advantage of the opportunities that are given to them as golden spoons and instead decide to drop out while children in other countries aren’t even given an option. Attending college will not fully help me reach my goal, but it will enlighten me with the education I need in order to know what I can do to create changes.