Back Where I Started, To Grow From The Heat of The Sun. by Joyce

Back Where I Started, To Grow From The Heat of The Sun. by Joyce - June 2023 Scholarship Essay

Ten years from now I imagine I’d be in the Philippines. Back where I started, in my hometown of Tumauini. I immigrated to the United States when I was four, my parents leaving behind all that they’ve known to gamble on the life they’d lead in the U.S. Ten years from now I imagine I’ll be living in the Philippines, but this time in severely different circumstances. This time, I will be able to help.

We used to live in a shack back in Tumauini on my maternal grandmother’s property. The air was hot and humid, the shack dark and damp. My skin would stay sticky throughout the day, and although we had an electric fan, it wasn’t enough to cool down the room. At best it cooled your face. At worst it blew more hot air into the room. During the hottest part of the day, we would sleep to avoid the heat. And although the nights were cool and crisp, we would dread the morning coming.

I imagine in ten years that I’d be a physician. I would have studied as much as I could to become one. I would be a general practitioner, and open a practice near the same shack I used to live in. Every patient that comes in would be able to get free healthcare from me. I would be able to advance the state of medicine there by funding local hospitals and buying state-of-the-art machines from my own money alone. I would help as many people as I could, and I would give them a fighting chance at life if that’s what they desire. Until I do all that I can, I’d swear to not give up on them.

Because of the heat, many people suffered from heatstroke. And even if that was not the case, people with other ailments suffered even more because of it. It was even worse for older patients because the doctors there usually gave up on them, saying things like, “She’s already 79, let her rest already.” Even if that was against the will of the patient and their family. They reasoned that it’s because there were limited resources, and it’s better to give those to the people who will last longer.

My education in ten years would consist of being an MD/PhD. I'd planned to accumulate as much wealth in the U.S as I can, so that when I returned to the Philippines, I'd be able to use it all for the sick. In my studies, I would’ve learned about how to invest and how to properly manage a business. I would’ve also learned about how to write grant requests in order to get approved for funding.This was all so that I'd be able to practice comfortably in the Philippines. I would’ve practiced as much as I could in order to give back to the community that has given my family and I so much. I would’ve practiced medicine while I was researching for new methods and cures.

When I see myself in ten years, I’ll be in the Philippines. I’ll still be sweating. It’ll still be hot and humid, and my skin will most likely be perpetually sticky. But this time, I’d be able to help. I dream to be back from where I started, and to have grown from the heat of the sun.