Facing the barriers by maria

Facing the barriers by maria - March 2020 Scholarship Essay

Goal statement
Maria Ayad
I stem from a low-income working family who migrated from Egypt to America to create a better life for their children. I am a first-generation student who has to learn how to navigate the school system on my own. I also had to readjust to a new culture when my family moved. We had struggled financially and with finding opportunities and resources in this country when we were new with no family in Oregon. Many Egyptians did not help in the job application process or with interpretation; instead, they were strangely competitive.
Contrarily, I believe we should be there for each other. As I got older, I decided to serve new incoming immigrants and their children from Egypt through my church. Starting from the age of thirteen, I helped translate documents and tutor elementary schoolers who struggled academically. I was eager to assist new immigrants with their transition because I understood the barriers that my family and I also experienced. Every time there is a new family that comes to my church, I make sure to introduce myself, give them my contact information and offer my help. My latest service was interpreting the drivers permit test to a new family. Outside of the Church, these services are done but usually require money to be paid, but because these families are struggling financially, I never acquire money from them. I found that the lack of English skills makes families, including my own, more susceptible to discrimination. They are often perceived as uneducated and treated unwelcomely. This is why I seek to eliminate as much of that discrimination towards these new families I serve by going with them to appointments like the Department of Human Services or an appointment regarding their health insurance. I also advocate for their rights to not let them be mistaken as being weak because of their ethnicity or economic state. I aim to serve the diverse population of Blanchet House guests the same way. As an ambassador, I create mission-related projects geared toward alleviating suffering in the community and bringing awareness about homelessness and addiction. I host clothing drives, interview policymakers and former residents about their inspirational stories, write articles, and more. I learned that we could overcome tough circumstances through the encouragement of one another. I learned that money essentially isn’t the answer to everything. The people I serve there don’t just need money; they need a warm welcome, a smile, a word of encouragement, and reassurance. I strive to eliminate barriers and make the people whom I serve anywhere feel welcome and that they belong. I wish to make a direct connection and a positive impact on those people and to strive to make space in my schedule to serve them consistently, so they do the same. Moreover, many can go through financial ups and downs, but it does not make their value decrease.

Aside from community service, my long term goals are linked to my educational purposes for me to become successful. Success in my eyes is being able to wake up in the morning and be able to pursue what you love. That is what matters most to me is my future career. I cannot pursue my dream career without achieving a bachelor's degree. I plan to enroll at Portland State University as a biology major while finding internship and shadowing opportunities to further explore a health career I want to pursue. After my bachelor's degree, I plan to attend medical school to become a health care provider in a leading, accepting, and immensely supportive community of the college I choose because I am sure I want to pursue something in the health field to give back to my community. I submitted applications to many colleges, including private schools that satisfy my fit factors. In high school, I maintained an excellent GPA and participated in community service and leadership opportunities to give back and learn, from things I'm most passionate about, like tutoring. As an extrovert, I enjoy working with others, and my greatest achievement would be to leave a smile on each person's face. I felt this impact from my fantastic orthodontist, who was always kind, compassionate, and dramatically helped me improve my self-esteem! I have been going to the Center for Advanced Learning in Gresham since last year. I am in the dental program as I am eager to explore this field. When I got exposed to a lot of the material, I decided to search for new opportunities and careers. I am eager to explore careers like physical therapy as well because it is gratifying to help patients get better directly, build a strong bond with them, see them grow, and get well to meet their goals! Currently, I am interested in physical therapy because I will get to build a strong rapport with my patients. I am committed to helping people improve their health and become stronger so they can perform their daily functions. When my father had a work injury, it deeply affected our family emotionally and financially. With the help of therapists, my father was able to go back to living a healthy life. I, too, plan to have this positive impact on others as I embark on my educational goals.