The American Dream by Melissa

The American Dream by Melissa - June 2017 Scholarship Essay

When I was three years old, I arrived in America with nothing but the clothes on my back and a heart brimful of hope. From an early age, I observed my parents struggling to survive in an environment entirely out of their element. My dad worked full-time as a truck driver while my mom gave up her dream job to care for me. I felt burdensome because they had to leave their families behind because of me. My parents never learned English because they were busy working to provide for me. I promptly matured because I had to take on more responsibilities and act as a translator in many situations. I have assisted my parents in buying a car and changing insurance.

Despite the language barrier, my parents and I have fought to obtain the American Dream. Because of them, I grew up with diligence ingrained in my bones. Growing up, I grappled with the notion that I was a struggling immigrant while my peers boasted that they were going to Disney World the following weekend. But I realized the invaluable worth of family that no amusement park could contend. Although I didn't grow up with materialistic luxury, I was rich in love and support that prompted me to endeavor beyond the life I used to have in Cuba.

I subsisted on making new discoveries and questioning everything, which is why I was interested in psychology when I was six. My mom was a sought-after psychologist back on the island, so I practically grew up being introspective and aware of my surroundings. While my friends played at the park I would sit on a bench and analyze the world encompassing me. I yearned to form a practice to assist people struggling with unchartered neurological disorders and that lacked medical insurance.

Cuba is home to some of the most highly revered doctors in the world, but due to the island’s hazardous conditions such as lack of medical equipment and unhygienic facilities, many of them cannot offer their patients the proper care needed. Although doctors on the island do not have the salary and splendor that comes along with the title like in the United States, they have found their own source of wealth through the lives they have influenced.I grew up with this type of mindset ingrained in me.

I am living proof that Latinos have to overcome several hardships and obstacles to attain the American dream. Especially now since the end of Wet Foot, Dry Foot policy, many of my fellow Cubans will struggle with achieving government assistance. I strive to be able to offer aid to as many immigrants possible. Because I came to this country with nothing, I understand how vulnerable it is. Living in a second world country where ten dollars felt like a hundred, American health insurance can seem costly and therefore unattainable. Being community-oriented is a key component in helping others achieve the same American Dream my family sought after several years ago.

By furthering myself through higher education, I have become equipped with the tools and expertise to make an impression on the world. I plan to return to Cuba during school breaks to contribute my expertise in clinics lacking medical personnel. My goal is to go beyond what is expected of me. After graduating from university, my lifelong aspiration is to establish my own practice and generate enough funds to be able to supply medical devices to several hospitals lacking them in Cuba. Mental illness is often overlooked because it is an invisible disease, so I believe collaborating with Cuban doctors would work in both of our favors to aid more people and figure out what makes them tick. In essence, I desire to seek the unchartered the paths of psychology that those before me have not fathomed to diverge.

My journey never had a freeway that offered a rag to riches lifestyle, but my family and I have come a long way since our starting point on an island with a limited future. I am thankful to have been loved and nurtured even when my path to success felt desolate and unwavering in its ability to hold me back from every opportunity I dreamed of. The strides I have made have encouraged me to continue chasing after the American Dream I had grown up idolizing. Despite the many roadblocks that will appear on my venture, I dream of one day becoming a neuropsychologist to pave a new route of possibilities for people with hidden disabilities that other medical fields have not been able to aid. While the road ahead may be full of uncertainties, with my strong roots in my parents, in the books I have read, and in the equations I have mastered, I know I can arrive at my final destination.