Turn that bump in the road into something good. by Michelle

Turn that bump in the road into something good. by Michelle - February 2019 Scholarship Essay

November 11, 2011, 9:45 p.m. I was an anxious mess. I knew that my grandmother was sick, but being the optimistic person that I am, I tried to ignore it. Not because I didn’t care, but because I wasn’t aware of how severely ill she was. That night I had a sleepover with my 7-year-old little brother. My gut was telling me we needed each other’s support. We played Just Dance for two hours straight, and even though I was over it, I had to keep him content. As the night progressed we ended with his favorite Scooby Doo movie. The room was freezing and so I gave my brother the top bed because it was closer to the heater. I fell asleep quite heavily to the point where I didn’t hear the buzzing of my phone. I woke up all the sudden as if someone shook me. I saw 10 missed calls and 4 messages. My eyes jumped straight to, “Grandma passed, tell your father.” That was the day a part of me died. I had a front row seat to everyone's emotions. My father rushed to the bathroom with a blank face, turning on the faucet to drown out his silent cries. My mother was trying to process everything and find the first flight to Mexico. I had to make the decision of staying with my brother, who was too little to understand death or leaving the country. Choosing my little brother because he looks up to me as his second mother was probably the hardest decision my 10-year-old self ever made. That was the first of many deaths in my family. I felt like my life was full of unlucky strikes, but I wasn’t going to allow myself to feel star-crossed.
I always wanted to be the hero, to come up with a magic cure for my family. My grandpa suffered through kidney dialysis for 40 years. From the moment I was old enough to Google, I researched incessantly. I wanted to get tested to see if I could donate my kidney, ignoring that fact that it'd be half the size. My little fingers typed searching for ways to rejuvenate him back to health. Eventually, I learned about how my mom’s father almost passed when I was nonexistent. He was ill with an unknown disease that was shutting down his nervous system. The doctor told my pregnant grandmother that she might as well say farewell because he was going to die. Hearing this infuriated me, no doctor should give up on his patient straight away. My grandmother demanded another doctor and this doctor told her he wouldn't stop until he was better. A few months later he was up and running again. This story truly inspired me to be THAT doctor who wouldn’t take no for an answer. I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life-saving lives. Being a surgeon is the reason for putting my academic career first. It means I have the power to prevent someone from experiencing the loss of a loved one. Three qualities that would make me a superior surgeon are compassion, honesty, and perseverance. I’ve acquired these qualities throughout my entire life. I have played the role of a mother to my little brother which resulted in “mothering” my friends, not only academically but personally. But being compassionate comes with being honest, I will always advise what’s best for you. I’m not only persistent but I take my work ethic very seriously which is why every summer I go help my elementary school teachers and volunteer at the dog shelters. Becoming a surgeon is more than a career path for me, it symbolizes a little piece of everyone I have lost in my life. It means I get to save somebody's mother or father. It means I get to give out second chances.
Now that we’ve covered the backstory on why my dream job is to become a surgeon I can discuss what my college plans are and how they will help me achieve my goal. I plan on attending a four-year university, most likely the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. I will major in biology and minor in physics and in human development. If I can I will also minor in other classes that will benefit my knowledge in the medical field. I also plan on volunteering at hospitals and getting CPR certified. All of this will help me reach the next step which is medical school. Once I get into medical school I will be on my way to becoming a surgeon. Of course, there will be hiccups in the road just like in any other dream but how you overcome it is what matters.