Hey Look Ma I Made It by Nirel

Hey Look Ma I Made It by Nirel - March 2023 Scholarship Essay

"I'm so proud of you guys because you've already made it further than I have."

These are the words from my lovely mother, on the day of my moving up ceremony to high school. These words struck a chord within me, and I have not been able to escape their grasp. They opened my eyes to how fortunate my twin brother and I are for my parents’ decision to migrate to the United States 20 years ago. But at the same time, I was suddenly hit with the realization that, in terms of education, I was going to rapidly surpass my mother very soon.

This seemed ridiculous to me. In my mind, my mother could not be beat. She was kind and helpful, patient and understanding, hardworking and organized, and most importantly, my number 1 fan. She's always been vocal of how proud of me she is. Unlike my dad, who’s always been more reserved with his praise, my mother never hesitated to congratulate me, even on the littlest things. Whether it be a good report card or a not so good grade on a math test, finishing all my assignments in a timely manner or staying up late to finish my homework, powering through sickness to get things done or being unable to complete a single assignment due to being stuck in bed all day. It didn't matter what I did or didn't do. She'd always have something good to say.

That made me realize that with her, love is unconditional. I didn't need to succeed to win her affections. But ironically, that motivated me to succeed more. I want to make her happy. To give her reasons to be proud of me, and for her to never run out of those reasons. I want her to be able to confidently say everything she has sacrificed for us has been worth it.

But most of all, I want to always remember the words she told me. I want her to understand that no matter how far I go with my education, it will not make me “better” than her. Because nothing could ever match the past 18 years she has spent raising me. The years she spent instilling me with the values I needed to succeed in my education. I've taken after her hardworking and determined nature. I've emulated her planning skills. Most of all, I am a dreamer, just like her.

My dream is to complete an MD/PhD after college and become a pathologist.

But her dream was never about her. The dream was to come to the United States to make sure her children had a better life than her.

Her dream is me.

I am her dream.

And one day, when I can look her in the eyes and say, “Hey look ma, I made it”...

…she'll know that her dream has come true.