The Aspiration to Make a Difference by Paresha

The Aspiration to Make a Difference by Paresha - November 2016 Scholarship Essay

As a daughter of immigrant parents from Bangladesh, I am devastatingly reminded that not all humans receive the privileges of limitless opportunities. Because my father independently moved to the United States when he was 18 years old, he resided with a few roommates in a run down New York City apartment, while maintaining the occupation of several jobs in order to pay for his college tuition. Acknowledging my father’s rigorous experiences allows me to realize that if he successfully obtained his endeavors through hardships, it is my utmost responsibility of devoting myself in prosperously achieving my ambition of becoming a dentist. Therefore, throughout my time at a university, I will deeply be thankful for obtaining a sense of independence and maturity, enhancing my communication skills while building camaraderie, and most importantly, acquiring the possibility of pursuing my one true dream.
Not only do four-year institutions provide programs that distinctively interest specific careers, but also they value teaching individuals how to navigate themselves independently. Although I currently retain a sense of reliability by working as a Quran (the holy scripture of Islam) teacher twice a week for my local Mosque, I am not completely independent because I continue to rely on my parents’ advice for majority of the decisions that I make in my life. In particular, because I live with my parents, I do not have a sufficient amount of knowledge about budgeting and balancing how much money I spend on leisurely activities such as shopping, eating out, and going to the movies. Furthermore, I always seek the comfort of my parents whenever a complication arises. However, as a student who is always ready to accept challenges, I strongly believe that attending college will serve as the gateway to my successes and guide me to become a more mature woman. Traveling to third world countries for study aboard programs will allow me to grow as an idiosyncratic individual. Moreover, not only will I be able to receive an exceptional educational opportunity, but also I will realize how to undergo various obstacles in life by creating solutions on my own. Thus, I certainly want to acquire the capability of traversing throughout my world without displaying dependence every step of the way because after all, the most beneficial method of gaining sincere responsibility is from the myriad of experiences and mistakes that the journey of life has to offer.
Interacting with people of various backgrounds, religions, and ethnicities has allowed me to strengthen my personal communication skills. When I started to wear the hijab, which is a head covering that symbolizes modesty, my childhood emotions of liveliness slowly transformed into shyness. I unintentionally attracted attention from my classmates and their inquisitiveness about my headscarf overwhelmed my sentiments during all occasions. I was not embarrassed about expressing my faith; I was simply unsure about the level of acceptance around me because I lacked the ability to truly express my thoughts. It was not until I joined the journalism program at my high school that I realized how much I enjoyed presenting my opinions and unique platform. I soon found voice to articulate that what I wore on my head was not a limitation or sign of incompetence because my character and determination to work harder hold a far greater significance. Moving forward to college will further expand my courage and confidence to work together with people and build a quintessential foundation of kindness for the community around me.
As an inherent citizen of America, my aspirations of aiding others medically are not confined by restrictions. I truly believe that the most efficient practice of creating impactful change for humanity is through the beauty of service. Due to the fact that I am a woman of color who also wears the hijab, a head covering that symbolizes modesty. I want to set myself as a leader who empowers other ethnic Muslim females. With an educated and influential aspiration, I strive to establish my own clinic and travel to underdeveloped countries in order to provide free dental treatments and valuable supplies for the poverty-stricken. Additionally, my objective includes the aptitude of maintaining sincere intentions of selflessly administering my services when contributing to the amelioration of indigent societies. In a nation in which citizens are encouraged to gain an immeasurable amount of knowledge, and receive innumerable resources and technology, I strongly believe that participating in a university will further expand my intellectual ability while enabling me to manifest a profound impact on the world. Throughout my time in college, I will work hard to procure a certain degree of medical professionalism that will substantiate my capacity of assistance to others, while proving my proficiencies as immensely influential.
Therefore, the most important factors that I will be thankful for in college include developing into a more independent individual, building my communication skills, and achieving my career goal of becoming a dentist.