Nurturing my Dream into Reality
I am Juan Hernandez, a junior that attends both Avon Grove High School and Technical College High School: Pennocks Bridge in their Health Occupations program. My beloved parents did not go to college nor graduated from high school, therefore they cannot help me with my homework. They most definitely do not understand what it is like to be a highschool student in the United States. Yet, my parents are the smartest people I have ever met. When people ask me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, little do they expect me to answer with, “I want to become an Orthopedic Spine Surgeon.” My future life goals end with myself becoming a licensed surgeon in multiple countries, helping the disadvantaged, as well
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As I developed, I began to notice certain things, such as barely seeing my mother because she worked long hours, my father being constantly stressed about paying bills and praying he never got pulled over. My parents advised me and my siblings to never to open the door to strangers, especially policemen, even though we had not done anything wrong. They later explained to us that our family had no “papers” to be here in this country. Slowly I had an epiphany, we were a family of low resources living illegally in the United States. Initially, I was not sure how this could affect me in the future, or how I even felt about it. At the age of one, I was brought here to the States, something I had no control over. So I started Kindergarten in America just like anyone else would. Teachers described me as charismatic, I had a lot of friends and school came so easy to me despite not having any help at home. Little did I know that later in my life my legal status would hinder my education, privileges, and my residence in this country. As the years went by, I seldom visited the doctor because that was a luxury my family simply could not afford. My friends turned 16 and rapidly got their driver's permits, and then their license, something I knew I was ineligible for and loathed getting asked as to why I have not gotten mine yet. Being raised by loving and supporting parents that always push me to excel has taught me …show more content…
To me, everything is a puzzle that I need to solve, whether it be a math problem or a riddle. After years of nonstop labor my mother fell ill and every doctor we visited diagnosed her with something different. My affectionate mother, the source of all the love I have in me became depressed and the toll on our family was vast. That is when I focused all of my study to the medical field, and I instantly became intrigued by all the components in health care. I got accepted into Technical College High School: Pennocks Bridge Campus my sophomore year and enrolled in their Health Occupations program where I transcended to become one of the top students in the school. To my dismay, I discovered that I legally could not become a licensed physician nor a licensed anything in the United States. Although this disappointed me, it definitely did not stop me, nothing will stop me because my love for medicine and my desire to learn is too great. I do not plan on dropping out of the Medical Assistant course I am currently enrolled in, or the Certified Nursing Assistant course I plan to take next year even though I am aware I cannot become either. Knowledge is power and my brain is a sponge ready to absorb every single bit of information that is thrown at me. I intend to get exemplary grades in high school, get accepted into a world-renowned university here in the United
Tulsa Spine & Specialty Hospital (Tulsa, Okla.). Founded in 2002, the Tulsa Spine & Specialty Hospital is a 130,000-square-foot medical center and anchor for the newly-developed Olympia Medical Park complex. Beyond spine surgery, services at the hospital include orthopedics, pain management, general and plastic surgery, ophthalmology and gynecology. The hospital has the da Vinci system, which assists surgeons in minimally invasive surgical procedures. The hospital has received several recognitions, including the Spine Surgery Excellence Award from HealthGrades in 2011. (Beckers Orthopedic Review).
Ms. Burleigh is a 68-year-old female here today for followup of her hypothyroidism and hyperlipidemia.
For as long as I could remember, I have always enjoyed puzzles. I took great pleasure in the challenge and in the ability to connect puzzle pieces to bring a picture to completion. Similarly, I can translate my love for overcoming problems into a health professions career. I am interested in becoming a physician because, to me, medicine is a large puzzle, with every new piece of knowledge leading me to a more holistic and comprehensive understanding of medicine.
When I was in 9th grade my dad almost got deported and it shattered my heart. He spent almost a year in an immigration detention center and my family went through a challenging time. My mom wasn't able to work so we had to borrow money from friends and relatives and live on our bare necessities. I was so worried, I thought my family would have to move back to Mexico. But thanks to God he was able to get his US residency. Last year, I was also able to obtain my residency through the Program DACA, which stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. DACA is a policy passed by President Obama which lets certain immigrants be able to stay in the country. It was an amazing experience. I finally felt like I actually belonged here. Every day I try to do my best in everything because I know my parents struggled to come to this country to improve my lie. I’m pleased to say that I will be the first person in my family to attend college. This means so much to me because I want to be a Nurse Practitioner, which will allow me to help others. I’ve chosen this career because I want to be able to volunteer my services to those who can’t afford the necessary
“Mom, will I ever be treated as a regular person? When will I be like the others without people look at me in a strange way and make fun of me, when mom? When?” Those were the questions I did to my mom almost every day after getting home from school. Fourteen years ago that my parents brought me to this country offering a better life with better opportunities than where I was born. I was seven years old when came to the United States, but I still remember the happiness I felt when I first step in this country. Throughout the years, I have realize that not everything is easy and simple as I imagined. My parents worked in the fields because of the lack of a social security and not knowing how to speak English. Many Americans do not know how hard it is the life of an immigrant, they should have a consideration for us and not just blame us for the deviance of the United States.
I've always strived to be a worthy student to ensure the rendition of a proper grasp of knowledge. Though I often succumbed to unfortunate events, I remained diligent in my courses and proceeded with my school regimen. I'm proud to continue volunteering at hospitals, as I can come t understand the functions of the staff, a doctor's approach, and observing routines during a crisis. I desire to become a pediatric surgeon where I can meticulously treat the inevitability of a child's illness, as doctors were able to do the same for me. I view the profession as an honor as I'm able to care for children, whom I have an enthusiasm in attending, to the beneficiary of changing one's' life and perceive that individual will live a vibrant, healthy
Currently, I am a senior at the Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology studying the field of Graphic Designing. Throughout the entirety of high school, I have tried my hardest to succeed and do the best that I can do. Through my experiences at the Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology, I have learned a lot about the future, our society, and myself; I have decided to not become a Graphic Designer and actually go to towards the direction of the human body, as I have always been curious. I plan on going to the University of Nevada, Reno and graduate with pre-medicine, then to go to graduate school and specify to become a surgeon. Also, throughout high school, I have been able to be an active community member and I have had the opportunity to
Running through the thick field of the local playground, my parents approached me with shocking news that would change my life forever. The words were merely dreams for an individual in my country. My parents told me, “We are going to live in the United States of America.” My expression was immediately filled with excitement and happiness as I heard these words from my parents. Therefore, we filed the for immigration papers come to the United States. However, my excitement failed to realize the future difficulty that was about to occur in my life. Upon arriving, everything was shockingly different to the point, that it became difficult to understand the environment around me. Couple of months after arrival, my brother and I were enrolled into
Although I was still an ESL student freshmen year of high school, I worked incredibly hard throughout the year to strive and exit the ESL program by the time I became a sophomore. In junior year, I was one of the Honor Guards of the 2011 graduating class; which meant I was one of the top 4% in the class of 2012. I also managed to achieve Distinguished Honor Roll all throughout high school. Finally, in my last year of high school, I worked with an oral surgeon as an intern, and worked as a secretary and assisted the surgeon with some operations. Since I was seven years old, I always wanted to be a surgeon because when I was little, my grandfather had an open heart surgery. Ever since then, I wanted to become an open heart surgeon. Subsequently, the internship helped me realize that this was the right path for
My parents did not teach me that I was not like everyone else, that I could not attend college like everyone else. In my earlier years, I was unaware that there were differences among human beings. Of course our elementary education spoke to us about racism, yet no one clarified that in 2013 there would still be so much discrimination. Luckily, under the Obama administration undocumented students were granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Through obtaining this paperwork I was able to have a job as well as initiate my undergraduate degree. I do not take for granted what I have lived through, instead I use every opposition to build my character and strive more for what I
When my parents immigrated to the United States they had two thoughts in mind. One was to improve their lifestyle and the other was to sustain their future family. Something they believed they were unable to achieve in Mexico. To achieve this, it would mean working long hours and working jobs that took a lot of physical labor. When I was born I was soon affected by these circumstances. Two weeks after I was born my mom to my aunt’s house to care for me where I would soon spend most of my childhood at. I didn’t realize that I wasn’t spending time at home or that I never saw my parents; it was all normal to me
When contemplating a choice of career, it is easy to be encouraged to pursue a certain path. Coming from a large family of nurses and allied health professionals, it was no surprise that family members would be steering me toward a future in the medical field. For many years I struggled with the ideas of becoming a physician or an educator, a decision that meant choosing between pursuing a career that would fulfill the expectations of my parents or the expectations I had of myself. However, life experiences gradually turned me in a slightly different direction of both.
I was born on September 29th 1994 in San Buenaventura, Mexico. A small town that would remain foreign to me until the age of 21. My mom’s and dad’s relationship was complicated and structured on the submissive/dominant dynamic most Mexican families have. My dad illegally came to the United States around my second year of life. My mom followed him by obtaining a work visa. She followed him blindly as she was so in love and so lost without him. My mom left me behind but sent for me a few weeks later. I entered as someone else. My uncle and aunt had a baby around the same age as me and genetics made my cousin and I look similar enough that boarder patrol didn’t question my identity any further. I left behind faint memories of my people and the place that raised me. In the Unites States my family united and we welcomed my little brother, Daniel into the world. Daniel became my dad’s pride and my mom’s prince and I became the dutiful daughter and sister.
Since I was six years old, I lived my life in a constant fear of having to get deported back to my home country, Mexico. I lived in Mexico for six years in a small town called Chupicuaro. Sometimes I think back and ask myself how my life would have been if my parents had not decided to come to the U.S. Would I have been living in the streets? Would I have to start working at the age of eleven like many of my cousins did when they were that age? Would I have just received up to the middle school of education? All these thoughts are scary to even think about, and I cannot imagine how my family members manage to live through all that back in Mexico. Somehow they’ve achieved it and can stay happy. The spontaneous moments that my mom, my brother and I had to go through still run crawling through my head. The scariest moments of my life, as well as the most grateful moment in my life, awaited us. Never in a million years did I bare to think that a shift was to occur in our lives ten years later.I don’t remember much, but the things I do remember I imagine them precisely in my head. As I grew older, the images that once floated in my head started to fade away slowly like morning beauty fades away from her grievous day. As the years passed, I remembered less and less about the long journey we had to experience. But one thing I can never forget is the day we left that minty color house. In which then made our way to the municipal bus station.
At age 16, I was told by my parents that we were not California residents, and that we did not have many privileges that citizens or residents of the state might have. This was not an easy time for me, for I believed I had no future in store for me. I had no mentors, I had nobody to help