“Star Light, Star Bright,” by Dorothy Parker is not the most sophisticated piece of
work and is far from the most impactful piece of literature. It might not even be my
favorite poem; despite it all, it contains the four first and foremost lines attached to my
soul. To others, it may be a simple nursery rhyme, yet I find myself entranced by the
mere allusion of the first four phrases. To me, it captures the childish wonder that
wavers as people mature, it captures the deep desperation derived from the dare to
dream, it captures me: the desire, the need, to be the star that shines so bright at night.
For me, the desire goes beyond the realm of dreaming; rather, I want it to be a vision of
my future, my destiny. Despite what the world claims to be “a waste of time,” “A waste of
talent,” “A waste for a valedictorian.” Can a Valedictorian not dream? Lawyer, politician,
scientist, engineer, doctor, those are all beautiful dreams, yet dreams that become
nightmares for too many who had their light dimmed out by the imposition of such
occupations. Such worldly pressures only serve to clip peoples wings: turn their dreams
into dirt.
However, through my visit to Grinnell College, for the very first time, I’ve felt a
universe that excelled in propelling people to their own unique heights. In my visit, it
started with a simple conversation with 2 of my potential football coaches, in which I
revealed my grand dream, my sparkling wish, my burning desire: creating a comic book.
More specifically, I’m working towards creating the new best-selling comic series in the
world. I champion the idea that stories carry a profound power to impact people just in
it’s own unique manner a politician or surgeon can’t achieve. My single greatest desire,
the star that I’m reaching out for, is to demonstrate the potential the combination of both
the visual and literary arts can have. In the current state of the comic industry of
Western society starting to stagnate under the dominant reign of Marvel and DC, I seek
to create my own comic book business that emphasizes each talented stars’ creativity
outside the bounds of the current Western comic industry. This had led me to Grinnell
college, an institution with an open curriculum offering the peak adversary for the arts,
business, and computer science. Even though I’ve remained cynical of higher
institutions for all my high school years, at Grinnell I’ve felt a spark, I’ve made lifelong
associates in a short time, and I’ve witness a realm in which the people don't, just
believe in their own, but the whole communities’ potential to be as vast as the night sky.
At Grinnell, I have a family, full of brilliant stars ready to light the world with their dreams,
which is the canvas my comic series will capture. Although I am accepted, this
scholarship will grant the financial aid I need for my star to shine.
Perhaps our motivations for success in life are based on our personal experiences with others. For me, medicine and nursing were my calling.
As a child, I was fascinated with human anatomy and enjoyed memorizing bodily facts, which I proudly shared with my elementary school classmates. Whenever we were asked about maintaining health, I eagerly raised my hand to contribute. My parents noticed my curiosity and bought me a 'pretend-and-play doctor kit', which I carried with me everywhere. I put the stethoscope around my neck, asking my friends to call me 'Medicine Madam'.
When I was a child, a family friend introduced me to the nursing profession. He would visit and tell me fascinating stories about his work, sharing funny anecdotes about colleagues, the sad moments he encountered, and most importantly, the "miracle moments". As a child, these stories of miraculous recoveries gave me goosebumps and inspired me to create such moments myself.
As a teenager, I was touched by the nurse's kindness and understanding towards my grandparents. They would sit by their bedside for hours, holding their hands, and explaining everything. Even as strangers, they showed so much love and care toward my family.
During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, an event occurred that impacted my life. In December 2020, my mother was rushed to the ICU for a heart attack. I entered her hospital room alone, after my father and sister, and was greeted by a nurse who was checking my mother's vital signs. As I laid eyes on my mother's body, tears erupted from me. The nurse immediately broke the coronavirus guidelines by embracing me in a hug, assuring me that she would do everything in her power to help my mother recover. When my mom was discharged, I saw the nurse again, who winked at me as a sign that she remembered her promise. On that day, I pledged to return the favor. I vowed to provide compassionate care to patients and their families, making a positive impact on their lives. While extending emotional support to fellow staff and families, I plan to leave a positive effect on the world through professionalism, vulnerability, and empathy.
After getting diagnosed with a rare medical condition known as Graves' Disease and Thyroid Eye Disease, I became a frequent visitor to hospitals and specialist facilities. As I was beginning to deal with a drastic physical appearance change, I was also facing a plethora of different medical stereotypes surrounding children with rare physical diseases, and intelligence. I realized that I not only wanted to try and combat this stereotype but wanted to be a source of compassion and understanding for children who are also diagnosed with "Rare" diseases in life.
Receiving this scholarship will enable me to fulfill my professional goals in the medical field. Through this, I can provide the necessary care and support to children who, like me, have undergone similar experiences, paying it forward as an advocate and care provider for those in need.
Ever since I was in elementary school myself, I have been very interested in teaching. My best friend and I would go to her house after school, where we had a whole set up of whiteboards, easels, coloring supplies, and we would even ask all of our teachers for any extra worksheets they had in their classrooms. With our very own D.I.Y. classroom, we would try our best to teach her brother, my sister, and other kids in the neighborhood who were a couple of years younger than us. We thought that it seemed so fun and we loved the idea of being able to help kids learn new things that we had learned at school. I have been imagining the cute decorations I could have and the spectacular organization systems I could have in my classroom since I was ten years old. But it wasn’t until my job at an after-school childcare center that I realized that my dream of being a teacher was so much deeper than just the way my classroom was set up; it was about making a difference in the world, one class at a time.
I have had my job at ABC Care Inc. for over a year and a half, and although I am regularly faced with challenges, there has never been a challenge to my belief that teaching is what I am meant to do. The kids who come into the daycare center every day after school are a prime exhibit of how different teachers can impact the children’s attitudes not only about school but about themselves as well. An encouraging and supportive teacher can create confident, eager, and excited students. My goal is to be a teacher who makes children excited to come to school to learn and accomplish new things. Even as a childcare provider rather than an educator, each day I feel a sense of fulfillment providing the kids with comfort and a positive outlook in hopes to give them confidence, a strong self-esteem, and an understanding of what it means to be a kind friend to all.
My journey towards pursuing a career in teaching has been long and guided by my deep-rooted passion for making a positive difference in people’s day. My time working at an after-school childcare program has reinforced my commitment to this path and provided me with experience, problem-solving skills, and most of all, inspiration to pursue my calling to be a teacher. I am excited and eager to continue my journey by studying education in college.
