I come from a Bengali Hindu family. In Bangladesh I have always tried my best to engage myself in religious events. Bangladeshi Hindus are minor community in Bangladesh because Bangladesh is mainly a Muslim country. Even though we were part of the minor community, we always tried to keep our traditions alive. In the January of 2024, in the second semester of my junior year in highschool, I moved from Bangladesh to the United States of America. It was a big change in my life. I was introduced to a whole new culture when I moved to Texas. I never thought that I would find Hindu community in Texas but I was able to find it. I live in Lubbock and we have a temple called "Hindu Temple of Lubbock" here. Saraswati puja was coming up soon. Saraswati is the Goddess of knowledge and wisdom in Hinduism. Saraswati Puja means a huge thing to Bengali Hindus. I live near Texas Tech University. There are some Hindu Professors and students in Texas Tech who decided to celebrate Saraswati puja in the Hindu Temple of Lubbock to bring our community closer. We decided to put a lot of effort in this puja hoping that it would represent both our Bengali and Hindu culture at one time. We decided to celebrate Saraswati Puja on Saturday. It was Friday, Me and my other two sisters got down from the Yellow school bus. My dad was waiting there in his car to pick us up and take us home. We entered the house in a rush. I felt like my body was collapsing after coming home from school after 8 hours. I heard my dad talking to my uncle on the phone. He was coming to pick us up at sharp 6 pm. We dressed up in a rush and waited for him near the door so that he doesn't have to wait for us. He came to our house just few minutes before 6 pm and took me and my other two sisters to volunteer in the Hindu Temple of Lubbock. We were introduced to new faces right after we arrived at the temple. I got to know that many of them were studying at Texas Tech that time. Me and a girl from Texas Tech were assigned to decorate things for the Puja stage. We started working at around 6:30 pm and we finished working in 1:15 am. I didn't even realize when the time went so fast. At the end of the work I found myself laughing with all these new faces. They turned into my family from strangers into a short span of time. I believe that this has made our community stronger than before and we plan to work more in future to keep our traditions alive.

I am a woman who moved to a whole different side of the world with the hope to pursue a better and safer future, especially as a young woman. In Bangladesh, my family faced challenges that limited opportunities for women. My father strongly believed that we, as women, were not safe there. Women in Bangladesh often face significant hardships in the workplace, and their access to education is far more restricted than for boys. For my family, America symbolized hope - a land where women have greater safety, freedom, and opportunities to thrive. As an international student from Bangladesh, this dream took on a deeply personal meaning when I moved to the United States with my family ten months ago. My journey here is defined by both hope and struggle, as I aim to build a better life through education despite financial hardships. For my family, moving to America meant the possibility of a brighter future, but the path has not been easy. Moving to the United States has been both a challenging and transformative experience for me. As an international student from Bangladesh, I came here with the dream of pursuing higher education and building a better future for myself and my family. However, I quickly realized that attending college in the United States is far from easy, primarily due to the overwhelming expenses. Back home, we were a middle-income family, but the transition to life here has been financially difficult. My father, who is also a student at Texas Tech, has been unable to find a job,leaving us reliant on his savings and support from his relatives. I deeply admire his determination and sacrifices for our family, but I know how hard it is for him to ask others for help. As the eldest of five sisters and a high school senior, I feel a responsibility to contribute to our family's future and honor my parents' efforts. My dream is to study Biochemistry in college and eventually become an Orthodontist. Achieving this goal will not only help me to support my family but also allow me to contribute meaningfully to society. However, education here is expensive, and financial constraints often seem insurmountable. For me, the reason behind me living as an international student in the United States is not about material success but opportunities - opportunities to rise above adversity and work toward my potential. With scholarship and unwavering determination, I believe that this scholarship can help me to study in college.

The American Dream, to me, represents the chance to pursue a better and safer future, especially as a young woman. In Bangladesh, my family faced challenges that limited opportunities for women. My father strongly believed that we, as women, were not safe there. Women in Bangladesh often face significant hardships in the workplace, and their access to education is far more restricted than for boys. For my family, America symbolized hope - a land where women have greater safety, freedom, and opportunities to thrive. The American dream,to me, is the belief in creating a better future through hard work, determination, and opportunities for growth. As an international student from Bangladesh, this dream took on a deeply personal meaning when I moved to the United States with my family ten months ago. My journey here is defined by both hope and struggle, as I aim to build a better life through education despite financial hardships. For my family, the American dream meant the possibility of a brighter future, but the path has not been easy. Moving to the United States has been both a challenging and transformative experience for me. As an international student from Bangladesh, I came here with the dream of pursuing higher education and building a better future for myself and my family. However, I quickly realized that attending college in the United States is far from easy, primarily due to the overwhelming expenses. Back home, we were a middle-income family, but the transition to life here has been financially difficult. My father, who is also a student at Texas Tech, has been unable to find a job,leaving us reliant on his savings and support from his relatives. I deeply admire his determination and sacrifices for our family, but I know how hard it is for him to ask others for help. As the eldest of five sisters and a high school senior, I feel a responsibility to contribute to our family's future and honor my parents' efforts. My American Dream is to study Biochemistry in college and eventually become an Orthodontist. Achieving this goal will not only help me to support my family but also allow me to contribute meaningfully to society. However, education here is expensive, and financial constraints often seem insurmountable. For me, the American Dream is not about material success but opportunities - opportunities to rise above adversity and work toward my potential. With scholarship and unwavering determination, I believe I can make my American dream reality.

Moving to the United States has been both a challenging and transformative experience for me. As an international student from Bangladesh, I came here with the dream of pursuing higher education and building a better future for myself and my family. However, I quickly realized that attending college in the United States is far from easy, primarily due to the overwhelming expenses. Back home, we were a middle-income family, but the transition to life here has been financially difficult. My father, who is also a student at Texas Tech, has been unable to find a job,leaving us reliant on his savings and support from his relatives. I deeply admire his determination and sacrifices for our family, but I know how hard it is for him to ask others for help. As the eldest of five sisters and a high school senior, I feel a responsibility to contribute to our family's future and honor my parents'efforts. My aspiration to study Biochemistry and become an Orthodontist is what drives me forward, despite the hurdles. However, I am in urgent need of scholarship opportunities to turn this dream into reality. Receiving financial aid would not only allow me to attend college but also alleviate the burden on my family. I am committed to excelling academically and giving back to my community in the future. With support, I am confident that I can overcome these challenges and achieve my goals.