My Journey of Relocation and Growth Relocation has been one of the hardest experiences of my life. In 2022 I came to the United States from Ukraine when the war began in my country, my home country. At that moment my only and only hope was that the war would end soon and people would be safe. We were escaping from the bombs leaving everything behind, when saw the deathes. Something that began as a journey of escape has become a journey of discovery, responsibility and personal growth. When I first arrived in California with my mom, we faced an unfamiliar culture, new people and most difficult of all for both of us, a language we did not know. Starting my high school experience as a junior in the United States was really tough. At first, I could only ask people about their day or get what I needed in the groceriesstore. My grades weren’t high and I felt behind. But I also knew that education in America can offer me an opportunities that were once unimaginable. Over time, I adapted. I studied the language at school, sometimes with tears because of frustration but I never gave up. I also kept taking courses online with my Ukrainian school, balancing both educational systems while adjusting to my entirely new life. With some time I improved my grades, made friends and was able to take advanced classes. In June 2024, I graduated from La Jolla High School in San Diego. Making my way through a foreign language as a teenager while finding amazing friends and improving myself. Today, I am proud to be a student at UC Davis. As I dreamed, I am studying in a supportive, friendly environment and meeting people from all over the world. My mom and I came to America together, but she stayed in Southern California while I moved Northern. Every time I walked into my dorm room I missed her lovely presence. That homesickness taught me that even feeling lonely, you still can find strength inside. Now as I entering my sophomore year I am preparing to move into an off-campus apartment in Davis. I'm currently unemployed and my tuition doesn't cover all housing costs, so living alone brings new responsibilities. I will have to pay rent out of pocket which is stressful but I see it as another stage of growth . My service dog that came with me all the way from Ukraine will be with me. I believe that even when feel homesick I can build a new sense of home here. Sometimes I think what it means to be “home." In Ukraine for me home was family, familiar streets and the language I grew up with. At first home was just wherever my mom and I could feel safe. Now, home became the community I built through friends, classmates and things I love to do. It has not been easy, there have been tears, setbacks and moments of fear on this journey but it has also given me opportunities. I know that the future will bring more challenes but I also know that I will meet them with the same determination that brought me here at this time and I'll smile. And that's my reason why this scholarship means a lot to me. With financial support, I can focus on my studies and contribute to my community. My move has already taught me how to build a life from scratch and with this support I will continue to pursue my education, career and dream of making a difference in this world.

Casa Amor vs. Career Goals: Staying Loyal to My Future If my life was an episode of Love Island, my long term relationship would be with my dream of becoming a neurosurgeon. It’s not the easiest relationship, long nights, tough exams, sometimes it feels like it’s playing hard to get—but it’s the one I’ve been grafting for the most. My “type on paper” has always been science, curiosity and the chance to help people by providing healthcare services. But of course every season has a twist like Casa Amor. For me, Casa Amor is all the temptations that try to pull me away from this crazy medical path. Sometimes people around me, including my mom - say the easy way is to just marry someone successful, settle down and have everything covered for me. Honestly, it sounds tempting at times. Just to imagine, no late night studying, no crying over organic chemistry, no stress about how I’m going to pay rent. Just chilling in the villa of life. And yeah, I can’t lie, because the thought of living that comfortable life sometimes turns my head for a second. But deep down, I know medicine is my “day one," my "ride or die." It’s the one I can’t imagine walking away from. The idea of being in an operating room, understanding the brain and hopefully saving someone’s life one day, that’s what keeps me loyal. A quick, easy life might look nice, but it’s not me. I want the graft, the challenges, the chance to actually do something that matters in this world. Still, staying loyal isnt always easy at all. Some days this path really feels like it’s mugging me off. The stress, the homesickness, the pressure of being away from my mom, all of it hits so hard. And yeah, sometimes Casa Amor literally whispers, like, “hey, why not just take the easy way?” But then I remember that growth doesn’t come from picking the easy option. It comes from the struggle, from sticking with the thing that actually matters, even when it’s so tough. I imagine standing at a recoupling ceremony, having to pick between two options: comfort and stability on one side with the person that will be a provider, or sacrifice and hard work on the other. But with the second one, the reward is huge and I know what I’d say: “I want to couple up with this goal because from the very beginning, it challenged me, motivated me and made me believe I’m capable of more than I ever thought.” That would be my speech, no turning heads last minute. What I’ve learned from watching Love Island is that loyalty gets tested all the time, but the people who stay true to what they really want end up winning, not just the show but in life that's how it works too. For me, becoming a neurosurgeon is not just some career goal, it’s the partner I want for the long run till the end. No Casa Amor distraction can change that. At the end of the day, “it is what it is,” and for me, that means staying loyal to my dream and to myself, putting in the graft and walking out of this villa we call college with my head held high.

I moved to the United States from Ukraine in 2022, when my country was at war, when you see how people dying there. Leaving everything behind, my home, friends and language was one of the difficult things I went through as well. When my mother and I landed in California, I had to enter high school as a junior despite not knowing English. At first, I could only catch fragments of conversations and even the simplest tasks seemed so hard. I did not give up, I'm from country where you can't give up easily. I worked hard every day to improve my English while still taking online Ukrainian classes. I slowly developed a better understanding my grades improved and I began to think that I had a good future here. Graduating from La Jolla High School in 2024 was an important accomplishment but it also represented a turning point in my life. It showed how what seemed impossible turned into success. That mentality led me to the University of California, Davis where I am currently an incoming  sophomore pursuing my dream of becoming a doctor. Volunteering at the UCLA Neurobiology Lab also had a major impact on me.  I was already a women in STEM but now just want to pursue it even farther. My responsibilities involved helping with data processing and preparing brain tissue samples for study. At first, I was nervous because I had no idea being trusted with such work. But as I observed how the brain works I understood how powerful science is. STEM is more than simply mathematics and experiments,  it is about discovery and improving people's lives. This direct involvement sparked my interest in neuroscience and medicine even more. It also taught me practical skills, such as patience, critical thinking when evaluating data and communication when working with researchers. Just as in my personal relocation process, research requires patience through unsuccessful attempts. Activities like cooking, drawing, playing tennis and hitting the gym help me manage the stress of school and new responsibilities while also supporting my personal development outside of the lab environment, stresses when reading the news about my country and school. It is difficult to move into my first off-campus apartment this year, but I see it as a necessary step toward independence and preparing for the challenges of a medical career. My life expierence of war in Ukraine was something that shaped me and my desire for STEM as I want to go into the medical field to help people and moving to the United States shaped my adaptability. All of these experiences motivate me to seek a career in medicine where I can use my empathy, curiosity and determination to improve people's lives.