You are slowly approaching the 100 feet tall ladder, intimidated by its height and nervous about the climb. You take a quick look around you and see people eagerly climbing, trying to reach the top as fast as possible. Some make it up high but end up falling, some have many rungs missing and are stuck in place, and some are at the bottom, just like you, while a handful of lucky people are at the very top looking down at you. Everyone is yelling that this is the American Dream, just keep climbing and you will make it to the top of the ladder! My teacher used to tell my class that anyone can make it in America, no matter your background or initial financial situation. If you put in the work, you will get rewarded and make it to the top of the career ladder. That is the American Dream - a dream that gives people hope. While the American Dream might have been feasible and truthful decades ago, I argue that today it is wishful thinking and a tool to keep people hard working. The idea of the American Dream sounds fantastic, but only a few people can make it out of their hardship, not just because they were hardworking but also because they were lucky. In reality, the career ladder is not a perfect, steady structure, but for the vast majority of the population it is partially destroyed. Unfortunately, who you are and where you are from play a major role. I am a dreamer and hardworking. By definition, it should come easy to climb the ladder of success to the top, but unfortunately, it is not this simple. As a foreigner, my options to support myself are limited. Yet, I have chosen to face these limitations to chase my dream of working in healthcare because they do not define me or my capabilities. I came to America because the nursing profession offers more opportunities here than back at home, and I believe that the education I receive will prepare me to work anywhere in the world. Leaving my friends and family behind was by no means an easy process, but when I landed in America and started my college experience, I oddly felt like I was in the right place. I have found my home away from home, a place that constantly challenges me and helps me grow as a person. The number of opportunities that I am given to expand my horizons, whether in my major or other areas of interest, is overwhelming and exciting. I am lucky to have found an amazing support system in addition to my family and friends, without whom I wouldn't be able to fulfill my dreams. Although I argue that the original concept of the American Dream is flawed, it is still a dream that keeps people going. I would define the American Dream as the idea that everyone can belong, no matter where they are from. You will be able to find your people and make meaningful connections, which will help you achieve your goals. That is the true driving force behind the American Dream, because everyone needs people that will help you.

I would describe life as a wild roller coaster ride where some screws come loose, making the ride shake uncontrollably. My roller coaster ride started shaking when I was born. I was born without a developed macula, which makes me practically blind in one eye. As a result, I had to wear an eyepatch, which helped me see up to 50%; something no doctor ever thought was possible. Although I am able to see with my sick eye, it still limits me in my job and sports possibilities. The next screws came loose when I was nine years old, and my mother had to break the news to me that my father had passed away. Although I was aware that he had lung cancer for many years, it did not make his death any easier. I never got to say goodbye to him, which is something that filled me with guilt for many years. My single mother worked every day to provide my brother and I with the best life she could give, even if it meant she barely had time for us. It was just the three of us trying to navigate through the financial struggles and make our small, broken family work. The roller coaster started to become more unstable when I was thirteen years old, and my mother and grandmother were diagnosed with cancer a week apart from each other. To prepare me for the unimaginable, my mother showed me the places I would need to go to receive help in case she did not beat the cancer. Having to even think about the possibility of losing my mother and becoming an orphan was terrifying, but it taught me to push through the fear and be there for the person who needed me the most. Seeing my mother go through radiation while still working, as she was our sole caretaker, broke my heart but also showed me how strong she is. It felt like my roller coaster was about to collapse, but was held together by rubber bands that could snap any moment. Watching my family battle adversity after adversity made me a resilient person with compassion, determination, and, most importantly, a positive mindset. I learned that living means adapting to difficult situations and fighting for what you believe in, while remembering that no challenge has to be faced alone. My mother always told me that I should be the person I needed when I was a child, which is my goal in life. Currently, I am actively involved on campus and also volunteering with Greek life organizations. If I was given the opportunity to benefit from this scholarship, it could help me continue to pursue nursing in the United States. As a nurse, I want to help people feel safe in an unknown environment and heal them, something I was not able to do for my family when they were sick. I have learned a lot about how to be there for people during times when their roller coaster is about to collapse. A great way to help in those moments is to encourage them to pursue a hobby or find something that they are passionate about. Musical theatre was my hobby and helped me tremendously, as it served as my outlet where I could forget about my struggles for a moment. I believe that philately can be a great hobby that motivates children to look on the bright side of life. I myself do not collect stamps, but see it as an amazing hobby and am fascinated by the collections people have.

August 14, 2014. The day I officially had encountered death for the first time. I was nine years old when my father died of lung cancer. Up until that day, “death” was just a word to me; I saw it as something that exists but would never happen to me or my family. I knew that my father had cancer, it was not something I was unaware of. But to know that he was gone for good and I never even got the chance to say goodbye made me feel horrible. I vividly remember the moment my mother sat me down on my grandmother’s bed, who I had spent my summer vacation with, and told me that my father was no longer with us. I was mad at everyone and everything because why did I have to be the kid who loses a parent? Why did my family have to be broken even more? Before, I never had to mention my relationship to my dad, I could just say that he was somewhere. Now, I say that my dad died, and I receive condolences and pity. My very first encounter with death seemed to drag a trail behind me and would not let go. I was in third grade when I started to take the bus and train on my own after school because there was no one who could pick me up. I had to become independent from a young age so that my mother could focus on work and not have to worry about me. I ate the food my mom had left for us by myself, fed and walked the dogs, and did my homework alone. Although I was struggling in school, I did not want to cause problems for my mom, which was my motivation to work even harder than I already had. Four years later, in 2018, my mom had to break some terrible news to me again. My grandmother was diagnosed with cancer, and only one week later, my mother received the same diagnosis. To prepare me for the unimaginable, my mother showed me the places I would need to go to receive help in case she did not beat the cancer. I was 13 years old, and death seemed to follow my every step. My second encounter with it was scarier than my first because I was about to lose two members of my immediate family, with whom I had a stronger bond than with my father. Although I was terrified, I had learned to push through the fear and be there for the person who needs me the most. Seeing my mother go through radiation while still working, as she was our sole caretaker, broke my heart but also showed me that cancer did not have to be the end. I became a resilient person with compassion, determination, and, most importantly, a positive mindset. I learned that living meant adapting to difficult situations and fighting for what you believe in, while remembering that no challenge has to be faced alone. Looking back at my childhood, I can see why I chose to become a nurse. I want to help people feel safe in an unknown environment and heal them - something I was not able to do for my family when they were sick. I might have encountered death a second time, but it was not able to consume my life again. We were victorious and walked away stronger and wiser.

August 14, 2014. The day I officially only had one parent. I was nine years old when my father died of lung cancer, but already years prior to that day my mother was the sole caretaker of my older brother and I. She worked her entire life to sustain herself and worked even harder to provide the best possible life for her children. I had to become independent from a young age on. I started taking the bus and train on my own after school in third grade because there was no one who could pick me up. Once I got home I would heat up the food my mom prepared the night before after she got home from work at 9pm, then I would walk and feed our dog and do my homework afterwards. My brother came home in the evening because he was attending college and worked part time after his classes. While my friends and classmates ate lunch and dinner with their family, I ate either by myself or with my brother. The only exceptions were the weekends where we would eat lunch together. Sunday became my favorite day of the week. Taking care of two children in one of the wealthiest cities in Germany was demanding, especially since my mom wanted me to attend a good school. Although I was grateful that I was able to get an amazing education, I couldn’t help but feel like an alien in my class. None of my peers had a single parent, no one lost a parent or had financial struggles. I was the odd one out, the kid whose dad died and whose immigrant mother was working all day, the one that didn’t get an easy A because I had no one to help me with my homework. All the jokes and bad grades hurt but they helped me grow stronger and put in more work into achieving my goals. I knew that I wanted to study abroad at some point in my life but I was aware that our financial situation would not allow that. After graduating high school, I knew that it had to be now or never and with the determined help of my mother I was able to fulfill my dream of studying in the U.S. By obtaining my Bachelor’s degree in Nursing at Duquesne University, I am preparing to provide patients with excellent care and I am given the opportunity to be a helping hand for those who are fighting their own battles. Knowing how unfair life can be motivates me to be the best version of myself and to give back to the community by being the person for those around me who I needed when I was younger. Although my mother and I are working hard to finance my college experience, our financial situation might cut my education short. I want to unload the financial burden on my mother, who has worked every day to provide me with the best life possible. It is because of her that I became an independent, empathetic, smart, hardworking, and honest person, who wants to give back to her single mom and community, if given the chance.

I was 5 when I realized for the first time that I was different from my classmates. I was the kid that wore an eyepatch because I was born without a developed macula causing me to practically be blind in one eye. I had to wear that eyepatch because we were training my brain to use my sick eye so that I could see. None of them knew that because of that eyepatch and other training tools I could see 50 to 60% and was considered a medical miracle by every optometrist that we visited. They saw a kid with a funny eyepatch and made fun of me. I was the kid with a single mom who worked every day to provide my brother and I with the best life she could give. I attended one of the best private schools in the city because my mother wanted me to have a great education. Going to a good private school meant that many wealthy kids were in my class who went out shopping after class and wore designer clothing. None of them knew that my mom was working so hard because my dad had died when I was 9 due to lung cancer and left us with nothing. They saw a girl who didn’t have money. I was the kid who worked hard in class and still failed the exam. To keep up with the smartest kids in class meant that I had to put twice as much time into homework and assignments. While they had their parents and tutors that helped them, I only had myself. None of them knew that I cooked my own lunch and couldn’t ask for help with homework because my mom was at work and my brother at college. They only saw a dumb girl who couldn’t do math. No one knew the struggles I was dealing with and how difficult it was to overcome them. Knowing that I had it harder than some of my classmates both infuriated me and made me work harder. I invested more time into my homework and researched about good learning methods, which helped better my grades and graduate with a great GPA. I learned how to manage my time properly so that I could pursue my hobbies and be active in our class committee. Even though I started to excel in school, I knew I wasn’t able to change my family situation and was worrying about what my future could entail. I have been interested in healthcare for many years now, but never thought I would pursue it. I realized that I wanted to help people after reflecting on my childhood and the struggles I went through. Many of my close family members had health issues and knowing that I couldn’t change their situation as a child made me feel guilty. I am pursuing nursing because of the helplessness I felt, which is inspiring me to work as hard as I can to chase my dreams. My mother has made it possible for me to come to America to pursue my goals, however, our financial situation might cut my dream short. If I was given the opportunity to benefit from this scholarship, it could help me to continue to pursue nursing in the United States. As a nurse, I want to be able to make people feel safe in an unknown environment and heal them, something I wasn’t able to do for my family.

“Your father is dead.” Words that I never imagined to hear and simply felt surreal. I was nine years old when I first encountered death. Up until that day “death” was just a word to me, I saw it as something that exists but would never happen to me or my family. I knew that my father had cancer, it wasn’t something I was unaware of but to know that he was gone for good and I never even got the chance to say goodbye made me feel horrible. My father was an avid smoker for decades and suffered multiple heart attacks. Did he stop smoking? No. It was an addiction that he could not get past and ultimately sped up his death. I spent my summer vacation with my grandmother in Poland and was supposed to drive back with my mom. Thats when she sat me down and struggled to find the right words to tell me that my father was no longer with us. I was mad at everyone and everything because why did I have to be the kid who loses a parent? Why did my family have to be broken even more? Even though my father was not a good parent, it was still weird to officially not have a dad anymore. Before, I was able to say that my dad was just somewhere, and no one needed to know what was going on at home. Now, I say that my dad died and I receive condolences and pity. My first encounter with death seemed to drag a trail behind me and not let go. “Your grandmother has breast cancer.” 5 years later, in 2018, my mom had to break some terrible news to me again. Little did I know that shortly after my grandmother’s diagnosis, my mom would be diagnosed with the same thing. After my grandmother found a tumor in her chest, my mother also examined herself and found two in her chest as well. At 13 I was worrying if I would be losing my mom and my grandmother at the same time, an unimaginable thing as they are all the close family I had left besides my brother. While my grandmother amputated the affected breast, my mother had to worry what to do as she is a single mother who is taking care of two children and did not have someone who could help us out. Guilt and fear hit me more than ever and all I wanted to do was hide. I was too scared to lose her after I already lost my dad. I was trying to find someone to blame for all of this because why was everyone in my family getting cancer and potentially dying? What did I do to the world and what can I do to revert that? Luckily I never had to lose my mother. She successfully beat her cancer, all while still working and doing everything she could for us. She showed me that cancer is not the end of the road and how much of a fighter she truly is. I know that I myself might get cancer at some point in my life and while I fear that day, I know that I have the power to fight it. Nothing could stop my mother. Not finances, not relationships, not cancer. I hope to be a fighter like her and overcome obstacles that others may deem too great.

Moving away from your home country, leaving behind your family and friends and everything you knew can be one of the biggest challenges one faces in their lifetime. It requires courage, determination, and perseverance to overcome any challenge that you face on your way to achieve your dream. Malgorzata and I are similar in this way: we fight for our dreams no matter what. If someone would have told me a year ago that I would be studying in the US, I would have told them that they are crazy. Not because I couldn’t imagine moving away from home, but more so because of the financial burden studying in the US would put on my family. I come from a small family in Germany, with just my mom, my brother, my pets, and I. My dad passed away when I was 9 years old and since then my mother has fought like hell to give my brother and I a good life. She herself moved away from Poland when she was a young adult, with nothing but a plan to have a better life than she did before. Hence, she did everything she could to support me in my dream to study in a foreign country and it worked out. I am studying in Pittsburgh to become a nurse and couldn’t be happier with my choice of school nor with my choice of major. I love all the friends and connections I have made and looking back at this year, I couldn’t be more proud of everything that I have achieved. I have learned to be more outgoing and to appreciate all the little things life has to offer. I believe that Malgorzata and I are similar in many ways as we both are fearless when it comes to try new things and both her and I strive to be the best version of ourselves, both intellectually and personally. Even though my time in college has taught me a lot, the world changes everyday and so does the situation back at home. My mom is working every day but her field of work is suffering and so is our financial situation. I knew that we would have to fight for my dream to come true, which is why I worked a lot over the summer and also picked up a part time job on campus to earn enough money to support myself. Although I have been working, it is not nearly enough to support my mother to where we don’t have to worry about how we are gonna pay the next monthly payment for my tuition. With 2024 coming to an end, I can say that I have lived through similar challenges as Malgorzata and am still working on overcoming some of them. For 2025 I want to focus on finding ways to help my mother as much as possible, as she is my biggest supporter and has given up countless things for me to be happy. In 2025 I would like to unload the financial burden of my family and if I get chosen for this scholarship, I will work hard to keep the spirit of hardworking and admirable Malgorzata alive and follow her boldness to achieve my dreams.