I remember one summer morning when I was 8 years old, my parents sat me down and explained to me that we were moving to America. I was baffled, nervous, sad, and excited. I wasn't sure where America was or what it really represented, but my parents would deliberately tell me that in America I could be free and pursue my dreams. It took me until after puberty to be able to grasp the true intention behind those words, but I finally understood.
After the Iranian revolution in 1979 and the death of my grandfather, life for my mother had become arduous. My grandfather being a military official during the revolution, after his death, my mothers family was stripped of everything they had; money, property and education. My mother was not allowed
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When I entered the United States, I did not speak English and was illiterate. School was difficult, but through the help of new friends and my family, I was able to pick up the pieces. With my great endeavor I was able to take honors and college preparatory classes by high school. When conditions seemed difficult, I promised myself to not give up, to fight
My parents have repeatedly counseled me regarding my future. I have been taught and seen the difference education makes. That is why it was so important for me to be able to choose an undergraduate degree that belied my interests. I aspired to learn, to take my education from gaining a Bachelor's degree, to gaining a Master's degree, to maybe even gaining a PhD.
Going for my undergraduate degree was a new stepping stone in my life. I was able to blend my interests in engineering and biomedicine to pursue a Bioengineering degree. Soon after however, major complications arose while I attended UCSC during my sophomore and junior years. My family was going through extensive financial difficulty. My focus had become tainted as my father went through bankruptcy. The uncertainty of being able to afford my education put a toll on me. Alongside working countless hours in the bioengineering labs, there was a major drop in my GPA. As resilient as I am, I did not give up. I decided to stop working within the labs and to readjust my focus on my