Scholarship / Migration to the US from India; English and Math [11]

Migrating to the U.S. was not just a stamp or signature on a piece of paper; it meant breaking up my family and leaving my weeping grandmother behind to gamble for opportunities in a mysterious place.

I come from the small town of Khan-Khana in Punjab, India. My village was characterized by harmonious simplicity: a few people coming or going, oxcarts creaking, and birds singing in the wheat fields. My father spent his days working as a farmer and my mother stayed home to tend to the children. Indian society has a very rigid class structure, making it virtually impossible for someone from a poor family to hope for a better future. Therefore my parents decided to move to the U.S.

In September, 2007 my uncle's petitions opened a gate to the West. We flew over Ellis Island into California, "the land of milk and honey," as my mother called it. We were fetched by our uncle at the San Francisco airport and heartily welcomed to his house in Pittsburg, California.

My uncle's house had three bedrooms, with six people living there already. The addition of five more meant the house was flooded. We were given the garage to live in. Though things went smoothly for several months, the overcrowding led to friction between the families. My aunt began to lock the groceries and started to taunt my mother and sisters for being a burden on her family. We sometimes ate food that was almost two days old. My parents felt entangled in problems with no solution. They had no jobs, no savings, and no English language skills. And after eight harsh months, we were given seven days to evacuate the house.

Unable to even rent an apartment, we left to live on the streets. Eventually we were given shelter by the local Hindu temple in Pittsburg, until my father learned to drive a car and found a job as a security guard. My father, a respected man who found living in a temple rather demeaning and humiliating, wanted to move into his own residence. Now that he had a job this became possible, and after a month and a half we moved into an apartment.

The transition was not very easy, however. We had put ourselves into the risky situation of living on $1500 a month, my father's total monthly income. Meanwhile my mother, after being promised a job at a local Subway by an unscrupulous manager, was denied this opportunity after over 200 hours of free labor. I still remember my mother coming home exhausted, sitting on the carpet and weeping. The stress of our situation prompted my father to become alcoholic and vulnerable to many disastrous diseases, such as high blood pressure, and diabetes. Many times, I was frightened by his talks about suicide.

Aside from these horrendous domestic problems, pursuing an education too seemed impossible. My first day of school was a blur of indecipherable syllables and hopelessness. I did not speak English, I had no friends, and I knew nothing of American culture. The teacher's words flew towards me like bullets from a machine gun. Being placed in the most basic ESL classes, I was disheartened because I knew they weren't going to lead me to college. Nevertheless, recognizing that education was the ONLY way to bring my family out of this miserable poverty, I studied diligently to overcome my weaknesses to make myself able to compete.

Desiring to improve my English and Math skills and to rise above I made many courageous decisions such as to take as many Honors and AP classes as my school offered. Overcoming the daily loud music problems outside my apartment, and the disadvantage of not even having a table to do my homework on, I studied every night on the floor by a lamplight.

Eventually, all my hard work paid off. In about a year I became fluent in English and was able to fit into mainstream classes. I had dramatically improved my conversational skills and had begun to excel at math, even earning an award in this subject. Apart from school work I developed a special interest in computer technology, which I was completely illiterate about. In a matter of several months I went from not even knowing how to save a PowerPoint presentation to starting up my own computer repair company to help support my family and to pay for educational expenses. From the day I established my computer company, I have helped many teachers and even college professors with technological problems. This technology passion has not only been a source of financial support for my family, but also a driving force behind my decision to pursue a career in computer science.

Currently, I'm excelling in four AP classes and have achieved the rank of salutatorian for our class of 2012. Now I feel ready for new challenges with a spirit of determined optimism. I've been through my fair share of struggles, but I know that if I put my mind to it I will fulfill my dreams; and I will accomplish my goals.