Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.
The struggles of an immigrant family are numerous, but my family came to this country with a vision of a better life for me. Although I was born in Romania, America is now my home, so I cannot fully comprehend the sacrifices they made to get here. All I can do is aspire to be my best and seize every opportunity at hand. At the same time, I hope to carry my family traditions into my new world.
One bridge between my old and new world is my much-loved grandmother. She and I share a passion for a myriad of things: particularly, what is to us an obvious connection between food and math. Even though we live in America, we are still proud of our Romanian heritage; Mămăligă, a porridge made from corn flour, is a frequent dish in our family because it is so simple to make. Once high school started and I became swarmed with homework, my grandma would always invite me over for a quick snack of Mămăligă, as she would assist me with my math homework. Other people may not connect food with math, but they do not understand the power of Mămăligă and the power of my grandmother to make these equations make sense.
However, my grandma was not invincible. A couple years ago, she tripped and fell with all her weight on her leg; the entire family was worried about her, and we had reason to worry. When she went to the doctor to get an x-ray, they found a hairline fracture in her knee, but no surgery was required. After months of pain and difficulty with walking, she finally went to see a specialist. This little accident eventually culminated in a hip replacement surgery, but the idea of her having such a major surgery shocked me.
When she attempted to delineate the procedure, I was enthralled by the idea of a hip replacement surgery. What exactly did that mean? How does one replace a hip? For several weeks, I could not stop thinking about it. I used the advantages of the internet to learn about the procedure and the recovery. At one point, I turned to YouTube to view videos of the actual surgery. When I was younger, this might have disgusted me, as I used to be terrified of needles and blood. Because my grandmother had to go through the surgery, it fascinated me now. Perhaps this was my way of diminishing my worries for my grandmother, since I knew that she would be safe in the hands of the doctors.
As I brought my grandmother a bowl of Mămăligă while she recovered, I thought about how she has helped me throughout my life. Years ago, this surgery would have been unthinkable; people had to just limp and suffer. If this accident had occurred in Romania, my grandmother would not have had the same opportunities that she has here in America. To me, America truly is the land of opportunity. Because my grandma has assisted me in my life, I am glad that the doctors have helped her. It is incredible that merely days after the surgery, she could stand and walk. When she showed me the x-ray of her new joint, I marveled at the advances in medical technology. My family may joke that my grandmother is now a bionic woman, but I view this as a window to the endless possibilities of the future. I am proud that she has inspired me to be curious about my world and pursue my dreams in the math and science fields.
