Recently some friends of mine have brought up the notion of The American Dream. They claimed it's no longer possible, especially for those born into poverty or who don't live in wealthy school districts. I wholeheartedly disagree.
Growing up, my family was thriving middle class until my father passed (may he rest in peace). A stay-at-home housewife, my mother was not prepared to go to work. With few transferable skills outside the home, she struggled with minimum wage jobs--often working multiple just to get by. I remember getting free and reduced price lunch at school and using coupons to get dinner at McDonalds.
Despite this, it was instilled in me that I needed to study hard, work hard, and earn good grades. Thru blood, sweat, and tears, I managed to get straight A's in grammar and middle school. When I was in high school, I went to the library and got a large book on the topic of job outlooks and salaries. It was from this book that I realized my love of English wouldn't lift me out of poverty but that my love of math likely would.
With my sights set on engineering, I researched the best engineering schools. There was just one problem, though--my high school did not offer physics. Engineering schools needed high school applicants to have passed physics. Not knowing what to do but knowing I needed to "find a way", I met with teachers, guidance counselors, and even my principal. It was decided that I would take physics night classes at the the local community college. With no bus route connecting my home to the college, no car for me to drive (I didn't even have a licence yet), and my mother too busy out working jobs to transport me, I walked the 1.5 mile walk to and from class two days a week for months. It was not easy but I did it.
Once admitted to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), I researched scholarships and applied to as many as I could. Upon discovering that RPI offered a large scholarship to one student from every high school it admits, I was excited. Since no one from my high school had ever been accepted to RPI, there was no precedence. Again, I met with teachers, guidance counselors, and even my principle to get the paperwork filed. With no one else lined up for RPI, it was an easy pick for me to get the scholarship. It was not handed to me; I had to take initiative.
At RPI, I was in for a rude awakening as chemistry came back to haunt me. You see, while in high school, my chemistry teacher went out on maternity leave. As well-meaning as the substitute teacher was, he did not teach all the chemistry fundamentals that should have been taught. I remember feeling embarrassed and scared when other students in my college chemistry class were whizzing by me as I struggled to keep up. Averaging a D near the end of the semester, I was worried. Tutoring and office hours didn't help as even those went too fast for me. So, I did the only thing I could think of and read the textbook. I read that book so slow that it took what felt like an eternity. Going at my own pace, I read that textbook cover to cover (600+ pages) 3 times. On the day of the final, I got an A and my professor was beyond shocked and impressed. Averaging my grades together, I passed chemistry with a B-. If I had failed chemistry, I would have been ineligible for an engineering degree and my hopes crushed.
Every summer, while other kids were out working retail jobs or enjoying the sunshine, I applied to and attended summer research programs at universities around the country. I knew my resume had to include such activities if I had any hopes of landing a technical internship closer to graduation. It paid off. After four grueling years of engineering rigor, I landed my first engineering internship. Working hard from there, I landed my first full time engineering job. As they say, the rest is history as I am living out my own version of "The American Dream".
It doesn't matter how poor you are or how bad your school is. If you have eyes to read and legs to walk, you can make the impossible possible. Take advantage of your local library and make your own path where one does not yet exist.
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