My Immigrant Experience

As a foreigner, I have had to adapt to the changes that come with moving to a new country. At the tender age of four years old, my mother was the first of the family to come from Kenya to the United States. She moved here to build a better life for our family. About a year later, it became apparent my father would not be joining us here; by the end of 2004, lung cancer had taken my father from my family. The passing of my father was, by far, the most difficult experience I have ever had, however it has only made me more capable of moving on from hardships. I vividly remember the tears in my mother’s eyes as she picked us up from the airport after we had been separated from her for several months while we stayed with an aunt.
Halfway through
the school year, I began the first grade and my new life in America. The first day of school was the biggest, most intense culture shock I have ever experienced. I had never seen so many white people in my entire life. Kiswahili is my native language and because my English was so poor, I was put into an English language class for one year. Overcoming my language barrier at such a young age increased the confidence I had in my intelligence and capabilities.
Growing up I recall how exhausted my mother would be after a hectic routine of cooking dinner and helping us with homework, she would leave for her graveyard shift and return in morning to drive us thirty minutes to school every day because we were ineligible for bus transportation. After I qualified for a highly capable class in the fifth grade, my siblings and I were able to take the bus to school. I realized that doing well in school was how I could help my single mother and my family.
Financially, my family has been fortunate because we have a place to call home.
My mother was the sole provider for a family of four and with an annual salary significantly under thirty thousand dollars, it was difficult to pay the bills. There were many times when I would stay up all night worried about whether we were going to have a place to live, but gratefully we have been able to manage. Our financial instability taught me resilience in everything I do because even though I did not have the monetary resources to complete everything I sought after, it is through sheer determination and hard work that I have made it this far.
When I was younger, I wanted to be a pediatrician because I believed there was no one better at applying band aids than me. Once I began taking advanced classes, I quickly realized how much I love math and now I aspire to be an engineer instead. Many people have tried to dissuade me, because they don’t believe a woman could succeed in this field, but that has only encouraged me to fight this standard and prove them all wrong.
If it were not for my family’s experiences, I would not have the opportunity to apply to the University of Washington. Throughout my life, my mother taught me to aim high and now that I am reaching the end of my high school career, I am prepared to continue to work relentlessly to become successful. All I have ever desired throughout my life is to make my family proud and I know all the sacrifices made came with a
purpose.