#immigrantstory

I struggled with my English in middle school. I was constantly made fun of because of my lack of vocabulary as well as my inability to respond to conversations. One instance I remember clearly was one of my classmates stabbing me with his pen–I was not able to tell the teacher. I gradually befriended the Webster Dictionary and cartoon characters through those tough years. In high school, I realized my dream was to work in the health field, to become a doctor; thus, I decided to dedicate my time and energy at my community hospital. My status finally hit me when I tried to volunteer at the hospital. I was denied volunteering when I could not provide my social security number in the application. The worst part was the fear–that the hospital would send someone after me.