A woman in my family applying to college? Are you crazy! You must be mistaken! That has never happened before and it is impossible! Women in my family have two obligations: take care of the family and keep the house clean. A woman must know her priorities, responsibilities, and not place more on her plate.
People usually make plans to go out with friends on Fridays. There is no school the next day, so why not stay up late? I need to work. Fridays after-school I need to get my camera ready, charge batteries, iron my clothes, and place extra batteries, pens, rubber bands, and other convenient items in my photographer vest. I wake up earlier than usual on Saturdays because by seven, along with my father, I need to be at the home of whosever wedding, baptism, birthday, or event it is and be ready to shoot pictures. The entire day I need to capture the perfect shot with that one unequaled facial expression with the best lighting, at the exact second to make sure my work is professional. It is about eleven at night when I look for the person who contracted me to let them know of my departure. They thank me for my work, and I will follow up with our agreement to send their developed pictures.
But this Thanksgiving I had another responsibility. Thanksgiving is normally time to visit family, to spend time with friends, and to come together for a grand feast. Not me. Monday morning, I woke up and called an Uber to take me to the hospital. My brother was about to go under microscopic surgery. His appendix was inflamed and needed to be removed. The operation was a success. He had to stay at the hospital for five days. He received antibiotics every six hours, his wound dressings were changed once a day, and he received three meals a day. I can tell you all about his stay and treatment because I was always at his side.
With so many duties, it is hard to focus on school work especially when I have to work on weekdays to help pay for living expenses. To do well in school, I have had to pull off all-nighters, complete assignments early during my lunch time, and make sure I have no distractions whatsoever during the class period. I may feel tired at times, but once I get my test score and find out I scored the highest in the class, I feel better than ever. I may work a lot, but that is why I have the highest grade point average and am the ASB president. Whether it is photography work or schoolwork, I make sure that my finished product is impeccable.
There is a lot that I am “not supposed” to do in my family because I am a girl. I am not supposed to speak my mind, do sports, and most importantly never think about going off to college. I am breaking all of the ‘girl’ rules that have been placed on me throughout my life. I am going to go off to college, medical school, and will become the anesthesiologist I have always dreamed of becoming. I am capable of working for long hours and I find my passion in caring for the sick and wounded. I have spoken to my parents about my aspirations. It was difficult for them to understand at first, but they now support me in my college search. They now comprehend that it is normal for a woman to continue school after high school and become independent.
A woman in my family applying to college is possible! She is capable of balancing her home duties with her scholastic duties. I am the first to do so, and I am breaking the status quo. It is not a crazy idea any longer because I have done it!
People usually make plans to go out with friends on Fridays. There is no school the next day, so why not stay up late? I need to work. Fridays after-school I need to get my camera ready, charge batteries, iron my clothes, and place extra batteries, pens, rubber bands, and other convenient items in my photographer vest. I wake up earlier than usual on Saturdays because by seven, along with my father, I need to be at the home of whosever wedding, baptism, birthday, or event it is and be ready to shoot pictures. The entire day I need to capture the perfect shot with that one unequaled facial expression with the best lighting, at the exact second to make sure my work is professional. It is about eleven at night when I look for the person who contracted me to let them know of my departure. They thank me for my work, and I will follow up with our agreement to send their developed pictures.
But this Thanksgiving I had another responsibility. Thanksgiving is normally time to visit family, to spend time with friends, and to come together for a grand feast. Not me. Monday morning, I woke up and called an Uber to take me to the hospital. My brother was about to go under microscopic surgery. His appendix was inflamed and needed to be removed. The operation was a success. He had to stay at the hospital for five days. He received antibiotics every six hours, his wound dressings were changed once a day, and he received three meals a day. I can tell you all about his stay and treatment because I was always at his side.
With so many duties, it is hard to focus on school work especially when I have to work on weekdays to help pay for living expenses. To do well in school, I have had to pull off all-nighters, complete assignments early during my lunch time, and make sure I have no distractions whatsoever during the class period. I may feel tired at times, but once I get my test score and find out I scored the highest in the class, I feel better than ever. I may work a lot, but that is why I have the highest grade point average and am the ASB president. Whether it is photography work or schoolwork, I make sure that my finished product is impeccable.
There is a lot that I am “not supposed” to do in my family because I am a girl. I am not supposed to speak my mind, do sports, and most importantly never think about going off to college. I am breaking all of the ‘girl’ rules that have been placed on me throughout my life. I am going to go off to college, medical school, and will become the anesthesiologist I have always dreamed of becoming. I am capable of working for long hours and I find my passion in caring for the sick and wounded. I have spoken to my parents about my aspirations. It was difficult for them to understand at first, but they now support me in my college search. They now comprehend that it is normal for a woman to continue school after high school and become independent.
A woman in my family applying to college is possible! She is capable of balancing her home duties with her scholastic duties. I am the first to do so, and I am breaking the status quo. It is not a crazy idea any longer because I have done it!