The Power of Support

Coming into the US education system in my high-school years was an adjustment.

It was precisely at a time when other students from my home country were preparing to

decide what field to embark on and begin taking foundational courses to ease their

transition and specialization to pursue a higher education degree. However, in the US,

students will not select a degree specialization until they begin pursuing their degree.

While I was not exactly certain on which subject area or career I would like to focus on at

the age of 14, I felt some of that pressure lifted upon entering my freshman high-school

year in the US.I still felt misaligned with where and when I should start to make these

decisions.

What helped me through this transition was the support I received from my family,

friends, and teachers at my school. They never ceased to extend assurance that I would

soon figure things out and encouraged me to explore areas of interest. I was able to take

advantage of exploratory credits in school, land professional internships on subject

matters I felt most inspired by, and always had a platform available to address concerns

and ask questions.

Feeling connected to others and knowing that my goals were considered gave me the confidence to pursue my passions. To me, my success has always been as strong as

my support system, and I am very grateful to have continued advocacy when pursuing

my goals beyond education.

Credits:

Written by:

Yasmin Sheikh

Academic Advisor