A More Personal Look

My Life in Simple Words

Being the first generation born in America, I realized that my actions would pave the way for the existing and future members of my family. Both my mother and father arrived to America in hopes that their children would be able to prosper. My father and my mother knew that they had to keep one dream alive, to have the children be able to complete their own ambitions, their own pursuits, and their own dreams, to go to college. Yet in spite of these obstacles, my parents were able to do their part in the journey.

During middle school I have received outstanding awards in all of my academic classes. I have received several medals and trophies from academic competitions. In the start of high school, I decided to carry on my middle school fame. I had a fire inside me that had the desire to help my family and show the world my true potency. However in my sophomore year, the fire faced many obstacles, it flickered for a while and then the fire burned out. Going to school became just another useless routine in my life. My friends at my school soon mocked me for my religious beliefs. I blamed God for my shortcomings. I started frequent arguments and fights in my youth group. I had daily arguments against my parents and slowly detached myself from my family. I became an outcast from my church, my school, and my family. For those two years I had never felt so lonely.

It was the beginning of my junior year that I began to recognize my place in the world. My grandfather, the father of my father, in Korea recently received a Stroke. Because of this Stroke my grandfather is paralyzed in nearly every part of his body. My grandparents recently filed a bankruptcy, providing the slightest amount of treatment to my grandfather was impossible. From that day to this point on, my grandfather is bed stricken. It was until my junior year did I realize that this event would later change my life.

Later that week God had sent me another message, this time in Oakland. My mother received a phone call that my grandfather’s condition was getting worse. Our family quickly arrived to their apartment. My grandfather, the father of my mother, had recently gone through his third Stroke. With his third Stroke, much of the damage he had received was permanent. He was barely able to speak, barely able to remember, and had great difficulty in moving. He was not the same, his eyes that were filled with wisdom and compassion had been clouded with coldness and death. My grandfather was the closest person to me; he was like my second father. When I was a child, my grandparents in Oakland sheltered me while my parents were at work. I distinctly remembered the sunny walks in the beach, the many drawing lessons he taught me, and his smile. To this day I try my best to recover most of his memories that he lost. It pains me every time I point at a person in the picture and ask my grandfather who it is. Most of the time he is not able to remember, most of the time the person in the picture was me. For some apparent reason, I felt that God was revealing his plans to me. It was as if God was slowly giving me parts of a jigsaw puzzle, all I needed was one more piece to see the full picture.

I knew that the purpose of my life was slowly unraveling, but I realized that I had to change my old ways. I started to make new friends and forged stronger friendships to old church companions that I have lost since my sophomore year. I began to become very active in church. I became increasingly obedient to my family, and even was willing to go to Korean school to hopefully destroy the language barrier between us. At my school I am continuously studying vigorously in all of my classes in the IB program, a program renowned for its academic challenge worldwide.

Recently I was able to discover my true intentions in life. After praying to God to help me find my purpose I went to Google “Professions”. The word “neurologist” came out in bold in the computer screen. I did further research in the field of neurology. One of their goals in the field of neurology was to investigate and find cures for diseases relating to the central nervous system. Under the list of common diseases that still have yet to find a cure was the deadly Stroke. I quickly made connections within my mind. Was the visit to Oakland leading to this point? Was God showing me the effects of Stroke and what it can do to a family entirely on purpose? Was this the last piece of the puzzle? A recent article that I found online stated that the Stroke was going to be the leading cause of death by 2030. I calculated the years remaining in high school, post graduate school, med school and special training. By 2023 I would become an official neurologist leaving me 7 years to find a cure. I know by that time, my grandparents both in Korea and Oakland would be long dead but with this cure I can help millions of other families that are going through this similar situation. By going to college and majoring in neurology, I would be that much closer in finding a cure. I realize that college would not be a hindrance or impedance in my life, but a place where I can receive a greater knowledge of what I am up against and to understand what I must do to defeat it. By going to college I can spend those fourteen years in preparation to stop a disease that has plagued mankind for hundreds of years.

While writing this essay I made an incredible discovery. I realized that my family is still financially unstable, that my classes are increasingly harder, and my church had lost a great mentor as well as a friend. But at the same time my family has never been happier, my grades have never been higher, and my faith has never been stronger than it is right now. I realize that my grandfathers have only one time to live on this earth and I would very much want that time he has remaining to be free of suffering and pain.