Meron

Hello, my name’s Meron, and I go to The Preuss School at UC San Diego. I’m in 8th grade right now. In my free time, I like to help people, volunteer, and watch TV. One of the most meaningful things I’ve done was volunteer at a homeless shelter with my cousin. It really made me realize that you shouldn’t judge people by how they look. Helping out there showed me that everyone has their own story, and it’s important to treat everyone with kindness and respect, no matter what.

I come from a low income family. I have faced challenges that made me persistent and taught me to never give up. My grandmother, for example, she’s an elderly woman who lives in Ethiopia. She was cooking one day when she started showing symptoms of cancer. No one thought much of it considering cancer doesn't run in the family. When we rushed her to the hospital they diagnosed her with cancer. When I was younger, in elementary school, I didn’t think much about it because I didn't know much about it . As I grew older, I realized the amount of determination and patience it took for my grandmother just to stay alive. It was scary, but so interesting how the doctors helped my grandmother. We found out that the cancer was caused by older age and chemotherapy helped her overcome it. This made me realize that if you put enough determination and persistence you can achieve anything you dream of. This also helped me realize that when I grow up I want to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor and helping people in need.

Another challenge I have faced was coming to America. My parents always wanted my siblings and I to go to America, so we could have a better life and a better source of education. My parents left my family, and everything and everyone they knew to get me a better future and education. My dad worked day and night to provide for us, but I would try to help but how could I at the age of 11 I can’t get a job. So when I grow up I want to have a good future so I can pursue my dream of becoming a doctor. There was nothing I could do. That's why when I grow up I want to repay everything my parents have done for me. I want to successfully achieve the dream I always had which was a dream of succeeding.

My biggest dream in life is to do something really important and help people, especially my parents. When my grandma got cancer, it was super scary and really hard for my family. Watching her go through all the treatments and seeing how sick she got made me realize how important doctors are. That’s when I decided I wanted to be a children’s doctor because I want to help kids feel better. When I really want something, I like to learn everything about it. I already have a whole plan for how I’m going to be a doctor.

After high school, I want to go to UCSD or UCLA and study something like biology or pre-med. While I’m in college, I also want to get a job in a hospital or clinic so I can start learning how to help people. After that, I’ll go to medical school, do my residency, and then finally become a real kid’s doctor. If I get this sponsorship, I will use the money to buy a really good laptop that will last me through high school. Thank you for reading my story! I really, really hope I get to be part of this program because it would help me so much with my future.