One's Dream, Another's Reality

On the 11th day of March 2022, a group of curious scholars and their guardians walked the sidewalks of the ever evolving Georgia Institude of Technology, moving from a red brick building to a modern looking structure, touring the campus with hope and pride.?This 100 person strong group of high school seniors were selected out of 50,000 applicants worldwide and invited to apply for STAMP or Gold scholarships.?

Among those parents, national and international, was a middle aged immigrant single mom who had never experienced what it meant to be “a fan” of a college. She had studied for her BSc in Chemistry while running away from missiles and air raids. For her and her classmates, staying alive took priority over college life or exploring fun. Fighting back her tears in every step, she remembered walking those sidewalks with a very different purpose for the last twenty years. There was always a meeting, a pre-construction site walk or a bid delivery. During those business visits to the campus, she would watch the students strolling around the campus with a sense of envy, as if she was trying to search for the lost chapters of her life that were devoured by revolution, war and cruelty of human greed. This time though, she was exploring the campus with a deeper connection, floating on emotions, feeling like she is a part of this amazing work of art, engineering and leadership.?This time, she could sense sprouts of belonging and reverence tickle her soul. She knew she would get a GT license plate.

That night in her journal she wrote,“Dreams are precious. One should never stop feeding imagination or envisioning possibilities. Just like a garden, once the seeds of a dream are thrown, the Universe will do its magic and take care of the rest. I may have missed the opportunity to experience the scholarly college life I deserved and dreamt of, but I was blessed with the opportunity to pave the road for a human being that will fulfill it. I was able to raise a son, single handedly, thousands of miles away from home and family; despite recession, work, heartbreaks and traumas; withstanding?any roadblocks that were thrown at me and crossing the finish line with flying colors. Sometimes our dreams are not just ours. They are the life force of the next generation waiting to be born through us. They are the winds under the wings of humanity.”?

During the scholars weekend guardians and scholars were separated for different programs and activities, final interviews were conducted on the second day and exactly one week later winners were announced. The President’s STAMP Scholarship is not considered a reward, it is an investment in the future of not just the state or the country but the world.?

“ We had a lot to celebrate recently. Hearing about the STAMP Scholarship was a joyful moment, for sure, and loaded with emotions. Last couple of years, especially last six months, have not been easy. Adjusting with the new way of life during Covid already caused a lot of tension. Added to that was going through two cancer surgeries back to back. The suspense was paralyzing. The waiting game, was demoralizing. Wait for MRI results, wait for CT Scan, wait for pathology reports, wait for surgery, wait for blood test results. Repeat it all over again. It was a blessing to have these moments of joy to pull us up while we were forcefully being pushed down by many external factors. These episodes of success kept us afloat, helped us stay grounded during hardship. Right after each bad news from the doctors, we would hear something; Radeen won the MUN, he is the Salutatorian, he is accepted to GT, he is invited to STAMP,?he is recognized as STAMP Scholar, he is recognized as a Georgia Scholar.

Living fully and embracing every little bit of triumph with a sense of gratitude certainly helped sailing the ship to the shore. It kept hope alive. It reminded us to seek the light at the end of the tunnel. It constantly reinforced ‘ This too shall pass’. It kept us moving forward.

I am congratulated very often and many people ask me how I did it.?

I gave it all, for one. At any crossroads, any decision making process, small or big, his “ best interest” was always my priority even if it meant using my 401K to send him to a private middle school. If I had to choose between climbing corporate ladders, getting awards, spending precious time on myself; or, running from school to guitar lesson to swim practice to Huntsville Space Camp, and perhaps delivering fresh lunch to school, I chose the latter. And most importantly, I didn’t do things just “ for” him, I enjoyed life “with” him. I truly believe this made a big difference. I did my best not to miss any opportunity to keep his sense of wonder and adventure, alive. Nature was always our best refuge. It's easy to get sucked into the spiral of life’s demands. Presence is the key to strong connections and strong connections can hold the space during hardship. This is the birth place of resilient beings who understand actions have consequences.

I feel at ease. I did the best I could and it’s time to sit back and watch him live my dream. A dear friend’s advice when he was born still rings in my ear; ‘a wise mother will give her kids roots to stay grounded and wings to fly’. I tried,”She wrote.?

Congratulations to the 2022 STAMP & Gold Scholars and much gratitude to Fulton Science Academy, Fulton County Schools, Georgia Institude of Technology and GT Office of Special Scholarships.