A Silver Lining

By Philip Bui

For APIASF and GMS recipients, college is a testament to our hard-work and dreams of a better future. For many of us, our admission to college has been a twisting journey with bumps along the way. The path was probably not an easy one, but we still traveled it because college embodies the opportunity to realize our aspirations. College affords us the chance to bring our hopes to life.

Yet, the journey through college is not one without detours and speed bumps that will test the faith we have in our dreams and ourselves. For many of us, there will be life events that present themselves as obstacles between our dreams and us. Such proceedings can challenge our perceptions of who we are, and ultimately, force us to reevaluate what we want from our lives. For me, the past two and half years of college have tested the strength of my dreams, and the faith I have in myself as a student. My biggest challenge has come in the form of sickness.

This past fall quarter I was one of the unfortunate few who were affected by the H1N1 virus (our beloved swine flu). Fortunately, my immune system won the war against the virus, but it was a rough battle to say the least. My attempts at going to class while having chills were complete failures. In the end, both my body and my academic plans took a beating. I was forced to drop important classes. I have only recently accepted that my original academic plan of majoring in economics with emphasis on healthcare is no longer plausible, and must chart a modified path.

To be honest, it was not an easy realization. It was actually quite a bitter one because to re-chart a new path is to admit that there are some things in life that no amount of perseverance can change. More importantly, it was a painful reminder that sometimes I cannot influence or control the events that occur in life. Ultimately, it made me question whether following my interests/passions is worth it because life seems to continue to place barriers between my career plans and me.

I spent the majority of my freshman and sophomore years exploring the breadth of liberal arts and searching for my academic passions. The search was an attempt to give meaning to my life, and find a potential career. Once I was able to firmly settle on economics and then have sickness impede on my plans, I became quite distraught. I felt that college was becoming a disaster because my plans were unraveling at the seams. The faith I had in my pursuing my dreams and myself was quickly fading.

Despite the setback brought forth by swine flu, I am slowly learning to adapt to life’s obstacles. As I look forward and attempt to plan my uncertain future, I am surprisingly hopeful. I spent this past spring break reading the biographies of Thomas Edison and Barack Obama, and reevaluating my life. During my time of seclusion and reading, I have slowly developed a sense hope in my dreams. I know that reading the biographies of Edison and Obama is probably one of the tritest things I could do. Regardless, I am learning to put the events in my life into perspective, and remembering that even some of history’s most famous people experienced life’s speed bumps. It would be a lie to say that I have absolute no apprehension of my uncertain future because of a couple of books, in fact I am quite petrified of my change in plans.

However, throughout this process, I have learned you can never lose faith in your dreams or yourself. You must maintain the hope that has brought you this far in life, and continue to believe in your aspirations. College is an opportunity for all of us to chase our dreams and discover ourselves along the way. Yet at the same time, there is always the intrinsic risk of roadblocks that stand between our dreams and us. I know that life’s events have completely altered my original plans, but I cannot allow that to prevent me from pursuing my dreams. Even though I cannot major in economics, I refuse to forgo my plans of having a career in health policy. It is the hope for a better future that is inherent to me and to other APIASF/GMS recipients that affords to us to continue chasing our aspirations, despite life’s obstacles.

To my fellow APIASF/GMS recipients, there will always be obstacles that block us from reaching our desired destinations. Whether you encounter them in college or latter on in life, you must hold a staunch conviction in your dreams.