Another New Challenge 1: Why accept challenge?

210. Why you made a difficult choice

I once had an opportunity to walk the easy path to my dream – studying medicine in the US. With the help of my aunt and her family living in the US, I was given a choice to join her and become an American citizen. I was in sixth grade then. Getting into medical schools in the US as a non-American is one of the toughest thing to achieve because a doctor is asked for the dedication and commitment to save people in his or her country. Being a non-American, it is a hard decision to decide the commitment for America. I was aware of the fact and was realizing that with my one decision, my whole future could change. If I decided to join my aunt, I would attend competitive high schools in America, giving me more chances of acceptance to colleges and Medical schools in the US as an American citizen. However, I would lose my mom. Of course, not literally. But it would be hard to meet my mom and my family back in Korea as often as before, and it would be way more difficult to get into Medical schools in the US. This choice of joining my Aunt was only one time chance before I turned 15.

I was surprised with the way my mom, family, and aunt responded to this situation. They totally gave me the authority to choose my path. I was confused. I knew that this chance was crucial for my future. Questions rose in my head: Does joining my aunt in the US mean that I am not part of my family anymore? Will I really be able to succeed if I joined my aunt?

After days of pondering, I decided not to go. My family and friends were surprised with my choice; they thought knowing me very competitive and ambitious I would choose to join my aunt. I do agree that I was very tempted to join my aunt and not lose this chance of being an American citizen. Yet, I chose a more difficult path, during which I may fail to be accepted to Medical Schools in the US, because I did not want to leave my family. I would have to study days and nights crazily to achieve my goal, and it isn’t that I would leave my family if I joined my aunt, but I remembered something someone once told me: being with your family is the biggest blessing in your life. And that is why I made that difficult choice.