my name is Samira cicchetti I was born and raised in Iran I moved to this country two years ago and I’m very happy to be here I am a Baha’i and men and women of Baha’i community in Iran are not supposed to are not allowed to go to university in Iran so the reason that I moved out of my home country was solely to go to university to be able to have higher education college scholarships and I am so happy to be here and to have this chance in here in here in order to come here I spent 14 months in Turkey as a refugee and I was seeking asylum and finally I got the asylum and I came here and I was very happy and I did all this just be able to be a member of a community that does not deny people in trans to school upon their religious orientation I came to us I started school and I fell in love with this city and its diverse and kind and welcoming people but
surviving in here and thriving in this country is not easy speaking a second language having no credit history and no family member to hold your hand at the end of the day it’s just it’s hard it wasn’t easy and honestly some days I I lost my faith my purpose in life somehow God has its own beautiful ways to show us the light again so during the summer I was lucky enough to get into summer medical and dental program in University of Washington and I spent six weeks in there we were volunteering in the migrant camp oh sorry I’m constantly checking to see if so it okay I was I got to witness the vast disparity and underserved community in the situation they live in in the migrant camps and these people are 30 minutes away from us living undocumented as
you see in the least possible living facilities like as simple they have simple beds a heater and some food they get paid less than minimum wage and sometimes partially paid for months so I was really touched and at the same time we are happily eat the strawberries that they handpick under the pouring rain and it was hard to watch and they have hardly access to dental or medical care and even when they do they cannot afford it so I started also these are the families and the kids that we were also I started working as a volunteer in the Union Gospel Mission and in here in downtown Seattle we help people with dental care we help especially the homeless people the undocumented people people who don’t have any paper they don’t know where when were they born or anything to show so we help them and oh it’s an amazing experience so after having that kind of disappointment and
I was about to give up everything because I was so lonely and so sad and so broke I went summer and I went it witness these things and somehow I found my way I found my way and I’m very happy I met a few of these people homeless people and I decided from now on I know what I’m gonna do I know why I’m going to do this now I know that I want to become a dentist because I want to serve these people so it’s sorry so I’m I feel very motivated from this summer and it’s so easy it’s so easy for me now to do that science classes and everything because now I know why I’m doing this so this is my story but it’s not just my story I share it with a lot of students a lot of motivated students who who live for a purpose a lot of us moved us moved out of our country to pursue an academic education but seeking excellence comes with its own challenges especially when you live in a third country for a few months and you come here flat broke and
I was lucky enough to get to know some of this students to fight my battle at the same time I wish to recognize one of those successful students he’s a student at college Green River College and also a recipient of the datian scholarship master i asked after would you stand up thank you and also I want to thank each and every one of my teachers especially mrs. Victoria Scrivener dr. Carswell Turner mr. Rajah mrs. Mary Rosen and a lot of other teachers and last but not least the amazing contributors to foundation scholarship without you none of this is possible and my lifelong dream of attending dental school is coming to life thanks to your general generous sorry it’s just been two years so thanks to your generous educational scholarships this is where I go to school from now on to offer kids like him free dental care and thanks to you the donors of scholarship you are an effective part of this process thank you you
