My Passion by Jessica

My Passion by Jessica - March 2026 Scholarship Essay

As a Korean-American daughter from an immigrant family, My parents and grandparents are not fluent in English so I often had to be their interpreter. One day my grandma got sick and was sent to the ER for immediate surgery. Throughout her whole process of getting the surgery and post surgery, I helped my family translate paper work and all the questions they had for my grandma. My grandma was an in-patient patient for 2 weeks and I would go to the hospital everyday alone, and with one of my parents too. I would often go to the hospital 2-3x a day to be able to help my grandma communicate her needs and concerns to the nurses and just be an emotional support for my grandma too. This was a very bittersweet moment for me because this experience made me realize that you never know what is going to happen in life and I need to be more grateful for everything I have in the present. I also started to appreciate my fluency in English because I was able to help my family in a beneficial way. When I was younger I did not like having to interpret for my parents because I was shy and considered it an “adult” job. But now, I was able to shift my mindset into a more positive way. The most important thing I learned about myself from this experience was wanting to become a social worker. When my grandma was getting discharged, a social worker at the hospital assisted us and she was a great help to us and made the process very easy and her position sparked interest in doing the same job. I want to be able to give the same experience and help for other people who are in need and struggling. As a future social worker, I want to improve accessibility, care, and resources for marginalized groups by advocating for policy changes and human rights while practicing cultural humility. I want to contribute to aim for a more equitable system that serves all communities and to be able to connect people to proper resources that can prevent poor quality care experiences and be a part of improving care experiences like what my grandma and I experienced.