I looked up at the white ceiling tile, counting dots. Laying on the table, it dawned on me how far I had come and how much of my life I had ahead of me if I survived the brain surgery. What would my future hold without seizures? What new obstacles would I face? With seconds passing, countless emotions ran through me, and then I was out.
When I was 15-months-old, I contracted meningitis, from which I developed epilepsy, lost hearing in one ear, and faced significant developmental challenges. I had to work harder at skills that came easily to my peers and deal with the painful anxiety of being different. I worked with many therapists on a wide range of issues, from developing fine motor coordination to learning basic social skills. With perseverance, I slowly overcame challenges, but still lived with a daily fear of seizures. Despite trying every medicine, diet, and therapy possible, epilepsy controlled me. Finally, with options exhausted, I took a big risk at age 12 and underwent very complex brain surgery. It was maybe the scariest and hardest time of my life, but it paid off in the end, and my stigmatizing seizures were eliminated.
A significant barrier was behind me, but I still was not free. According to my post-surgery neuropsychology exam, I was performing at the 16th percentile in reading and writing, because my surgery impacted the “communication center” of my brain. I spent years re-learning how to process and interpret language effectively. My communication deficits, along with my hearing loss, contributed to continued social challenges, too. As a middle-school student, missing social cues and not following conversations was tough. I really had to push myself to engage with others, but the more I persisted outside my comfort zone, the more progress I made.
Throughout this time, others were challenged, too. For six years, my dad put his career on hold to stay home and help me. My mom also made sacrifices, including turning down promotions that required relocation or extensive travel. As a kid, I did not understand how much my parents gave, nor did I detect the level of anxiety my medical situation caused them.
My parents weren’t the only ones who cared. I recall a specific day when I learned that people at church were praying for me. I was struck by the unconditional love and support I was given and realized there was more to my journey than my individual struggles. All the progress I made would not have been possible without the help of dedicated doctors, teachers, counselors, therapists and friends. I came to understand the power of family, and the support and care of other people through the most challenging times of my life.
Now, I no longer worry about my future. As I look back, I’m proud of my hard work and determination that helped me overcome physical, academic and social barriers, and I believe it has made me a tenacious, resilient, and confident person. I learned the importance of advocating for myself and using the resources that are available.
In 8th grade, I achieved a milestone of being accepted into The Albany Academies (TAA) – a private college preparatory school. At TAA, I was able to challenge myself in academics and through extracurricular activities. My success accelerated exponentially. By junior year, I had already taken the majority of the honors courses and AP courses my school offered. I was motivated to continue challenging myself, so I applied and was accepted to The Clarkson School (TCS) – an early residential college program at Clarkson University.
At TCS, I continued to seek out additional opportunities and took advantage of those presented to me. I participated in a Global Business Program traveling over to Europe for the first time on my own during Spring Break; I was the Public Relations Chair of Student Council for TCS; I did Data Analytics research under my CS professor, as a member of Clarkson University’s prestigious Honors Program; I even got a summer internship in 2017 at a military defense contractor at the age of 18.
The most gratifying leadership experience I had that year was starting up a new CS outreach program at Clarkson and traveling to local elementary and middle schools doing robotics and programming demonstrations in class. The confidence I had gained over all the years had inspired me to help others, with the ultimate goal of reciprocating the support I received throughout my childhood. For several years, I had been mentoring elementary and middle-school girls, motivating them to become passionate about STEM and Robotics just like I once did. To this day, the message I try to convey is the importance of risk-taking and pushing beyond one’s limits. It’s a wonderful experience to help these girls break through barriers and know that I am making a difference in their lives.
One moment I will never forget from last year was the night I got accepted into MIT. I had been applying to several other colleges during my year at TCS, but by far MIT was my dream school. On 3/14/17, that dream came true. I reflected on all the challenges I had overcome in my childhood due to Meningitis, the motivation I had in my spirit to challenge myself, the people who had supported me every step of the way, and how my whole life had just led me to MIT.
Looking back, I now have the answers to many of the questions I pondered on that operating table. I learned I was strong and, ultimately, capable of succeeding. Every day, my hearing loss reminds me of what I’ve overcome. As my mother once said, “Don’t let your boundaries restrict you; instead, exceed beyond them.” That is exactly what I did.