Anibelky

I was born in the town of La Vega in the Dominican Republic. My life changed dramatically when my parents got divorced when I was eight years old. My mother worked hard to raise my siblings and me without any help. She wanted us to have a better educational foundation because she did not even attend high school. In order for us to obtain more academic opportunities and realize our ambitions, we decided to move to New York City in 2008. In this city, we had to start a new life, get accustomed to the language and interact with people from diverse backgrounds.

As part of this life change, I enrolled in the Cuny Language Immersion Program (CLIP) at Bronx Community College in order to study English intensively for a year before starting college. Since I was quite shy, it was difficult for me to interact with English speakers. As I became more fluent in English, I volunteered with the Mayor’s Office of Adult Education to help other Spanish speakers interact with diverse cultures and improve their English. In 2010, I started classes at Bronx Community College and I plan to attend medical school to become a neurosurgeon. I am confident that the New York Needs You fellowship program will assist me in this process of deciding what career path is more appropriate for me and how I will achieve my primary goal of becoming a medical doctor. I will also be able to gain valuable experience in the health field through completing internships and interacting with medical professionals.