LaGuardia Community College

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As an undocumented immigrant, I didn't have access to higher education as I wasn't eligible for federal grants or loans. My parents were uninterested in my educational aspirations and had terrible credit so a private loan was also off the table. After high school, I saved up a little bit of money and was able to secure a partial scholarship to St. John's University, but I withdrew halfway through the semester as I realized it was hopeless to continue when I wouldn't even be allowed to legally work even if I managed to find a way to continue paying tuition. My advisor was not sympathetic to my cause and did not file my withdrawal form in a timely manner so I ended up with a semesters worth of failing grades.

I struggled with mental health my entire life as I grew up in a very abusive environment, my sister faced many of the same challenges and abuse, which led her down a path of drug addiction and crime. I was lucky to have found my wife, who I have now been married to for over eight years. She helped me get my permanent residency, which allowed me to enlist in the U.S. Army to earn my citizenship. However, after an untimely injury, I was honorably discharged after a year and some change. This derailed my plans for the future and my mental health regressed during the rehabilitation process.

Two years ago, my wife took me to the VA Hospital and for the first time in my life, I was treated for post traumatic stress disorder. She practically dragged me to my appointments and ensured my recovery. Today, I have 37 credits with a 4.0 GPA, and I will have another 19 credits completed by the end of this fall semester. I am also an NIH Bridges Scholar, participating in research at LaGuardia under my mentor Dr. Charles Keller. In my free time, I volunteer to teach chess to children at my local library and am in the process of completing my mental health peer support specialist certification. For fun, I have learned to use CAD and operate a 3D printer, which I use to bring my projects to life. Some of my projects include a temperature regulated ventilation chamber to house my 3D printer, phone cases, watches, and bicycle components.

While I have found considerable success in managing my mental health conditions, my sister has not had such good fortune. During my time away in the Army, she was arrested and deported back to South Korea. Things are not easy for her, and her mental health has suffered tremendously to the point of attempting suicide three times in her life so far. I call her every day to try to keep her hopes up, and I try my best to set a good example for her because I know that looks to me as evidence of recovery. Through experiencing trauma and persevering over the resulting PTSD in my life has given me purpose in life, I aim to become a psychiatrist so that I can help others like myself and my sister. Many undocumented immigrants suffer from parental and domestic abuse, and are trapped in a cycle of trauma because they fear calling the police over potential deportation. They also lack access to psychiatric support as many of us didn't have health insurance or any money to pay out of pocket. While access to healthcare for undocumented immigrants have improved, awareness for the rampant domestic abuse in undocumented immigrant communities has been ignored. I know that my sister and I were not the only ones who experienced abuse in our household. I've witnessed childhood friends wither away to drug addiction and the subsequent perils of such addictions due to their inability to process their trauma. Seeing people I've known from my grade school days die from overdose or suicide hurts because I know the pain that drives them to their demise. I am not special, it could just as easily have been me.

My academic journey is just the first step of my mission. I will earn my credentials and leverage them to become someone that people in my community can turn to for help.

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