Opportunities are a precious thing. They may come many times, or they may come once in a lifetime. So, when there is an important opportunity, we must make good use of it. On June 8, 2020, the result of the random Diversity Visa was announced, and I was among the winners. After applying for it more than five times and winning the sixth time, my joy was indescribable. I hadn’t expected to win because I’d lost five times, but once again, I’d started the paperwork.

After winning, however, I soon became frustrated because the Covid-19 pandemic was spreading, and President Donald Trump had closed all entries for international people. No one could enter the United States. The paperwork procedures were stopped, and we started to lose hope. Then the election started showing on American news every day, and we waited for Biden’s success. He promised that if he succeeded, he would open the borders for me and all the winners of the Diversity Visa. Indeed, Biden succeeded, and our joy was great. He fulfilled his promise, and we were able to complete the procedures. That was when I realized that I had a great chance to achieve my dream of entering the United States and completing my studies to get a doctorate in computer science. Little did I know that I would have to face a number of difficulties.

Suddenly, I discovered as I was preparing the papers that there was a mistake in my name. I had to correct it before I sent the papers. Frankly, I lost hope at that moment, but I tried to stand up again and cling to my dream even if I only had a small chance of passing the interview. I was able to correct the error, and I passed the interview with the last group, on September 9, 2021. 

That day was like a dream for me. On that same day were the national elections in Morocco, and I was working in the national committee to supervise them. In the same week that I received my passport from the consulate with my Diversity Visa, the president of the party with whom I had worked for the last five years won the elections and became the president of the country. My joy was great because I was able to achieve two dreams at the same time. This was a good sign that I should never give up. 

After the celebrations, I submitted my resignation from my work and packed my luggage. I entered America on October 3, 2021. Here, I would start a new phase of my life. I would start from scratch in the country that I always dreamed of coming to.

In my first week here, I enrolled in a school in my neighborhood to learn English because I didn’t understand a word. Also, I found a job in a men’s clothing store, selling clothing and transferring merchandise between stores. I later became the assistant manager, but as soon as the manager knew that I had registered to complete my studies at the university, his attitude toward me changed. He didn’t let me work like I used to. He reduced my work hours and made me do the same work in a shorter period. I knew that because of my hard work, he would find it difficult to find someone to take my place. Any manager who came into this store, seeing it tidy and its customers happy, would say, “You are lucky because you have got Karima in your store.” My boss tried in every way to convince me to change my mind about school, but I was determined to accomplish my goal. 

There have been people who have tried to destroy me and who have created obstacles so that I could not find a better job that matches my long-term goals. A month before I started school, I found a new job in a supermarket, and it was hard for me to balance work and school, so I had to quit my job. Then I had a financial problem.

Despite all these difficulties, I stuck to my dream of completing my studies. I started CLIP courses at BMCC. It is a program in which you learn English and prepare to enter the university. It has been the most beautiful experience I have had since I entered the United States.     

The most beautiful times are the ones I spend studying. I have made a new friend, and I have the best teacher, who makes me love studying and makes school my only concern. For us, he is not only a teacher, but also a friend and a doctor who heals with his words. His class is so interesting that we cannot feel the passage of time. Among the people who have been able to put a smile on my face is my CLIP teacher. He will always be my role model who inspires me to reach what I wish for. 

I have had a hard time. There have been days I have slept and cried and lost my appetite, but I would wake up in the morning and say, “This is a new day. It must be better.” I learned that obstacles are stages that we must overcome in order to reach success. I knew that I would face obstacles in my way because since I was a child, I have not achieved anything readily. I learned to taste the sweetness of success after all the effort and fatigue, so I will not allow any obstacle to block my path. This is my chance, and I will take advantage of it. I had an opportunity that thousands of people in other countries wished for, and this is proof that this opportunity is worth all the hardships I have experienced. The difficulties have made me stronger. I will get my education to be a good analytics engineer. 

Now, I feel like a flower in a new garden, and, with every new day, a new hope will be planted until my petals have blossomed and my goals have been completed. Yesterday passed and ended, and I cannot change it. I can only stand on what has passed and predict what is to come. I must gain energy and experience from the past in order to reach tomorrow. The future is what matters because I can choose it and change it if needed, so I must focus on it and give it its due. Life does not stand on a day or a year. Life goes on.

There is no success without effort. Never give up.