Nothing is impossible with hard work and dedication

I have grown up understanding that thousand miles journey starts with a single step and mastering every step is way to happiness.

It was a very intense and a happy moment when the United States of America, immigration official have finally convinced with my answers in the visa interview and with a smirk smile has granted me visa and has stamped my passport.

My parents who were eagerly waiting outside the visa office for me were in tears after learning the news that I have finally cleared my visa interview and will be flying to the US to pursue my dream career.

It all started in my childhood, when my mom used to let me watch the infotainment channels discovery and animal planet. I was very enthused to learn more about the complex processes and secrets of nature.

With a lot of interest and zeal to pursue a career in research, I have chosen biology as my core subject and pursued my bachelors in pharmacy. With an enthusiasm to learn more about the subject I have decided to pursue my masters in the United States of America as it is one of the best Research and Development driven countries.

It was a very carefully planned career, knowing that it takes a lot of effort to reach what I am aiming for; I have made sure that I score really well in my graduation and have even taken up multiple voluntary summer projects to intensify my subject knowledge.

One important step in my preparation was keeping myself focused to the goal I wanted to achieve, in my third year of graduation I have taken up GRE classes, which are mandatory for my entry into the USA. It was a good decision as it has given me a complete year to prepare well for the final test.

It was the test day and I was very nervous about my performance, but my preparation has led me to score well in the GRE, well it was a great feeling as I have reached half the way towards my goal.

The next step in my preparation was the toughest one, the TOEFL, everybody say that GRE is tough and TOEFL is easy. But for me it was vice-versa. With a lot of preparation and sleepless nights I am lucky that I have cracked the tough nut TOEFL too. I was on the cloud nine.

After my scores are ready I have applied for the most prestigious institutions in the USA. Luckily my application was not just accepted by the university but also has offered me a research assistant position in the university lab.

As I have finally received my i-20, I started my preparation for Visa process, which was kind of scary; as the ETS has announced that the GRE pattern will soon change. I have put all my efforts in preparing for the interview and with a positive attitude I have finally made it.

Now comes the drama, as I was the eldest son in the family all of the family were happy and also worried at the same time as I will be leaving to USA soon. My tickets are booked now; I am free to meet friends and family members.

Only after spending time with my friends and family I have realised that I will miss them very much and all those happy and fun moments that I spent with my friends in Hyderabad are only my happy moments for the next five years.

Finally, the day has come and a big Luftanza Airbus was waiting for me at the airport. With a lot of memories and tearful eyes I have bid bye to the Hyderabad and started journey towards my goal.

After reaching the USA, it took two-days for me to adjust for the climate and viola! The college started, the first day of the college was so exciting and awesome. I just cannot remember how the time flew away and I was already in the final semester and I was the most cherished student of my class.

With a lot of help from my professors who were very generous I have not just learnt a lot about the subject but also about myself.

Finally graduated from University of Massachusetts in Biochemistry and I landed a great internship opportunity with one of the reputed biotechnology labs. After starting my internship I understood that student life is different from reality and in reality I have to work more hard to make my mark in the golden pages of science.

Working since 2014, with Xtal Biostructures, as a Scientist I have learnt many things and one of them is empathy towards life. I have been part of 20 projects on protein biochemistry till now and I felt very happy to finally achieve my goal.

To make a dream into reality all you we need to do is break dream into small pieces and work on connecting pieces one after the other.

Not many have the fortune of working for what they love, but I strongly feel that with hard work and dedication it is not tough to reach one’s goal.

By: Ujwal Jella
(The writer is a scientist at Xtal Biostructures, Massachusetts, USA)