What I Wish My Financial Aid Applications Revealed

Sush Krishnamoorthy, a student from New Delhi, is part of “The Choice” class that includes student-bloggers from Nairobi, Kenya; Topeka, Kan.; Seattle; Rogers, Ark.; Las Vegas; New York City; and Hunting Valley, Ohio. Her seventh post is below. â€" Tanya Abrams

In the post-independence, patriarchal society of India, women from the working classes were rarely educated. My grandmother, for example, attended school until only the eighth grade; she was married off soon after.

When my grandfather lost his job and sunk into despair, it was my grandmother who was forced to single-handedly raise her five young children. She strove hard in the face of poverty to provide a formal education for her four daughters and one son, although she herself was uneducated.

“She didn’t care what our grades were,” my mother recalled, “but she made sure we attended school every day.”

My mother and her siblings attended computer courses, English tuition and Hindi classes; they took camping tris to the Himalayas. Despite their poverty, they found money for their pursuits from their scarce savings and some generous benefactors.

In a time when a majority of women were raised to be wives who tended to domestic needs, my grandmother taught her daughters to be independent, self-reliant women. She is a freethinking woman who valued education and believed in the empowerment of women. As a result, my mother and all my aunts have college degrees and comfortable jobs.

From my mother’s stories, I know that money, while important, is not a deterrent to our dreams. Where there’s determination, hard work and some talent, one’s pursuits will somehow manifest.

My mother inherited my grandmother’s determination and beliefs. My parents spent most of their earnings in my education rather than in financial investments for the future. When they saw that I had an interest in chess, they paid for expensive professional chess tutoring. They made sure I ! received the best schooling. They didn’t hesitate to pay for pricey shoes and other equipment when I trained for state- and national-level athletics. They paid hefty fees for student activities I attended at the British Council of India. They invested in me rather than in real estate and gold jewelry.

I wish there had been an essay requirement for my financial aid applications, which I just completed. I wanted to let my prospective colleges that although my parents are not leaving a financial inheritance for me, they have made me capable of seeking my own fortune. I wanted to assure the colleges I applied to that I am a worthy investment who will give them manifold returns.

Several members of my family attribute their success to the people who helped them in small ways during their times of need. It drives to them to give back to the society that made them who they are, even if their contribution seems insignificant.

My family inspires me to step up the game, seek the best opportunities or myself and then use my education to reach out to more students like me.

Ms. Krishnamoorthy, a student at Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in New Delhi, is one of eight high school seniors around the world blogging about their college searches for The Choice. To comment on what she has written here, please use the comment box below.