Evelina Smirnitskaya

   My family came to America shortly after my 12th birthday. The American Dream, as defined by F. Scott Fitzgerald, did not exist for me at the time when my entire world was falling into obscurity with the speed of a transcontinental plane heading to New York from Moscow. A child from a family of five generations of teachers, I was raised in dignified poverty. Class was never an issue – money was. Now, at the age of 18, I am still more concerned about money than class, and yet I am acutely aware of both.
   What became of my family after their move to the land of opportunity could be used for a case study on social mobility. My mother – driven and talented -- applied herself in a way I had never seen her do before. She signed up for English classes almost immediately after our arrival. In a few months she was attending a local community college, and in two years my mother was accepted into St. Catherine's College nursing program. In only six and a half years, she became fluent in a language much different from her mother tongue, achieved an associate's degree along with her licensing as a Registered Nurse, and is now working at one of the largest hospitals in Minneapolis. In one year she will upgrade her degree to bachelor's and will be earning roughly $50,000 a year.
   My father, who was unable to learn English, quit classes, and as of this moment has not been paying his bills for the past five months.
   My parents are divorced.

   My 9-year-old sister lives with my mother and attends one of the most prestigious private schools in Minneapolis on a yearly $18,000 scholarship. She plays soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, and is considered one of the brightest students by all of her teachers. It has been agreed by all in our family that she will become exceedingly wealthy.
   Between my mother's story of success, my sister's promising future, and my father's plummet to the very bottom of the social ladder, I have been left in limbo. Going to college has never been a choice – it is something that everyone has done in my family, and it is something I decided to do without a second thought. Doing that, however, is far more challenging than simply deciding. With her own educational loans to pay off, and my sister to take care of, my mother cannot afford to pay for my education. Yet, because of her earnings, I am not eligible for a sustainable amount of federal help. Neither am I eligible for private bank loans, as I am yet to become a U.S. citizen.
  In a country where education is everything, I find myself at a point where my entire future depends on whether or not I can find enough money to ensure it. I am classless, yet dependent  on my parents class status.
   In my world, class and money have become interchangeable. I simply lack both.