Daria Zavyalova

At the age of 17, Daria made the decision to strike out on her own and leave Russia. “I was choking while living in a country without gender, racial and ethnic equality. In addition, I was not satisfied with the role of a potential housewife. I dreamed of having more freedom that would let me achieve my full potential as a woman.”

Her first year in the U.S. was focused on survival. She worked constantly, exhausted physically and mentally but determined to stay focused on earning her high school diploma. “I was able to learn a second language at a proficient level in a very short time and to graduate high school with a 4.0 GPA. I continued my academic journey at Mesa College while still working full-time. Moreover, I started volunteering at different hospitals and attending medical conferences. My hard work paid off because I graduated from Mesa College with a 4.0 GPA and transferred to the university of my first choice, UC San Diego.” Though crippling anxiety threatened to derail her, through the help of a campus psychologist and the discovery of yoga, she has overcome her disabling fear of tests.

Now she is doing all she can to become a physician. For example, alongside other pre-med students she provides care to residents of Tijuana, many of them recent deportees. “Although I cannot change the current political situation and reunite the families, I can make a difference by being attentive to patients’ needs and feelings as I measure their blood pressure and blood sugar levels. The more I participate in such experiences, the more I desire to continue caring for others in the future.”

Daria keenly feels the hardship of being far from her parents. “There is no one to support me. I often learn by trial and error, and although this method is very useful in finding the best approach to solving a problem, it definitely results in additional stress. During such stressful times, I have a strong desire to discuss my problems with my parents at the dinner table.” She will not see her parents again until after graduation, but she believes that her struggles are temporary, “and I hope that the contribution that I will make to this country will be remembered forever.”