Flask of Life Extract
Remembering the childhood experiences that shaped and fueled my passion, values, and life mission
I have always felt joy and purpose in a thriving environment. That feeling I get in my chest, like I am on the verge of bursting with happiness, is a kind of intangible wealth. However, over time, I have learned that this development only occurs with my contribution. My hard work, attributes, and desire to help others provoked these reciprocal effects. Understanding and successfully helping those around me using my creativity and resources is purely a tiny flask of life extract.
I was very young the first time I ever felt that much joy. My mother was a single parent who faced many challenges while raising three children. We lived in Santiago City, Dominican Republic. When my father left us for good, I became the homemaker while my mother had to work twice as hard. I cooked, cleaned, and cared for my younger sisters. It never felt enough to alleviate my mom's pressure despite my stepping in.
Rofini, M. (1999). Singer 491D, Singer 491U. Industrial sewing Machine Service.
My mother had an industrial Japanese Singer 491 sewing machine she used to make and sell clothes. One day, when I was still too young and short of reaching the mechanical pedal of the machine, I tied an empty paint can to the bottom of my foot with fabric remnants to reach the pedal.
I managed to sew a pair of shorts for my mother to sell. Her positive reaction empowered me and made me understand the joy of helping others, allowing us to connect and grow together. At that moment, I felt my mother understood; she was not alone in our struggles. From that day on, whenever my mom went out to sell clothes, I stepped in by using this hack trick on that same sewing machine. This continued until I was old enough to reach the pedal.
From the age of ten to twelve, before migrating to the US, I helped my grandmother make clothes in a warehouse equipped with ten sewing machines and a tall sixty-eight-inch rustic wooden table used to measure and cut textiles. The table stood by a wide window facing a beautiful mango tree, I would climb every time I finished my daily responsibility to sew. These two years of work built discipline and determination, as well as allowed me to see the results of helping someone evolve and reach their goals from long-term productivity.
I am honored to have been a frontline witness to my mother’s development. My mother accomplished the impossible at our worst. Despite these struggles, she always prioritized our education and encouraged analytical thinking to solve any issues we encountered, regardless of how trivial or significant these were.
The environment my mother created for me has fed my boldness, curiosity, empathy, analytical thinking, creativity, humility, respect, and analytical thinking. Today, I understand how important and liberating these values are to my socio-emotional development and to be a substantial contribution to my personal, academic, and professional communities. These values guide my decision-making and life mission to make exceptional things happen.
My name is Sugeiry Yokasta Fernandez. I come from a large immigrant family facing adversity with energy, love, and a hint of humor. I have found joy in my mission to radiate positive energy within my personal, academic, professional, and philanthropic communities.
