Born to Rise

In the dusty outskirts of Lahore, Pakistan, the mornings were filled with the roar of rickshaws, the calls of street vendors, and the aroma of chai brewing in small roadside stalls. Amidst this chaos, seventeen-year-old Zayan Malik packed the last of his belongings in a worn-out backpack. He wasn’t just leaving home — he was leaving behind everything familiar to chase a dream half the world away.

His uncle in New Jersey had sponsored his student visa. "America is the land of opportunity," they said. "If you work hard, you can become anything."

Zayan arrived in the U.S. with only $80 in his pocket and a heart full of hope. He didn’t know that hope, when paired with hardship, becomes something far more powerful.

Chapter 1: Strange Lands, Stranger Lives

New Jersey was colder than anything he’d ever experienced. The streets were quiet, people barely made eye contact, and the cultural shock was like a punch to the gut. His English was textbook — not made for slang, sarcasm, or speed. In his first community college class, when a professor asked him, “You good?” he replied nervously, “Yes, sir, I study well.”

Zayan worked nights at a gas station. By day, he attended classes in engineering. He barely slept. Some nights, he questioned everything. “Was this worth it?” he’d whisper into the darkness.

But the thought of returning home as a failure kept him going. That — and his mother’s voice in his head:

"You were born to rise, beta. No matter where life plants you, bloom."



Chapter 2: The Climb

After two years of relentless study, he transferred to a state university. It was a different world — more diverse, more intense, more competitive. But he had changed too. He could now navigate conversations, submit papers with confidence, and even laugh at American jokes — though not all of them made sense.

He still worked part-time, now as a campus janitor. He scrubbed floors in the same lecture halls where he studied thermodynamics. Sometimes classmates would pass by and look confused. “You work here?” they’d ask.

“I work everywhere,” he’d joke, forcing a smile.

Loneliness never fully left him, but he filled the emptiness with purpose. He joined the robotics club, tutored other immigrants in math, and once even gave a TED-style talk on "Dreams Without Borders."



Chapter 3: Rock Bottom and the Rise

In his final year, disaster struck. His uncle lost his job, and Zayan’s tuition support disappeared. The financial aid office said he didn’t qualify for federal help as an international student. For a week, he lived in the campus library, hiding his bags in the bathroom.

One night, after being caught sleeping under a stairwell, a professor named Dr. Elliot sat beside him and asked softly, “You okay?”

Zayan, too exhausted to lie, broke down. Dr. Elliot not only helped him find emergency housing but also connected him with a local foundation that sponsored tuition for deserving students.

“That man saved my future,” Zayan would later say. “In that moment, America didn’t feel like a cold country. It felt like a second chance.”



Chapter 4: Dreams Delivered

Four years after landing in the U.S., Zayan walked across the stage in a blue graduation gown, his name called with honor: “Summa Cum Laude.”

In the crowd, his mother — now visiting on a temporary visa — clutched a tissue and smiled through tears. He had done it. Against all odds.

Zayan landed a job at a tech firm in Boston, working on AI systems for healthcare. He was finally stable, finally earning — but he never forgot his roots. Every month, he sent money home. Every summer, he mentored new international students.

He also started a YouTube channel: “Born to Rise.” In it, he shared stories — raw, real stories of struggle, survival, and success. It quickly gained a following. People saw in him what they wanted to see in themselves — a reason to believe.



Chapter 5: The Real American Dream

Five years later, Zayan became a U.S. citizen. During the ceremony, as he held the small flag and repeated the oath, he felt a surge of emotion. This land, once so alien and cold, had become part of him. Not because it was perfect — but because it allowed him to grow, to fail, to fight, and to eventually flourish.

When asked in an interview, “What does the American Dream mean to you?” he smiled and replied:

“It’s not about becoming rich. It’s about becoming possible. It’s about the idea that even if you come from nothing, if you’re willing to bleed, to cry, to rise — then this land will give you a ladder. You just have to climb it.”



Epilogue

Today, Zayan stands as more than just an engineer, or a YouTuber, or a citizen. He’s a symbol — not of easy success, but of earned resilience. His story isn’t unique in its hardship — many before and after him face similar trials. But his refusal to give up, to bend, to stay down — that is what makes him special.

He was born in struggle, but Born to Rise.