Fall 2025 Winners of The Crowder Law Firm Scholarship

Caitlin Hyers

Caitlin strongly believes that an essential part of the American Dream is taking the time to help others meet their needs and goals. This belief was shaped by the example of her grandparents, who immigrated to the United States and built a life through hard work and perseverance. Congratulations, Caitlin!

Read her essay:

Born in Ireland in the era of World War II, my grandparents were no strangers to tragedy, but they had a determined nature and would not let adversity hold them back. My grandparents shared stories of walking barefoot to school, milking cows, plucking chickens, picking potatoes, gathering blackberries, staying up all night when the pigs gave birth, and bottle feeding the third lamb of the ewe that always had triplets. They told stories of walking to school barefoot in the warmer months and not being able to go to school until the free government shoes arrived for the winter. They had no electricity or running water in their early years. I heard stories of the one room schoolhouses they attended, the uncomfortable hand me down bicycles they rode into town, and the worn-out secondhand clothes they wore.

Their stories were the kind of stories of which old novels were made. My grandfather was born in Cork City, the eldest of four boys. One died as an infant, and the other had his foot run over by a horse and carriage and died from the accident. On the day of his first Communion, he visited his dying mother and recalled her asking his aunt to raise him and his brother Cork village after her death. My grandfather was orphaned by age 8 after losing both parents to tuberculosis. My grandmother’s family endured their own tragedies in their country home in County Cork. Her twelve-year-old sister died from complications from appendicitis at age 12, and her father died when my grandmother was 13. Her mother was left a widow who struggled to make ends meet for her four surviving children.

My grandparents lived through much adversity. After they married, they lived from paycheck to paycheck and realized that their only hope to advance was to move to America and pursue the American dream. They applied for green cards, and my grandfather had to prove that he had a useful trade to be eligible. He was a diesel mechanic, and since there was a demand for that career, they were granted green cards. They set off with nothing more than their suitcases and the clothes on their back to start a new life in America. When my grandparents arrived in New York, they moved into a one-room apartment in Queens. My grandfather started his job search by riding the subway until he found work. It took him three weeks to find a job. My grandfather had the mindset of an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. Hard work never scared him. He was determined to make a better life for himself, his wife, and his future family. Within a few years, my mother was born. Years later they were able to buy their own house. My grandfather took great pride in being a homeowner.

My grandparents came to America in search of the American dream, the idea that everyone has the freedom and opportunity for a better life. The American dream is not only a dream for the immigrants to improve their own lives but to improve the lives of generations to come. My grandparents’ decision to move to America led to my mother being the first one to have a college education in the family. She went on to earn both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in education. Now I am pursuing a doctorate degree in Pharmacy. My only regret is that they did not live long enough to see my acceptance into the doctoral Pharm.D. program at St. John’s University. They would have been so proud.

My grandparents’ story has influenced me to be an active volunteer in my community to help the less fortunate. I believe that as an American, I need to not only pursue my dreams but also to help others in pursuing their dreams. I think of all my grandparents endured in their pursuit of the American dream, and I value the importance of helping others who are struggling. I volunteer for my church as a chef for the homeless where I prepare five homecooked dinners at a time. I serve as a faith formation assistant and a vacation bible camp leader to serve as a positive role model for the children while developing their faith. For my library, I serve as a book and movie reviewer to serve as a library resource. In doing so, I promote an interest in literacy and help others to make the right choice in books and movies. I participate in the library’s community drives. The donation drives collect diapers, winter gear, school supplies, toiletry items, and pet food and toys for animal shelters. I take pride in seeing the vast number of items donated to these wonderful causes.

In conclusion, I have great appreciation for the decision of my grandparents to pursue the American dream. From my grandparents, I have learned the value of being an overcomer. I have learned that we cannot let the adversities of life hold us back. Instead, our struggles need to encourage us to work even harder to achieve our dreams. I understand the importance of thinking beyond ourselves. In doing so, I realize each of us have a lot to offer the world around us. Our decisions to pursue our dreams will not only affect us but will affect the generations to come. For this reason, I am proud of my grandparents. The pursuit of the American dream is the story of the American success story where hard work and determination pay off. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the American dream as “the ideal that every citizen of the United States should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative”. This definition captures my grandparents’ life story and the subsequent stories of success of the generations to come after them. For this, I am forever thankful to my grandparents and to the United States for being the land of opportunity.