The sun will rise over Moldova It's 5:30 in the morning and I still feel like I'm dreaming. The officer asks for my passport, I give it to him and look back. My mother, her face wet with tears, says something, but the words don't reach me. I need to move on, but I know this is an extremely important time in my life. Someone next to me tells an anecdote; everyone laughed, but I felt deep in thought. My flight to New York is less than 30 minutes away. Moldova is a small developing country in south-central Europe. Its economy is in transition from a command economy to a market economy, and the life of society is directly associated with fluctuations in financial needs. People are struggling. Sometimes there is no heating in winter or the salary is not paid on time. Energy resources are limited, so it is common to not have electricity at certain times or gas for cooking. It's strange that people think somewhere is better, and movies and TV shows about the United States seem like a distant and impossible reality. I dreamed of it. In this environment, a few years ago, a few foundations were created in Moldova and offer a free cultural exchange for high school students. Their goal is to teach young people a better living system, which can also be implemented in Moldova. The land of freedom, democracy and economic wealth was no longer so far away. I was one of those who wanted to discover the new continent and I knew that all the effort would be worth it. I pushed myself to be better, got involved in many activities and started studying English intensively, because I knew it would not be easy to achieve this goal. Every year, thousands of students enter the competition, but only 20 or 30 receive funding. In 1996, I entered the competition overseen by the FSA (Freedom Support Act) and founded by the Congress of the United States of America. After 6 months of tests, writing and intense emotions, I did not win the competition. I was disappointed and ready to quit, but I didn't. It wasn't over yet. The following year, my name appeared on the list of candidates again. I applied for two scholarships, the FSA and the Soros Foundation.