Earlier this week, I needed a ride to the canal. It was getting late and it would soon be dark. Being a young woman, it didn't seem safe to walk alone. After much debate, I decided to take an Uber to my desired location. Having only used the app once, I was extremely nervous.
Within five minutes, I received a call from my Uber driver. As I ran down the flights of stairs from my apartment, I couldn't understand what he was saying. I kept thinking, "Oh great, the driver is going to leave because I lost signal." Thankfully, when I got outside of my building, a black KIA was parked out front. The driver rolled down the window and asked if I happened to be Miss Morgan. When I sat down, the driver looked at me and said, "Good afternoon, Miss Morgan. My name is Akoy. Are you all ready to go?" I couldn't believe that this man, my random Uber driver, was so polite. It was as if I had stepped into a rich person's limousine.
Akoy and I talked about so many things during our little drive. He told me about his experience learning the English language and how we like to stretch out our words when we speak. He laughed at my pronunciation of his name, no matter how many times he tried to teach me to say it. Akoy told me about his dream to one day become a nurse and how he wanted to make his family proud. He told me that he would work for this dream, no matter what it took.
In a matter of ten minutes, Akoy opened my eyes to so much. He is constantly working for his dream, no matter if he stays awake studying or earning money to pay for his tuition. He isn't taking no for an answer and he is breaking any stigma that he can about male nurses and where he comes from. Akoy might only be an Uber driver now; but one day, Akoy is going to save a life.
