For Padmanee Sharma, an immunologist and oncologist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the American Dream is a lived reality defined by opportunity, education, and a commitment to helping others. Sharma, whose family fled Guyana in 1980, describes her arrival in the United States as the beginning of her pursuit of the dream.
"It feels, to me, like I’ve been living the American Dream from the time we arrived in this country in 1980," Sharma said. Her family's journey was one of displacement, seeking refuge from difficult circumstances in their home country. Upon arriving in the U.S., she witnessed a society where education was accessible to all, regardless of background.
"I came to a country [in America] where men and women went to school, boys and girls went to school, all religious backgrounds went to school — everybody, with any skin color, it didn’t matter — they all went to school and had an education. That, to me, was already the American Dream," she explained.
The pursuit of higher education was initially a challenge for Sharma's family. Her parents worked multiple jobs to afford basic living expenses, highlighting the crucial role of philanthropy in her journey. Sharma received a scholarship to attend Boston University and later pursued an MD-PhD program, which was also supported by philanthropic contributions.
"My parents could not afford to send us to college. When we came to this country, they each worked about three jobs, just to afford for us to live in a very tiny one-bedroom basement apartment. So, philanthropy was a big part of me achieving my American dream," Sharma stated.
Her research into specialized cancers has been supported by philanthropic grants, including early funding from the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Sharma views her professional work as a form of giving back.
"I hope that every time I’m taking care of my patients, I hope that every time I’m making a discovery in my lab, I hope that every time I’m writing a new clinical trial to try and test better treatments to cure cancer — I hope these are all ways that I’m giving back," she said.
Mentoring students and clinical fellows, and instilling values of compassion and societal contribution in her children, are also integral to her understanding of giving back. Sharma's perspective is featured as part of The American Dream Video Project, a collaboration between The Post and the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream. This project, running through July 4, showcases personal narratives about achieving the American Dream in contemporary America and coincides with the celebration of America's 250th anniversary. The Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, a cultural institution in Washington D.C., offers interactive exhibits and stories focused on the American Dream.