2024Pencils

For most immigrants searching for a better life, America serves as a beacon of hope. Drawing admiration and reverence worldwide for the opportunities and greatness it represents, the American flag flies highest above all. Born in Iraq of Armenian heritage, my family and I fled our country's revolution and arrived in America when I was 11 years old. Now, at 57 years old, I still find myself reciting the Pledge of Allegiance every morning like a soothing psalm, eternally grateful that my feet are resting on American soil. My life, however, changed dramatically on July 13, 2024, when I witnessed the attempted assassination of our former president, Donald Trump, for whom God shed his grace and saved on that fateful day.