my dad's pakistani degrees meant nothing here so he flipped burgers at jack in the box and sold clothes at the jcpenney's men's department to put roof over our heads. in the meantime my mother put the value of prayer, and honest and integrity in our heads. after 2 1/2 years my dad became a respected engineer at general motors. hard work and sacrifice, that's what my parents taught me and they learned from it their parents who lost everything as refugees. so believe me when i say, there isn't a day that goes by that i don't think about how a little brown girl from a third world country who grew up in a very poor down in indiana is now somehow sitting here in new york city living her wildest dreams, with my best friends, if you have drive, if you have