PBS American Portrait

-My American Dream... -My American Dream is... -To own a home.

-To become a first-generation college graduate.

-My biggest fear is that I'm gonna go out in my job, and not come home to my kids.

-I know we can both do it.

I believe in both of us.

Today is a big day.

Wish me luck.

-We're just so close to the dream that we have always talked about.

-I was just released from prison.

-I just don't want to go through this again.

-I need to prove I can achieve something greater than somebody with my background is expected to.

-What is the American Dream?

-What's the American Dream?

It depends on who's dreaming.

-That we can be whoever we want to be.

-That everyone in America has the chance to do whatever they like if they work hard enough.

-It's kind of like you pull yourself up by your bootstraps, and make it happen.

-The American Dream.

They call it that because you have to be asleep to believe it.

-It's a myth.

-It's going to be harder for some of us to achieve the American Dream, because systems were put in place.

-It should be available, and open to all.

-To me, the American Dream is being able to dictate my own destiny on my own terms.

-To be able to follow your dreams, no matter what they may be.

-It's personal fulfillment.

-And pursuit of happiness.

-Liberty to pursue our passions.

That's the American Dream, to me.

-Good day, Tower.

It's been a 1-0 uniform.

Holding short to the left.

Ready for takeoff.

-[Indiscernible] Clear for takeoff.

-Climbing like a homesick angel.

Yee-haw!

My name is Gunnar, third-generation Alaskan, Now, I run my own airline.

I want to be my own boss and make my own decisions.

So, the dream for me would be to have an airline anywhere from four to seven airplanes.

I want to deliver needed supplies to miners, commercial fishermen.

I want to connect people and families to different villages.

But what I love most is taking out clients, and just showing them the beauty Alaska has to offer.

I've had people tear up in the airplane, and they're just overcome by the majestic views you get at the last frontier.

[ Indistinct talking ] I feel like so much of my life changed when I had my first son, Grady.

-Hello [indistinct].

It's a really good time.

I'm just starting to get ready for bed.

-I decided to get my commercial pilot's license, and get a job with a well-known Alaska-based airline called "Ravn."

And then, COVID-19 hit, and the whole well-oiled machine just came to a grinding halt.

Grady, do you know what happened to the company that Daddy worked for?

-You quit.

-No.

I actually lost my job.

Give me that hat.

Give me that hat.

I immediately started thinking of other opportunities that I had.

And my buddy Lane, he called me up and said, "Hey, Gunnar.

I know we've joked about starting our own airline, and making this happen, but you're out of a job, so this seems like a good time to do it."

-Making my dream a reality is gonna take everything we have.

I need to fly 30 hours a month to make his investment worth it, to make my time worth what we're doing.

Check this out.

This is pretty cool.

We got our logo that Lane's wife, Mandy, put together.

So, the plane is out of maintenance.

It's gonna be a good plane.

And I'm really excited to make some business with it.

But I don't want to just ever just meet the minimum.

I want to go above and beyond, 'cause I really want to take, you know, December or January off.

December and January are all cold months.

It's 30-below.

It's nasty winds.

-Alright.

Everyone, say "Cheese."

-My biggest fear is that I'm gonna go out in my job, and I'm gonna sacrifice myself, and not come home to my kids.

Here.

-It's so scary.

-Grab my hand.

Come on.

You're good.

Come on.

Quick walk down.

Here we go.

If the business fails, it'll be a lesson.

But if I don't come home to my boys, and they have to grow up without a dad, that's my biggest fear, by far.

-Hello.

My head is, like - I feel like my head is so heavy.

I've been studying non-stop for a test that could truly determine my future, depending on how well I will do.

It feels like everything I've been learning gets kind of mixed up in my head.

I feel a little worried.

My name is Mahsa, and my American Dream is to become a medical doctor -- a neurologist.

[ Speaking in foreign language ] What are you doing?

I'm good.

-I'm cooking khichri.

-My family, we immigrated to the United States two years ago 'cause of security issues that my mom had, 'cause she was working for women's rights in Afghanistan.

My mom, she graduated school very young.

She was accepted to study medicine in a European country, but back in those times, families could not easily let their daughters go to another country, so my mom didn't go.

So, my mom protested, and spoke up against the oppressive acts of those who believed women should not speak up.

She received threats, and she was in danger, and our entire family was.

She decided to seek asylum in the United States, in hopes of giving all of us much better chances of imagining our dreams, and doing everything in our power to achieve them.

So, another reason that I want to become a doctor is that I want to see that smile on my mom's face, because she really wants me to study medical school.

And she's like, "This is your dream and my dream."

Okay.

Currently, I'm a senior in pre-med neuroscience, and I want to get into the NYU.

That's really my dream, to study in medical school there.

That's a fabulous, amazing medical school.

It's my number-one choice.

So, right now, I'm at the very beginning of preparing for the MCAT, which is the standardized examination for prospective medical students.

MCAT is a very difficult test.

A full score on the MCAT is a 528.

So, because I want to apply to the NYU Medical School, I need to have a 520-plus.

Alright.

So, this is the moment.

I'm going to start the exam -- the practice MCAT exam.

The first test that I got is a 488.

It's kind of impossible to get to medical school with that score.

Hoven, how are you?

-Long time.

When is your exam?

-September 28th.

I don't feel ready.

I don't feel ready at all.

-I get that you're worried about it, right?

That if you do this exam, and you don't get a good mark, how will that affect your future?

-That's true.

Or I think, like, maybe I didn't study enough.

You know, that sort of feelings.

The thought that my family will be, like, shocked at my bad score.

It kind of -- You know, it makes me worried.

-Yeah.

That's the thing, right?

Sometimes, in our families, there's a lot of expectations that we're gonna get things right.

You're doing something that's so difficult.

But I know you.

I know that you've got a plan.

I know that you're going to prepare.

I have to really focus on physics.

Getting a 520-plus isn't easy.

So, I have a lot of work to do.

But if I study enough, I can focus on preparing for the MCAT with my whole heart and brain.

-I... don't know what's gonna happen.

I know what needs to happen, but it hurts me to make that decision, because I love him so much, and I don't want to kick him out.

He is changing.

And he's changed a lot.

And I feel like I'm always asking for more.

Love is crazy.

It makes you do crazy things.

-My name is Tyler Moss, and my American Dream would be to just have a normal life where I can provide for my family, provide for myself, give my children and my wife a life that I wasn't able to really have as a kid.

-My name is Breanne Rodriguez and I am Tyler Moss' girlfriend.

The American Dream, to me, is, I want to have two kids.

I want to build our own house.

I want us to continue to grow together, and just to love each other, and live well-off.

It doesn't even have to be super wealthy.

I just really want things just to be simple.

I was born in Dwight, Illinois.

I grew up with both of my brothers and my mom.

My father wasn't around much just for the simple fact that he has a drug addiction.

His drug of choice is heroin, so, it's a pretty tough one.

I met Tyler.

I was a freshman in high school.

He was a sophomore.

Tyler and I were complete opposites.

But then, I found out that he was into drugs.

So, I would write him letters in class telling him that my dad was a heroin addict.

"How do you deal with it?"

I'm so sad, like, I don't have anyone to talk to about it.

My friends never dealt with that.

Like, I just wanted someone to understand me.

And he was that person.

I moved around so much as a kid because of what my mom was into that I never really knew where to call home.

I started getting in trouble with the police when I was 14 years old.

I've always had a problem with authority.

I always had the mentality that no one could tell me what to do, no one can control me.

I was just released from prison in December of 2019.

The crime I went to prison for was for aggravated battery.

I punched someone in the face one time.

They were severely injured.

I learned that a split second can change your entire life.

No way.

[ Breanne shrieks ] -When I was in prison, I still knew I was gonna come home, and do good, and be successful, and do right by the people that stuck by my side, and did right by me -- especially Bre.

And at this point, our main goal together is to be able to buy a house.

So, if I want my American Dream, I have to work my ass off.

What's up, buddy?

I work at a farm.

I take care of the animals, fix any equipment needing fixed.

The biggest job that I got is remodeling this whole, huge horse arena.

If that business works out, and everything goes as planned, this is gonna be a dream job for me, you know, 'cause I don't want to swing a hammer the rest of my life.

-Right now, I am working part-time in a residential treatment center.

In the seventh grade, I knew I wanted to be a substance-abuse counselor.

I'm really passionate about it.

I know that, if it wasn't for my dad and Tyler, I probably wouldn't feel that way.

Why?

Tyler, he is very impulsive.

He gets angry really fast, and he makes dumb decisions.

Because he's on parole, if he were to do anything against the law, and get arrested, it puts a lot at stake -- our relationship, his - just everything.

Well, maybe it's time to have that talk with your boss.

Ooh.

I'm just trying to prepare myself for that.

Because if he goes to prison, like, that's it.

I'm not doing it.

I love him to death, but I love my -- I need to love myself more than I love him, which is, like, really hard for me sometimes, honestly.

So... [ Howls ] [ Dog howls ] -[ Howls ] -[ Howls ] Whoo-hoo!

-I have an amazing woman in my life.

I need to prove to Bre that she can depend on me.

I tried to change everything so that, you know, the same mistakes won't be made, so that I won't get into trouble again.

But this could end up being a huge test.

And if I allow myself to get into the wrong situation, I could jeopardize achieving my American Dream, and a future with Bre.

-Good boy.

-My American Dream is to wake up every day and do something that I love.

And for me, that means starting my own business that will create generational wealth for myself, and for, you know, my family.

-I quit my job.

-With a salary.

-And I committed, instead, to creating my own success.

-I started my own business, and have been doing it ever since.

-Now, that was me being fearless.

Being fearless doesn't mean that you're not scared.

It means that you're scared, and you do it anyway.

-It's about creating a life that you love, where you want to get up every morning, and you're like, "Yeah, I want to do that."

-Entrepreneurs are optimists.

We are builders.

We are creators.

-One of the characteristics I often use to describe myself is someone with a lot of tenacity.

-In order for my business to be successful, I have to be a leader that can roll with the punches.

-They say, "Why do we do this?"

It's simple.

We want to create a better life for our self and our kids.

-It's a lot of work.

It's a ton of work.

But it makes getting up in the morning way easier.

-Okay.

There you go.

Now recording.

-My mom has a really good time working.

She's helping the virus go away.

And my dad is so good at flying.

He makes money for the electricity, and for buying goodies.

And I really don't like the virus.

-What?

Why don't you like the virus?

-'Cause we don't get to visit anyone.

Do you guys know that?

And that is so hard, right, guys?

Right?

-Yeah.

Yeah.

It's very hard.

Because of COVID, travel from the village is pretty much shut down.

Buddy.

I am really getting anxious just to get this business rolling.

the reality, is I need to get at least 30 hours of paid flight time each month between now and the end of November to keep the business out of the red for the rest of this fiscal year, so that I can make enough to take the winter off.

Also, by the time December comes around, the weather in Alaska usually gets really nasty.

Crawl into bed.

From a survival standpoint, always thinking worst-case scenario, if I were to go down with my passengers at 40-below, 50-below, your chance of survival is very, very slim.

Alright.

So, it's going on 10 o'clock.

The kids are in bed.

And now, it's time to get on Facebook, and put some ads out there, to try to generate some business.

Right now, I'm just gonna throw up another picture, and just... you know, that'll just show up on people's news feeds about NorthStar Aero just -- even if they don't need to travel, just let them know that we're still around, and still open for business.

There's a ton of time that I'm putting on Facebook, answering phone calls, you know, giving quotes to different companies that want to use our services, that I don't get paid for.

But obviously, I need to do that in order to, you know, charge people for flight time.

There's just a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into it.

But that's what you do to make dreams happen.

Is Shirley the one still doing the travel for Galena?

-Yes.

-There's just a lot of unknowns right now.

This is the kind of views I get to go... go to bed to every night.

It's great.

It's pretty sweet.

Really hope this business works out, 'cause I don't know what else I would do out here in the village to make a living.

-Hello.

So, I'm on campus today, looking for a study buddy.

There are many challenges that I have to overcome when it comes to getting a 520 or better on the MCAT.

One challenge is the fact that we are not having in-person classes at the moment.

It makes studying much harder.

I just need to keep focusing on increasing my score before I run out of time.

Ta-da.

"Looking for a serious study buddy for MCAT exam.

Only serious inquiries wanted.

This is not a 'study and chill' situation."

Alrighty.

I hope someone sees this announcement.

So, which plot correctly portrays free-blood sinus concentration over time?

Passage one [mumbles].

I chose answer B, which is correct.

B?

No.

C?

Provides [mumbles] Waking up early makes your day longer.

Whenever I look at it, I just suggest have some colors everywhere.

So, I'm actually talking to myself, you know.

What is the most important... Ugh.

Okay.

I have managed to improve my score from a 488 to 499.

But I'm still quite a bit away from my goal of 520 score.

Alright.

So...

I don't want to say I'm hopeless.

I don't want to use that word.

But... Ugh, it has been weeks I've been looking for a study buddy to study MCAT with, but I don't know.

What can I do?

What would you do if you were me?

-First of all, you should not be disappointed.

The best way, I think, is that you provide flashcard for you, and the flashcard will be your best friend at this situation.

But who will do this with me?

Like, who is gonna ask me with the flashcards?

-I will do it.

-Aww.

-I will do it.

-Thank you.

-It's okay.

I will do it.

I love you.

Roham loves you.

-My mom is my biggest inspiration.

And I know I wouldn't be able to do this without my mom's support.

-What is episomes?

-Okay.

Episomes are plasmids that can integrate into the genome of the host.

Right?

Is it correct?

Okay.

It should be correct.

-Okay.

-I'm definitely sure it's A.

-It's A.

Good job.

-Thank you.

[Indistinct] So thank you so much, study buddy.

-It means that flashcards work.

-They work.

They work.

Thank you.

-Crazy hair boy.

So, I applied to a restaurant right down the street.

I always have wanted to work there.

They have such good food.

But I think that, you know, they always had a full staff, so...

But they're hiring right now.

And I got a text... Want me to make you lunch?

-Yes, please.

-Sandwich?

-Yeah, that's fine.

-Okay.

...that says, "Hi, Breanne.

This is Louis' Family Restaurant.

We would like to sit down for an interview today."

It would be so amazing to get this waitressing job.

You know, that way, I can start bringing in some extra cash, and we can start saving it, so Tyler and I can get the house that we always talk about.

And this would move us one step closer to our American Dream.

-Good morning, everybody.

I've reached a very important point in the current construction job that I'm at.

We're about ready to pour concrete in there, now.

We've been dealing -- I've just been dealing with bidders, and stuff.

I drew up blueprints, and everything, yesterday.

So, that's pretty good.

The investor really liked that, when I had everything drawn out, planned out, and measured everything.

I'm hoping the investor might even give me a raise, for all this extra work I've been doing.

If Bre gets a second job, we'll be at a point where we can save, and build up a cushion for ourselves.

-So, the time right now is probably... Let me look.

9:01.

I went in there maybe, like, five minutes ago, and I literally just got hired right on the spot.

It was so easy.

They didn't even ask me anything Oh, I'm so excited.

I freaking love this place.

Oh, yay!

I can start to make my own money.

Tyler's gonna be so happy.

Oh, God.

Oh, I'm so excited to tell him.

I think I'm gonna prank him, for fun.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-Hi.

-So, I don't think that really went that well.

-Why?

-I don't know.

They just, like, didn't seem that interested.

I don't know.

-Did you go about it wrong?

Or what was the issue?

-I'm just playing.

I'm hired.

-Wow.

-So fast.

They didn't even ask me anything.

-That's awesome, babe.

Good job.

-Thanks.

Anyway, okay, have a good day at work.

Love you.

Just wanted to tell you that.

-Alright.

Okay.

Awesome.

Love you, babe.

-I love you.

Bye.

-Bye.

-Hi.

I'm Natasha.

I'm 39 years old.

I'm a chef.

And I'm an immigrant.

I came to America with my parents.

About 30 years later, their kids were able to buy their own homes.

Being a new homeowner is an amazing sense of pride and joy.

So, thank you, Mama and Papa.

And thank you for my American Dream, too.

-One of my dreams is to own a home.

-We just bought our first place.

-I've decided to reinvest in my city, and buy this house.

-It's not much, but it's ours.

-Becoming homeowners, for us, was really important.

-As a homeowner, I'm living the American Dream.

-A home, a family, a meaningful career, -And a successful husband, some kids, and of course, a dog.

-I've always dreamt of getting married -- not the church bells, not the big cake... but the idea of finding someone that... that's meant to be with you.

-I always dreamed, when I was in high school and middle school, to meet the man of my dreams, and to be able to, one day, hopefully, be married.

-My American Dream is to have kids.

-To be a mom.

-This is kind of the stereotypical American Dream -- a house, two kids, and a dog.

It's the opportunity to have what you want.

This is exactly what I always wanted.

-Pretty excited.

I got a new client online.

How's it going?

Are you Hayden?

Hi.

Are you Hayden?

-Yeah.

-Alright.

I'm Gunnar, your pilot.

So, today, I get to go to the Emmonak and Stebbins, and bring kids -- well, high schoolers -- to Galena, to a boarding school.

How do you guys feel about the flight?

-Good.

-Good to go?

-Yes.

-Alright.

Sweet.

Business is rolling in, and I'm excited.

I'm getting calls.

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

Alright.

So, what are we doing today?

-We're heading to Stebbins, to go for a domestic violence investigation that's happening in progress this morning.

-The troopers is good business.

They need our help quite a bit.

Alaska's got a lot of unique flying situations.

And I'm always available.

I've always got my phone.

And today's Sunday, and no one else is open.

Are you nervous at all?

-Uh-huh.

-Yeah.

What are you nervous about?

The plane is super small.

I won't go crazy.

That's my job.

I'm supposed to be a smooth operator.

I'm hoping, like, the 22nd you are able to do your -- I don't know, though.

You might be able to do it on a weekend.

-I need 30 hours a month of flight time in order to make this business work.

So far, I've met that, which is really encouraging.

Where are you guys going today?

-We are going to Fairbanks.

-Right on.

Last month, I was, like, 33, 34.

So, I'm barely making it.

But with all the travel restrictions, and I'm still able to make the minimum, I'm pretty encouraged by that.

Do you guys want to look for some bears?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

Alright.

The dream is happening.

This is cool.

I'm pretty stoked.

-Hello.

So, you saw how desperately I was looking for a study buddy to study for the MCAT.

I just found the solution to this.

Hey, Kiley.

How are you?

-Hey, Mahsa.

Thanks for getting on.

-It's so good to see you.

You don't know how desperately I was looking for a study buddy.

-Yeah.

It was very serendipitous, you know.

-Yeah.

Definitely.

Yeah.

So, tell me about yourself.

-I majored in microbiology and physiology.

-Wow.

-So yeah, chemistry, physics, math, biochemistry, I'd say are my, like... -So, for me, the weak one is physics.

So, I'm glad that you're good at physics.

-My name is Kiley.

I am 24 years old.

And my dream is to study in a MD/PhD program at Anschutz University in Denver, Colorado.

I've got to really nail the MCAT, 'cause it's a really competitive program.

And that's actually how me and Mahsa got introduced.

I know we can both do it.

We can do it.

Yeah.

I believe in both of us.

Aww.

Thanks.

-Alright.

Today, I have started to officially count my, you know, remaining dates until the MCAT.

I have 43 days left.

REIT is good to remember.

Functional residual capacity.

-Can you say -- Can you repeat that?

-Yeah.

Sure.

-This has been working out flawlessly.

She and I have been meeting almost every single Wednesday.

It's going to be the alanine, and then, the phenyl group is added, too.

Studying with my study partner, Kiley, helped me to increase my score from 499 to 503.

Take care.

-See you.

My test is very, very close.

[ Engine rumbling ] [ Engine shuts off ] -So, I've had a rough couple days.

Me and Bre aren't... [ Door slides open ] ...on the best terms right now.

I've been staying at the farm for a couple days.

So... [ Sighs ] ...the other day, I got into a little bit of trouble.

I wasn't looking for any trouble.

Driving with my coworker, going to do some stuff -- still at work -- and, long story short, a guy on a motorcycle blocked us in our parking spot, and, you know, I told him repeatedly to move, and he -- you know, he wouldn't respond, and he was ignoring me.

And I got out of the car, and I walked up to him and told him, you know, like, "Yo, if you don't move, I'm gonna move you," and he just looked at me.

He didn't say nothing.

So, you know, I lost it for a split second and pushed him, and within an hour, I was in handcuffs.

I still haven't gotten to talk to my parole officer yet.

I did message him immediately.

I thought I was gonna be going back to prison after that, for pushing somebody.

But it's looking like I'm not going to be.

With the COVID stuff going on right now, they're not violating people on parole.

All I ever wanted to do when I got home from prison was be able to give Bre the life she deserved, away from stress and the worries that we both had to go through as children.

-[ Voice breaking ] I don't know.

I don't know what I'm supposed to do.

I know what I'm supposed to do, it's just hard.

[ Sighs ] I just don't wanna go through this again.

I don't understand how this can keep happening.

[ Sighs ] I don't know.

-When I think of the American Dream, I think about the story of my parents, of our family.

I remember my mother telling me about how much hope she felt when she found out that we were coming to America.

It meant a new beginning -- a beginning with freedom, opportunities, and a chance -- a chance at a better life.

-We're originally from Panama.

-We used to live in Poland.

-As a little girl growing up in India, it was my dream to attend one of the best medical schools in the world.

-I was 5 years old, and my parents decided to bring me and my siblings to United States.

-I came to this country in 1949 as a Holocaust survivor.

-As a refugee at the age of 15 to escape communism.

-To pursue my childhood dream of becoming a doctor.

-To give my mom and I a better life.

-To chase what we call the American Dream.

-I'd never been here before.

-I had no family in the United States.

-No one looked like me, nor spoke like me.

-I was alone.

I was scared.

-Me and my wife have to sacrifice by working so hard.

-Hard work, physical work, in dire conditions along with facing discrimination because they didn't speak English.

-It was hard.

It's difficult.

-At any given time, I can be deported back to my home country.

-That's how strict the law is.

-We couldn't even go to see -- to my parents' funeral because we couldn't know if we would be able to come back into the States.

-There were a lot of sacrifices.

There were a lot of tears.

There were a lot of hardships along the way.

-But we made it through.

-I just celebrated my 10th year living in the United States.

-Today, I'm a proud citizen of the United States of America.

-I'm thankful to my parents and for the sacrifices that they made.

-It's immigrants like my father who inspire me to be the best American I can be.

-To repay all of the sacrifices that my parents made.

-I work hard every day to continue the fight that he started when he took that leap, quite literally, halfway across the world to start a dream.

-Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are not empty or hollow ideals to me.

-I'm very happy because now I gonna be part of this country because that's the American Dream.

-Hello.

Today is September 26th.

It means that the day after tomorrow will be my MCAT exam, inshallah.

Today, I received a gift from a friend who wished me luck.

Look at this.

A neuron necklace.

[ Chuckles ] It's so, so wonderful.

So I'm gonna wear this.

You know, feel that -- feel that strength, magical strength.

-I just wanna reiterate, like, you're gonna do just fine.

Like, you're just such an innately intelligent human.

Like, you have -- -Thank you.

-I have no doubt whatsoever that there's anything that you can't accomplish.

-Oh, my God.

Thank you so much.

That was so much encouraging.

I think of you like you are better -- -Hey, Mahsa.

-Oh, my God.

-I made hot tea for you.

-Oh, my God.

-To get extra energy.

-Thank you so much.

-I'm proud of you, my baby.

-Thank you.

-I'm proud of you.

-Thank you.

Oh, my God.

My mom is so kind and lovely, and I really hope I make her proud.

Hi, everyone.

So, today is a big day, and I'm going to take my MCAT test, which will start at 6:30 a.m. You have to be there at least 30 minutes before the exam.

Wish me luck.

-In school, I learned a lot about self-care and working through the problems you have.

The self-care that I did to deal with everything with my dad, I was a runner.

I ran.

Anytime I was feeling, like, upset or anything, I would just go and run.

I love Tyler.

We've spent a very long time together.

There's a million reasons why I love him.

It's very hard for me to put into words.

I've tried to do it many times.

Ever since this happened, like, he's come home every day.

He told me he's gonna only work from 8:00 to 4:00.

Anytime, like, he's upset, he, like, talks to me calmly and, like, we talk about whatever is making each other upset.

[ Indistinct conversation ] I truly feel like we're on the path to a stable life we're both looking for.

Hey.

[ Speaking indistinctly ] Come on.

And we're just so close to the dream that we have always talked about.

And I just don't wanna give up yet.

-Somebody is a little tired.

[ Chuckles ] It's not -- The day's not even halfway over yet.

-It's over for him.

-It's over for him.

He says, "I'm done."

-He's like... -He just keeps lying down.

You got it?

Get you a woman that can do it all.

I'm just blessed to be in a position to be able to see the error in my ways.

And I'm just gonna keep trying my best to show Bre that -- that my priority is our future together.

Hello.

Just giving a little update on the progress we had.

You see the concrete's in.

I got a $2 raise because of everything getting done and the investor's really happy with me, so much so that he invited me on his boat this weekend.

[ Wind rushing ] -[ Speaking indistinctly ] -Storming earlier today, but we got some beautiful weather now.

It's awesome.

It'd be nice to get up to the city and see some old friends and reward myself a little bit for all this hard work.

[ Water splashes ] Today, my American Dream... -Right here.

It's on, baby.

-...is to go play some football with the boys.

Gonna go hit the beach, get some swimming in.

It'll be beautiful.

[ Laughs ] -Not sure if I should even be recording this because I'm pretty sure Tyler and I are done.

He just called me.

He got a DUI driving my car.

He stayed the night at his friend's house.

He was supposed to.

They were drinking.

I told him not to be driving at all, especially not in my car.

And he got pulled over for speeding, going 75 in a 30, and got a DUI.

I can't deal with this mentally.

I can't.

I've been doing it for too long.

Since -- I don't even know -- freshman year high school, he's been in and out of jail.

And it's just like I'm so numb to it.

It's like almost humorous that, like, this is even -- it's, like -- it's pathetic.

I'm sick of it.

This isn't the life that I want.

I know I deserve better and he's trying his best to be that person, but, in all honesty, it's still coming down to this.

And I am 22 and will be 23 in January, and this is little kid games.

I don't wanna play these anymore.

There's not much else to say.

I'm home.

I'm gonna go to bed.

I'm gonna wait.

I can't get my car until 3:00 in the afternoon tomorrow because it's 3:00 a.m.

I have to work at 7: 00 a.m. Um.

[ Clicks tongue ] It's time to end this chapter because I can't keep doing it, so... -The American Dream is something that is unattainable for so many people.

-There are a lot of barriers put in the way of homegrown, as well as immigrants, that makes it pretty tough to attain that American Dream.

-There's injustice, there's prejudice, there's racism, sexism.

-I have faith -- in discrimination.

-I fear being discriminated against and discharged from a career that I love.

-I constantly have to think if someone's going to have a bias, going to discriminate against me.

-It was so bad, we had to move.

-We did.

And we lost everything.

-American Dream is to have a job to earn money.

People with disabilities also have the right to work and become independent.

-I can't really say that the American Dream is truly meant for me because, to me, and I do believe to most Black Americans, the American Dream is being able to have equality, identity, opportunity, dignity, and success.

-As a Black woman, the odds have been against me throughout my entire life.

And now that I've been blessed to receive a higher education, I'm going to do everything in my power to give back to my community, while one day hopefully wearing this doctor's coat.

[ Chuckles ] But these are the things that really just keep me going.

-So, I am on my way to bring Tyler all of his things.

It was definitely emotional, like, packing all this stuff up because I just really had no idea that I would be packing up his stuff without my own and he would be going somewhere.

[ Sighs ] It's really sad.

I am ready to, you know, be in a long-term relationship, start a family within the next five years, like, have a house with somebody.

I know that that American Dream won't include Tyler, which is really hard for me to say.

But you know what?

I think -- I know that I tried my absolute best to be that support, to be there for him, to love him as much as I could.

I've done absolutely everything, which makes me feel okay with walking away and ending the relationship.

-What's up, buddy?

What's up, buddy?

How you doing?

Well, it's -- it's been a rough week, to say the least.

She knows I'm not the same person I used to be, but those glimpses, you know, and things happened like the DUI, that, plain and simple, is the result of my own choices.

Forgiveness is a big part of a relationship, but, you know, everybody has their limits, and sometimes it's easier for somebody to just fall back and remove themself from the situation to help them understand what they want in life.

I think that coming right home from prison and trying to get into a relationship was not the move.

We tried to make something happen when I didn't even know who I was in the free world.

I knew who I was in a jail cell while sober.

But, in all honesty, I didn't know who I was out in the world sober.

Here we go.

So, for me now, the dream has changed.

My dream now is to focus on success, focus on building up for my future.

I'm using this time.

I'm gonna start as many businesses as I can.

But now I can dedicate my entire being to it.

But, you know, I still have the utmost love for Bre.

She does for me, as well.

It's not ending on bitter terms by no means.

It's just hard.

-I have a lot of positive things going on.

I love both of my jobs.

I actually have a source of income, which is nice.

And so, you know what?

This feels like the beginning rather than an end for me.

I think it's my turn, and it's my time to, you know, live my life, live my American Dream, because for so long I was making a dream that really wasn't a thing.

People are gonna come into your life, teach you lessons, and leave.

I know he's gonna do really, really great things.

But in the meantime, I'm gonna be living my American Dream.

-Well, as you can see behind me, fall weather [Chuckling] has shown up.

Unalakleet's completely fogged in, so even if I get called in for a flight, there's absolutely no way I'm gonna be able to make that happen.

The busy flying season is coming to an end, unfortunately.

[ Line rings ] -Hello?

-Hey, Lane, it's Gunnar.

How you doing?

-Good.

-I wanted to catch up and see how we're doing, see how our season went, and kind of looking forward into the winter months.

How do you feel about, you know, the end of December and January, those really cold time here on the West Coast of me being able to take some time off with the family?

Awesome.

[ Laughs ] Yeah.

[ Laughs ] -[ Squeals ] -We're all gonna go in... [ Shouts indistinctly ] Yeah.

-This was a tough year, but we made it, and we made a lot of connections.

And you know what?

We served the community.

Everyone was really happy.

And if I can make it during these crazy times with COVID, I think I'm gonna do really well on a normal year.

You wanna help me?

-Yeah.

-Come here.

It's been amazing, and I really hope to pass it on to my kids.

I wanna look at my boys and tell them, "I had a dream.

I wanted to do my own airline, be my own boss, and I made that happen.

It took a lot of hard work, and I didn't do it by myself.

I had people behind me, encouraging me.

And in the end, I had all the more reason to get up in the morning and do what I do because I met you.

Because you came into my world, and you gave me that hope and that courage to go after it."

So, this is -- this is the dream.

I'm living it right now.

It's pretty great.

-Okay... -[ Speaking foreign language ] -All right, so I'm going to check my MCAT score.

[ Speaking foreign language ] Ah.

I don't wanna look at it.

[ All speaking foreign language ] [ Speaking indistinctly ] ...exam...scores.

Should I click on it?

-[ Speaking indistinctly ] -[ Laughs ] Okay, just relax.

Yeah, I mean...whatever.

Let me see.

I don't know.

Ah.

I got 487.

[ Child shouts indistinctly in distance ] -Wow.

-It's okay.

-I like it.

-I know it's not your targeted score, but... -It's lower than my first diagnostic test, which was 488.

-Oh, oh.

-Ah, this time maybe I'll even put a higher target, like, for this score, but, yeah, I'm happy I... -I know.

-Yeah, definitely.

-I'm not sad.

-You should be happy.

-I'm not sad.

-You should be happy.

-[ Laughs ] -I know, I know.

-Okay.

-The next time, you'll pass.

-Yeah.

I have to admit, these 12 weeks has been exhausting.

It was challenging, but I can learn from the exam and retake it again.

I know I might have a long journey ahead of me, but when it gets tough, I will imagine that beautiful smile on my mom's face when I show her my first white coat with "Dr. Mahsa, Neurologist" embroidered on it.

And that is what motivates me to continue to put every ounce of my heart and soul into making my American Dream come true.

- Da-da-da, da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da - Hm, hm, hm - Da-da-da-da-da - Ah-ah-ah - Hm, hm, hm - Oooh - Da-da-da-da-da - Oooh - Ah-ah-ah - Oh, ahhhh