My father emigrated from Lithuania to the United States at the

In the words of Gertrude B. Elion, a daughter of immigrants and a pioneer of science, we hear not merely the tale of her parents but the song of countless journeys across the sea. When she tells us, “My father emigrated from Lithuania to the United States at the age of 12… My mother came at the age of 14 from a part of Russia…”, she does not speak only of two lives. She speaks of courage, of sacrifice, and of the ancient human longing to seek a better dawn in a distant land. In her story, the footsteps of her parents become the footsteps of millions who carried little more than hope, yet forged futures that would ripple across generations.

The father, a boy of 12 from Lithuania, cast upon the shores of a new world, dared to dream of learning. In New York City, he took up the arduous path of study, until at last, in 1914, he emerged as a graduate of the New York University School of Dentistry. This is no small tale. It is the triumph of the humble over the impossible, a reminder that the seed of opportunity grows only in the soil watered by toil. His life tells us that to cross oceans is one act of courage, but to rise through knowledge is the greater victory.

The mother, a girl of 14 from Russia, later from a land that became Poland, entered this world of struggle with equal bravery. She was but a child, uprooted from her home, yet by the age of 19, she was already a wife, a partner in building a family’s future. Here lies a lesson in resilience: though the burdens of youth pressed heavily upon her shoulders, she bore them with quiet strength. In her life, we see the unspoken heroism of countless women, who in silence and sacrifice, laid the foundation of generations yet unborn.

This story of two souls uniting on foreign soil calls to mind the tale of the Pilgrims who journeyed on the Mayflower, leaving behind the old world in search of freedom. Like Gertrude’s parents, they faced hardship, poverty, and uncertainty, but from their endurance sprang a legacy that shaped nations. Such is the pattern of history: those who endure exile and uprooting plant the trees whose shade their children shall rest under, and whose fruits the world shall taste.

Gertrude herself, nourished by the sacrifices of these immigrant parents, would become a giant in medicine, a Nobel laureate whose discoveries saved lives across the earth. The fire that burned within her was not lit by chance—it was the inheritance of endurance, of courage, of unyielding pursuit of knowledge. Her words remind us that behind every great figure lies the silent saga of those who crossed borders, who endured hardship, who laid the path with sweat and tears.

The lesson here, my child, is that sacrifice births greatness. If you descend from immigrants, honor their courage; if you are an immigrant, know that your struggle is a torch for your children. Do not despise humble beginnings, for they are the roots of mighty legacies. Like Gertrude’s father, pursue knowledge as your shield, and like her mother, carry strength within silence.

In your own life, remember these actions: honor the journeys of your ancestors, whether by telling their stories or by living with dignity; embrace hardship as the forge of strength; and above all, seek knowledge, for it is the golden crown no one may take from you. When trials come, recall the 12-year-old boy with nothing but hope, recall the 14-year-old girl with nothing but courage, and know that within you runs the same blood.

Thus, when we hear Gertrude B. Elion speak of her parents, we are not hearing a family anecdote—we are beholding an ancient truth: that every generation stands upon the shoulders of those before. And the wisest way to honor them is not with tears, but with the building of lives worthy of their sacrifice.