Michael Ttappous

Deferred: My Extraordinary Journey to New York University Abu Dhabi Michael Ttappous

Publisher Marketing: The only thing Michael Ttappous seemed to care about throughout his teenage years was his academics-a funny fact considering he had absolutely no hope of going to university after high school. Nearing graduation and rapidly beginning to feel the merciless weight of reality, Michael's concerns for the future become amplified as he realizes that the country he calls home, Cyprus, offers few alternatives for his big dreams. With no plans and no prospects, he's left with no pathways to success. Not all is lost, however. Through the guidance (and Internet prowess) of a close friend, the solution to the negative thoughts and to the lack of opportunity becomes clear: Studying abroad. Making it to a university in another country would introduce him to a world of new possibilities. But, how can this be achieved with no funds and with financial troubles at home? This dilemma brings Michael full circle as his academics transform into the building blocks of international scholarship applications. With a fresh, exciting strategy and with a little bit of help, Michael's focus is progressively stolen by New York University Abu Dhabi-a place flooding with potential and offering generous financial aid support. As the dream of reaching a place like this starts to become real, is there anything that can really get in the way? In Cyprus, there is. After a shocking and heartwrenching fight for a passport from his birthplace of South Africa, Michael's ignorance about his immigration status-in a country that systematically conscripts teenage boys-is dangled in front of him like a carrot attached to a stick... With a huge gap of knowledge about his citizenship status that "must" be filled, Michael's true journey out of Cyprus (and to bigger and better things) begins with understanding whether or not he will be forcibly conscripted "for an unknown period of time." As he goes down an unending tunnel of questions and darkness, all while trying to keep the vision of New York University Abu Dhabi alive, the blindness slowly fades to reveal a world that he no longer recognizes, and one that he no longer wants to. Deferred is a memoir that asks the question: 'Is the "right" decision always the one worth making?' Sometimes, that answer depends on someone else.