Hi, I’m Chloe Haberman, and I am currently a senior in high school. On June 19, 2017, my life was completely changed forever due to my mom tragically dying. I remember being worried about not remembering the day my mom had passed away for some reason. Maybe it was because as a twelve year old, feeling as if I didn’t get enough time on Earth with my mom, I never wanted to forget the time I did have with her. The truth is, this is the one date I can say for a fact I will never forget because of how much my life had changed in what seemed to be a quick second. After my parents had gotten a divorce when I was two, my mom was in and out of different relationships with different men. Most of which abused her physically and emotionally in front of me and my siblings. My mom’s third and last marriage was always up and down with her husband being abusive toward her and my little brother. One weekend my siblings and I went to my grandparents house in Arizona and little did I know saying goodbye to my mom before we left was going to be the last time I ever saw her. Her husband had killed her that weekend and then killed himself.
I suddenly had to go live with my dad full-time which caused more financial stress onto him because he was bringing in the only income in the house. Due to my mom not having any life insurance,I didn’t get the better end of the stick when it came to setting up funds for my future college financial needs. Maybe if my mom did have life insurance, I wouldn’t be in the same situation I am in now, but life isn’t about the “maybe”. Since my mom was a single-mom and working minimum wage jobs, there wasn’t much money left behind after her passing to help my siblings and I out when it came to future expenses. I continued to try my hardest in school to get the best grades I could, obtaining a 4.0 gpa and working part-time to help put money aside for my college needs, but without scholarships, a four year would not even be a consideration for me. In the time that I’ve had since my mom has passed, I’ve really developed the mindset that despite the terrible things that happen, you can’t give up your dreams and ambitions. If I were to stop trying my best in the things that I do, my life would be no more than just the bad things that have happened to me, and I refuse to let my trauma define me.
I want to mention that my mom’s name was Jamie because as I tell the story of her sudden death and all the bad things that had happened, I still want everyone to know that she was an amazing woman and the most loving mom that was only looking for someone to love her. This scholarship would help me tremendously to get through college in which I would hope to continue to make my mom proud while being able to achieve my goals of being a nurse and helping the people that need it.