As a senior in high school, most of my peers were celebrating the conclusion to the most memorable chapter of their lives as we were about to say goodbye. I, on the other hand, was broken mourning the loss of my father.

The months leading up to the untimely death of my father on September 30, 2018 was filled with many hospital visits, financial setbacks, and changes of family dynamics. My father was diagnosed with lung cancer and fought for over three long years. Unfortunately my parents had left me and my siblings out of the loop of my father’s health condition until six months prior to his death, since they did not want to burden us with the hardships they were dealing with and to leave us to be kids. It was not long after my parents finally told us that he had cancer, he would have to be fully supported by an oxygen tank. I could see life leaving my father’s body before my eyes. Long days would pass of my father being at the hospital struggling with chemo treatments and visits– medical bills piling up on the kitchen counter. My mother had to work three jobs to support our family from our loss to go towards the mortgage and medical bills, working overnight shifts as well. After his passing, I stepped up into a role in the household to help relieve the financial and emotional burden. This meant my role would be to pay bills, buy groceries, cook, clean, help my younger sister who has autism, and work– forcing the thought of higher education out of my mind. By the change in my family dynamic, I was forced into growth, vulnerability, and self-reflection.

Sadly, education was very hard for me to focus on as I was angry, depressed, and had familial priorities. If he had adequate life insurance my mother could have been more involved in my life and I could have fully focused on college applications and pursue higher education as my peers would without the burden of finances. Yet, I attended community college due to family dependency and the inability to afford college.

Five years later, I am now attending the number one public university in the United States pursuing a degree in Political Science and Public Policy, still working and giving back to my family as much as possible– and dealing with financial burdens of my own in college. With my degree I plan to give back to underrepresented and funded communities through policy changing in regards to Human Rights and Democracy, Immigration, and Education. Although one cannot fully heal from the death of a loved one, I have come a long way. By forcing myself into new chapters, I was motivated and learned responsibility, adaptability, and resilience. From that experience, I’ve pushed myself out of places I didn’t think were possible. I know my father would be so proud of who I am today…

I love you always Dad!

My dad was an alcoholic and a heavy smoker. What little money my family had would be spent on this addiction. In 2020, my dad died after months of suffering. This period was difficult, not only emotionally but financially. My parents came to the United States from Mexico with nothing. They had to navigate through a foreign land where they were lost. However, with the birth of my siblings and myself, they had to pave the way. This wasn’t easy, considering the cultures in Mexico and the USA are entirely different. Consequently, my parents knew nothing about life insurance and never got life insurance. With my father’s passing, we had to pay for everything, which was expensive. This was a problem as my mom had stopped working to care for my dad, and all the money we had saved was spent on making his final months comfortable- we had no money to fall back on. I believe that if we had life insurance, our financial situation would’ve been very different. I don’t think we would’ve struggled to find a place to live or cover my dad’s funeral expenses if we had a security net in the form of life insurance. Although still difficult, our situation wouldn’t have been as hopeless as I saw it. 

However, there was still an issue—my future. Attending college had always been a dream of mine, but now, with no savings or aid, it was infeasible. For a while, I had concluded that I shouldn’t go to college as it would be inconvenient for my widowed mom, who struggled to get by with rent, groceries, and other living costs. After some self-reflection, I realized my dad was a huge motivator for me. So with his death, I was discouraged, but I was not without courage. Finding a job became my priority. I wanted to work and make my own money to help my mom pay the bills when she was struggling to assist my brother at college and care for my autistic brother. Although a huge time commitment, my weekdays start at 6 am and end at 6 pm, it’s worth it. I’m more than happy to sacrifice some of my free time to help my mom especially when she’s done so much for me.

As a first-generation college student, I want to show my mom and late dad that all the work they put into coming to America wasn’t for nothing and that all the sacrifices they took to raise my siblings and I meant something to me. My dream is to create safe housing and accessible transportation in underdeveloped countries. I want to create a better and safer world that benefits all people, not just those who can afford it. So majoring and working in civil engineering is my first pursuit towards that ideation. With the help of this scholarship, I hope to achieve these goals and much more. However, the reality is that I have no other door to open without financial aid.