Debra Victoria Scholarship

Being in a single-parent household had revealed the struggles and hardships of the one parent who is present as well as the strain that can occur on the children under that roof. As my mom was usually the only one present for most of my life it had been difficult for her, and she often struggled at times falling short of what was expected from her as a mom. Often parents who are forced to handle things on their own are less than prepared for the financial, and physical challenges ahead. Much of the time my mother would simply give up and leave the home for days on end because she felt it was easier to pretend like she didn't have the responsibility of being a parent. There are many seasons when my sibling rarely is or suffered at home, my mom would tell us if we wanted to eat then we had to make sure we went to school. So we would go even if we were unwell. We also never received Christmas gifts or new things for school. Being a single parent can mentally affect you and cause you to feel overwhelmed. As a single mother today, I want to equip my babies with as much worldly wisdom as I possibly can. So that they can know that they are capable of amazing feats. I want to support them in everything that pursues and everything that they're passionate about. First and foremost I want them to know that they are loved and do more for me than I could ever do for them. I don't want them to think that their births were anything besides blessings to me, as I often felt like a mistake as a child. I want to see them succeed and I want them to know that their mother would've given their last breath to see them reach whatever mountain top.

Living in a single-parent household has taught me that my mom is one of the strongest people I know. My mom has sacrificed so much to make sure I had everything I needed to be successful. She sacrificed to make sure I was able to play every sport that I wanted to play and attend any and every extra-curricular activity. There was never enough time in the day for my mom to do what she wanted to do because she was always looking out for me. Working 12hrs shifts at least 4 days a week was very tough on her but fortunately my grandmother was a big help as well but it was still tough. When I was 11yrs old my grandmother had to have a knee replacement. When she came home from the hospital I was helping to care for her. I was her nurse and physical therapist while at home. At that point I knew that I wanted to help others as well. I have also been through other traumatic events in my life. Three of my grandparents, my two paternal grandparents and my maternal grandmother have all had cancer. I have seen what the effects of cancer can do to a person. Because they have had to endure this type of sickness myself and other family members took on the roles of caretakers. Once gain I learned that caring for people is what I wanted to do. I learned that in order to care for patients you have to listen to them and analyze what is wrong with them. Sometimes you also have to empathize with them as well. I like to also think that I have a way with kids and I know that you have to be patient with them. My family has inspired me and have shaped my plans to pursue a career in a healthcare field. I did not always know that is what I wanted to become but as I got older and had to endure these things I quickly learned that I wanted to care for people that may not always be able to care for themselves.