Growing Up In Reading

With all this going on, completing my financial aid became something that was set to the side. I was crippled and was only focused on getting better and not getting kicked out of UCONN.

Everybody loves a good success story. When the underdog, usually a lower class high school age student, defies the odds and comes out on top, beating his circumstances to get where nobody thinks he should go, everyone goes crazy for it. So crazy that Hollywood gets in on the act, with movie productions such as The Blind Side, Life of A King, and Slum Dog Millionaire. Sadly, these stories are not commonplace, in fact, they are very few and far between. More often than not, students from lower class families struggle to get by, as a result putting school to the back burner. Less than 75% of students in lower income households graduate high school, and even fewer go onto college (http://nces.ed.gov). From this group, excuses began to come out, the main reason underlies them all; they have become a product of their circumstance. The position they were in restrained them, forcing only one path, a

It was a Saturday morning, the basketball tournament has begun and the cold temperature kept me calm. My coach said, “we leave at 10:00 am” and I was uncontrollably nervous. I couldn’t stop shaking my leg. We arrived at the school at around 10:15 am and we walk into the gym. Oaks middle school’s gymnasium, I was amazed by the scenery and how many games were going on. I saw many college and university basketball banners. Banners I saw were from universities such as: LSU, Duke Univ., Louisville Univ., etc. Those banners inspired me to go for a D1 scholarship, and work hard to get one for basketball. Our first game had begun, but we kept a losing streak. The streak continued for the next to games. Although I don’t remember the schools we faced, they put up a great game on the court. After our games I explored Oak’s campus. My coach gathered our team up. “We have to get to school at 1:00 pm”, he said. We went on the bus and I had been influenced to keep playing basketball and constantly practice.

When I was a freshman in high school, my parents sat me down in the living room and told me that if I wanted to go to college, I’d have to pay for it myself. Our financial difficulties were large enough to merit the statement. My step-dad was hardly able to work anymore because of health problems from a career in manufacturing. My mom also suffered in the over-saturated market for dental hygienists in Mesa—she was recently fired from a corporate office for refusing to sell unnecessary treatments to patients, and could only find a job in an office run by an abusive dentist who screamed at his employees and who even threw a computer at an assistant at one point. My mom needed to leave the office, but nobody knew if she would find work anywhere

I am the product of divorced parents, who struggled with substance abuse, but that does not define me. My childhood consisted of poverty-stricken environments; however, I refused to let that dictate the outcome of my life. At the age of ten, I had to assume the role of a fatherly figure to my three siblings, so I missed out on the conventional childhood most would have had. I grew up in east Bakersfield where substance abuse, gangs and criminal acts of violence were a pervasive occurrence, and I resiliently avoided the peer pressures to conform to their way of life. From the ages of 11 to 15, I would work for my grandfather at the local swap meet on the weekends so that I could help my mother make ends meet. I received my worker 's permit at the age of 15, which elevated my ability to help my mother financially as now I earned a set wage. I worked the maximum hours allowed as a minor while balancing my academics and extracurricular school activities at school. Although faced with much adversity early on in life, I managed to be a scholar triathlete in high school and was accepted to California State University, Bakersfield after graduating from Foothill High. I was determined and excited to be the first college graduate in my family, as I understood the economic importance of this achievement. Sadly, after my freshman year of attending the university, I had to put my educational endeavors on hold to assist my mother and siblings further financially.

The uneducated behavior of the East Chicago residents proved just how obnoxious they could be, I automatically knew I didn’t want to follow that path. East Chicago has shaped me into the person I am right now because I had to learn to make decisions for myself. Drugs, alcohol and gangs either gets you in a hospital or dead. The place I grew up in taught me to be mentally prepared for any obstacles I come across. I am determined to never be like the people I observe in my neighborhood, to strive and never give up. Everyday as I went home I saw the same people doing the same delinquency perpetually. My middle school peers either got pregnant or dropped out as soon as they made it into high school, I always tried to guide them towards the right choices because it hurt to see them struggle. However, I always saw school as an advantage to make it out of there and actually do something with my life. I strive my best to get good grades, eventually it payed off since I earned the privilege to become part of the National Honor Society when I was a sophomore. I am a strong confident woman, who is caring towards

My mom is a food service worker and my dad was a christmas tree farmer. Although we never had a lot of money, we made things work. We never went on any vacations and I wasn’t able to play sports because they cost too much, but that was okay because we were together and happy. Now that my dad is no longer here to support us, we have been struggling. The mortgage is always behind, something always seems to be shut off in our house as a result of not being able to pay the bills, and the pantry isn’t as full as it used to be. Financial issues has also been affecting my education. As I’m applying to colleges, I find myself limited in the number of schools I can apply to because not all colleges have fee waivers I can’t afford to pay several fees to apply to as many colleges as I’d would like to. I’ve also had hesitation in going to college just because of the cost of it. My goal in life is to become a doctor, which, normally takes around eight years. Eight years of college is not cheap, and the idea of having to pay thousands of dollars has scared

For many years my mother and I relocated as many as three times a year and we depended on government assistance to keep us afloat. Upon moving to North Carolina and gaining financial stability I made it a personal goal to serve others just like me. The truth about where I came from is an essential key to determine where I will go, and so I share my story with everyone.During my junior year of high school I was inducted into the National Honor Society. During the induction I lit the candle symbolizing leadership. Unbeknownst to me I was creating my destiny and months later I became the President of my school’s chapter. Being a teenager there are but so many things I can do and I struggled to understand the fact that I cannot do everything-- not yet. I sought inspiration to handle my cognitive dissonance from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. who stated “If I cannot do great things, I will do small things in a great way.” As a future student, I dedicate every fiber of my being to embody Howard’s core values. I hope to serve as yet another representation of excellence and walk in the footsteps of many great leaders before me in the path to

Wiley has always motivated me to get the best grades I can and he encouraged me to maintain a high grade point average. Ben explained to me the benefits of a high grade point average, and outlined the consequences of having a low grade point average. He always pushes me to do better and always shows confidence in me and my abilities to work a little harder and achieve a little more. Mr. Wiley helped me build my high school schedule so that I could take Advanced Placement and Concurrent Enrollment classes in high school. Because of this help, I will graduate a Sophomore in college. Mr. Wiley has also taken the time to find me scholarships. He has helped me in filling out scholarship application forms and college application forms. Although he is not paid to help, Mr. Wiley is always willing to help where it is needed. He has devoted countless hours helping the youth of my community not for financial gain but because he values education and the success of students like

The Coastal Bend College Endowed Scholarship Application will be the second scholarship I have applied for because I didn't think about college until my second semester of my senior year when a coach said “you’d be perfect for this job”. After I heard that statement I started looking into studying kinesiology and asking questions about their experiences. Ever since then I have been wanting to become what I think of them, which is a hero. I want to help kids achieve their goals and become someone important. I understand coaches do not get paid a fair amount, but I am willing to accept this fact. To me it is about graduating college and doing something I know I will enjoy for the rest of my life.

Reminiscing back to the first day of freshman year, when I sat down in my history class and my teacher told us a story where he had seen a homeless teenager scrounging for money to complete strangers. The homeless teenager then asked my teacher for cash and was handed some spare change. My teacher then proceeded to ask the teenager what had happened. The teenager responded, “I dropped out of high school my sophomore year,” then proceeded to walk off in sorrow and regret. Many of us know someone who dropped out of high school, who are currently homeless, or still living with their parents. Having a high school education leads to a better future because the homeless teen faced hardships such as living in poverty, he couldn't find a stable job,

A couple of months later I heard about a program that offers work experience, and helps with college assistance. I was excited thinking I finally found help. I went in to fill out the paperwork, and was told I wasn't eligible to receive college assistance; again I was disappointed. The doors to succeed kept closing. The good news was they were able to help me get a part time job with a housing agency. My coworkers encouraged me to continue my education. They also motivated me to keep trying. Since no one would to help me, I knew I would have to start doing something on my own. My only option would be paying out of pocket attending a community college, and holding a part time job. I knew I couldn’t afford to attend full time, so I decided to enroll in two classes and work part time. I told myself they were baby steps and I would eventually “get there someday”. In the very first month I got a slap of reality when all the fees were due and I had to buy textbooks and supplies. Still, it was worth it and every day I woke up and was grateful to be attending

Before the first year of college came around, I realized that I had a lot of leftover money that had to be paid after my scholarships, knowing that my parents had no money to offer I was frightened. I was shaken to the core, I realized that my dream of going to college could all be over in a matter of seconds. Soon, I stepped into the financial aid office with my parents on each side of me and hoping for the worst. I soon found out that I would be eligible to apply for loans, yet I realized that there was still money that wasn’t covered with my loans. The last option was parents loan, and I looked at my parents and without hesitation took the loan. This was my dream and my parents wanted me to strive and took on something that they didn’t have to. I know that I will have to pay them cent by cent, but I know I will be able to do it. My parents were able to help my dream become a reality. I have learned that I do not have to be scared that I need to look forward and be proud of what I have accomplished so far. As my father told me to keep my head held high because I deserve to be in school like everyone else that my money should not make me feel like I shouldn’t be here at

When divorce and poverty strike a household, statistics show that a student’s potential can take the hit, but these events actually taught me to leap over any kind of hurdle I face. At the same time, my parent’s divorce and the Great Recession ate up our limited savings, and I was told my future dreams were no longer realistic, so college would be out of the question. Disappointed, I kept my nose to the grindstone to prove my parents wrong, and I found that my career is only limited by my work ethic, and I could succeed no matter what I was told I could do. My work inside and outside of the classroom made me an honored student at Howell High School and a volunteer recognized by the state of Michigan’s recreation department. Just as these plans

The mass majority of individuals past the age of thirty seem to trivialize problems that a plethora of American youth suffer from today. Simply put, the French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry describes it best in his book, The Little Prince, in the quote, “All grown-ups were once children…but only few of them remember it.” We are inordinately exhausted from classes and extracurricular activities that promise college appeal, we are emotionally inept from the expectations of our family’s and peers, and we are despondent from the inability to caste away anxiety filled doubt at a future that seems implausible. My greatest contribution to my school and my community is my dedication to establish compassion and comfort for an improved quality of life. The known establishment of my human gifts to my region came about from my own experiences that caused a realization that various students in my community feel outcasted by our society. By creating a persona that promotes nondiscriminatory listening while also creating three clubs that perform as a safe space, I believe my greatest attribute to my small town of Forest City will endure the hardships of time.