Courage & Hope Scholarship

Tuesday Afternoons The house always felt lonely on Tuesday afternoons. For years, these afternoons meant waiting. Returning from school, I knew that my mom was off doing her chemo treatments while my dad stayed with her. I excitedly waited for the sound of the garage door because when they returned, I knew my mom would greet me, tired but smiling. In 2020, right before the pandemic, my mother was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer, and although I thought she would be quickly cured, over the next six years, she battled many treatments and an eventual stage four, triple-negative diagnosis. With tumors in her brain and spine, she needed brain radiation. During her recovery, I remember watching her struggle to walk across her bedroom. The strongest woman I knew now needed my arm just to take a few steps. This terrified me. My mom was always the person who would drive me to school, help me with homework, and motivate me to succeed. Watching her struggle made me realize how fragile routine and everyday life can be. More importantly, I realized that even when cancer took pieces of her strength, it never took her determination. Her courage in the face of these obstacles still astonishes me. She still manages to smile despite a terminal diagnosis, and still makes an effort to listen to me talk about school and work before talking to me about treatments. Her sense of humor never drained, and she still manages to throw sarcasm into casual conversation. She is my mentor, and the advice she has given me has shaped me into the person I am today. I will always aspire to have her level of selflessness and empathy. This courage reshaped and inspired our family. My dad learned how to balance work with taking her to appointments and treatments while handling the financial burden. He had to bear the growing weight of medical bills and paying college tuition for my sister by taking out large loans. I learned how to cook simple meals, check her vitals, and often just sit quietly with her to give her company when she doesn't want to talk. I gained a new perspective on patience and caregiving. Most teenagers don’t have to learn these things at such a young age, but they taught me that resilience is just as important as anything you can learn in school. Resilience is a quiet, reserved power. It’s the power to study for a calculus test after visiting your mother in the hospital. It's the power to laugh even when you’ve had a hard week. Sometimes it’s the power of a mother walking into the chemotherapy clinic with her family right beside her. Through every challenge, my mom has shown me what courage really means. Her ongoing battle with cancer has changed our family drastically in many ways, but it has also provided me with an appreciation for compassion, hope, and perseverance. As I pursue a degree in engineering with the hopes of building a better world, I will carry these lessons with me. Whenever life becomes uncertain, I will remember the emptiness of the house on those Tuesday afternoons, and the quiet relief I felt when my mom walked through the front door.

My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer at a really young age. She was incredibly strong and actually beat it the first time she had it. For a while, things were better, but sadly, the cancer came back later on. When I was six years old, my mom passed away after her second battle with breast cancer. Losing our mom that young completely changed our lives. Since she was a single mom, there wasn’t another parent to take care of us, so we ended up going into the foster care system. Going through that at such a young age was extremely hard. My mom had always been the person who made me feel safe and loved, and suddenly she was gone. My brother and I spent years in foster care. We didn’t have the stability that most kids grow up with, and that can be really confusing and emotional for a child. Finally, when I was ten years old, I was adopted with my brother. Being adopted gave me a more stable home, which I’m grateful for, but it didn’t take away the pain of losing my mom or everything we had already gone through. I feel like I had to grow up a lot faster than other kids my age. When you go through something like losing a parent and being in foster care, you learn to be strong whether you want to or not. My childhood wasn’t as simple as most kids’ childhoods. I had to deal with grief, big life changes, and learning how to adjust to new environments. It forced me to take on responsibilities and mature earlier than most kids. One of the hardest parts for me was growing up without a mother figure after the age of six. There were so many moments where I wished I could talk to my mom, ask for advice, or just have her there for support. When she was sick, even though I was really young, I remember feeling like I wanted to help take care of her. I cared about her so much and hated seeing her struggle. Even though losing my mom made my childhood harder, it also shaped who I am today. It taught me how to be resilient and keep going even when life is really difficult. Going through something like that at a young age makes you see life differently. I feel like it made me stronger and more independent, even though it was something no kid should have to go through. Another thing that has always been at the back of my mind is the fear of breast cancer affecting me in the future. My mom had it, but my great-grandma also had breast cancer, which makes me think about how it could run in my family. Knowing that multiple generations in my family have had it is scary sometimes, and it’s something I worry about for my own future. It makes me think more about my health and what I can do to take care of myself. Overall, my mom’s diagnosis and passing had a huge impact on my life. It changed my childhood, my family situation, and the way I see the world. Even though it brought a lot of pain and challenges, it also helped shape me into the person I am today. It taught me strength, resilience, and how important family and health really are. I do have a photo of my brother and me celebrating out moms birthday when we were in foster care because I don't have photos with her as a kid.

Watching a loved one suffer and slowly lose themselves was the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with. I truly feel that my mom's death has impacted me more than her diagnosis because I didn't know how much I would lose until I actually lost it. That was my biggest mistake. I was just about 8 years old when my mom got diagnosed with breast cancer. I didn't understand much other than that my mom was sick. My life was always filled with laughter and memories. As I got older i started realizing how sick my mom was. I was always a girl who loved going to school, loved learning, and just a girl who wanted to meet new people. My sophomore year of high school was by far the worst year for me. Mentally and physically. I wasn't caring about my grades or if I failed or passed that test. I was focused on making sure my mom was happy and okay. I stepped up a lot with my little sister Yazzy, who was only 6. I chose to put my high school activities and teenage life to the side to make sure my little sister's life didn't change much yet, because I knew eventually it would... Volleyball was my safe place, but at this time, I dreaded leaving my house. I just didn't want anything to happen to my mom and me, not being there. Yes, we had so many people visiting her and helping us, but I wanted time with my mom as much as possible. I was so angry and frustrated at the world, not because I was in pain, but because I was confused about why my mom was the chosen one to suffer and be the one in so much pain. On July 21st, 2024, my mom passed away here at home in her sleep. Waking up that morning i automatically had a feeling something had happened. That day was the day I knew I had to step up so much more, because I knew my mom's only worry was us, her 4 children. I had made a promise to always be there for my little sister when my older siblings moved out, because I knew, as the youngest, I would be the one at home with Yazzy for longer. I would hate hanging out with friends because walking into their house was just a different feeling for me. They had their mom there with them. They were able to hug their mom and tell her about their day, but I couldn't. I may be selfish for this, but I felt jealous in a way. My whole life changed. My family was always so close. We would always do family dinners and just always hang out with each other. This was because of my mom. She was the rock to our family. Now that I am growing up and have the decision to stay or leave for college, i dont want to make the wrong decision, and start my life. I made a promise to my mom.

In September of 2020, my family received news that would change our lives forever. While already battling COVID and quarantine, my mom was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. The original plan was for my mom to have one surgery and be finished. The cancer turned out to be more aggressive and spread further than expected. In the end, it took 4 surgeries, 18 rounds of chemotherapy, and a pill regiment she continues to this day to be fully in remission. Through this battle my family and I have had to go through drastic lifestyle changes and learn how to live this new normal. Our first major change came from simply doing things around the house with my dad. While recovering from surgeries and chemotherapy my mom obviously couldn’t participate in regular household activities. In 2020 my little brother was only 9, so many of these responsibilities fell to my dad and eventually to me as well. This prompted a new family dynamic of my dad and I balancing responsibilities and caretaking. As my dad drove my mom to doctors appointments and surgeries I stayed home taking care of my little brother and working on my online school. This balance took time to find, but made us stronger overall. I learned new adult responsibilities, and how to work with my dad to manage the family and the house as best as we could while simultaneously taking care of ourselves and each other. This strengthened my bond with my dad, as an adult who can get things done and be responsible enough to take care of the people I love. My little brother has special needs and requires extra attention, care, and time. Me being a more prominent care taker put strain on our relationship at times. It was hard for him to see me as a teacher and listen as an adult while I was still only 12. We pushed and worked to find a newer mutual respect that still allowed us to care for each other and spend time together as brothers. Despite going through these rocky patches, our dynamic strengthened overall. My brother and I are now best friends with a truer, deeper understanding of each other, a glimpse of the good that came from such a traumatic, difficult time. Next came my growth with my mom and myself, as a son and someone she could be proud of. As soon as she was diagnosed, I knew no matter what I needed to make her proud and keep growing myself as a person. I learned how to keep fighting academically and personally, developing a new work ethic to keep the house running while still keeping her safe and me successful. Upon spending time with my mom through her sickness, I saw the spirit of a true warrior who continued to fight for herself and her family. I also saw the fragility of life and how important making every moment last it. My mom taught me how to live as a strong person, cherishing the beautiful moments, and continuously growing myself and my strengths. I took her lessons and my growth with me out of quarantine and through high school. I pushed through high school, succeeding academically, improving as a person, and being stronger through my family. I am now going to go to college as someone who will always see the power of progress, the beauty of life, and the strength in family.

For some odd reason, I never believed something this scary, difficult, and emotionally difficult would even come close to my family, close friends, or even the people around me. But it did. And it chose to attack the person closest to me. The one who held me in her womb for 9 months. My supporter, my rock, and my role model. My mom. Now, when my family sat my sister and I down and told us the devastating news, everyone had tears in their eyes, but all I could do was stare into the abyss. I couldn't possibly understand and process what I had just heard. My sister, crying and clearly emotional, had a look in her eyes as she stared at me with disappointment, as if I had done something wrong, but I truly could not shed real tears at the moment. Hearing that my mom had cancer made my heart drop. I felt scared. Helpless. Everything felt so unknown. Still, I kept reminding myself how strong my mom is and all the things she has already overcome in her life. "This is just one more". Later that night, I cried myself to sleep. A few weeks passed. My family and I made it our first priority to care for and support our mom through this long, scary, and challenging journey. The first few months consisted of finding her a new diet and supplements that could help reduce the growth of the cancer. Anything that could help her fight as best she could. But most importantly, my family covered her in prayer, holding on to the faith that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, would heal her and make her healthy once more. አምላክ ሆይ እባክህ ይህ ለሥጋዬ መድኃኒት እንዲሆን ፍቀድልኝ ቃልህም ለነፍሴ መድኃኒት ይሁን። ኣሜን. O God please allow this to be medicine for my body and Your Words to be medicine for my soul. Amen. This is and continues to be the prayer that got my mom and our family through it all. Through God’s grace, my mom had been diagnosed with stage 1 HER2 positive breast cancer, the lowest stage. That is just a small snippet of what we had faced, but I want to pause here, and focus on the one factor that was our firm foundation: our faith. All my family and friends are part of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Christian faith. Throughout all that we had faced, our faith led me from simply believing in God to truly knowing that God is good. I began to understand that He works through our struggles to shape us and strengthen us (Romans 5:3). Even in moments of fear and uncertainty, I started to see that challenges can build courage, perseverance, and trust in Him. Watching my mom’s faith during this time inspired me deeply. Even after receiving the scariest news of her life, her foundation remained firm in Christ. She continued to pray, trust, and place everything in God’s hands. Her faith made me realize something I will carry with me for the rest of my life: God is always with us and will never leave or forsake us. Rather, He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds! (Psalms 147:3). My mom is now living happily, cancer free and at peace with God. Through every struggle, trial, and moment of fear, all that He asks of us is to remain faithful and true. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6.

When my mother was first diagnosed, I was not informed at the beginning, but the changes I could see in my family were that everyone started getting along better and feeling more united. I finally became aware that my mother had breast cancer when they told me I could not get near her for some time since she had recently gone through her first Chemotherapy. As the cancer progressively got worse, I witnessed my mother's hair fall out, and as she grew weaker. But she always tried to keep up appearances and got herself a wig to cover up the hair loss, but eventually, the breast cancer got bad enough that they cut off her breasts completely. I saw my mother lose all the confidence and energy she previously had, which also affected the family since she was the life of the house. But still, it brought the family together, wanting her to recover from this loss, and we brought her a fake breast, which seemed to help her recover just a little. We kept telling her she did not need those things to look beautiful. She eventually got back on her feet and gained enough confidence to joke about it. As time passed, she continued getting check-ups to make sure that the cancer did not come back. Then, her main doctor went on a break, and she was unable to get a check-up for a while, and during that time, the cancer came back. This affected the other breast and developed further into her lungs, becoming terminal lung cancer. This brought my family closer together, even if they had their fights. We came together for Christmas to celebrate with no fighting for one last time. The cancer had gotten to the point where it hospitalized her multiple times, and she eventually lost her life. The pillar of our family had fallen, and everyone was in mourning. Once it all passed, the family started to fall apart, and they all broke up into their own groups. I was left without anyone to trust to keep us together, having lost both parents and being the youngest sibling. I tried my best to become that pillar, as I had grown enough from the first time to know that this could happen, and to be aware of the situation that could potentially unfold. I took charge and decided to stay with the set portion of the family that everyone would have lost contact with; if nothing, there was no reason to talk to them to give them a reason to keep everyone in contact. I was forced to mature enough to focus on the long-term rather than the short-term, which eventually led to my family making up and talking to each other. This now feels like the strongest connection I have ever had. We continue to recover from this situation, but at a steady pace, which has led to stronger bonds and not as much bickering as before. We still stop to think about my mother, as she was a huge part of our lives, and we could only hope she is proud to see how we are doing.

When my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, my life changed in a way I never expected. Before that day, I had never truly considered what it would feel like to almost lose someone who means everything to me. I always saw my mom as strong and constant, someone who would always be there no matter what. Hearing the word cancer connected to her felt unreal, like something that only existed in my worst nightmares. That day, it became my reality, and everything I once felt certain about suddenly felt fragile. I remember the moment I found out so clearly. I was a junior in high school, and like always, she was waiting for me and my sister at the bus stop. But something felt off. I knew her doctor was supposed to call that day with the results, so I asked. She did not even need to say anything at first. The tears in her eyes told me everything. My mom had breast cancer. In that moment, time seemed to slow down, and I felt a kind of fear I had never experienced before. When she told all of us, everything felt heavy, like the air had been knocked out of me. Even now, it feels like that air has never fully returned. From that moment on, my biggest fear became losing her. I kept asking myself, why her? Of all people, why the person I need the most? The thought of growing up without my mom settled into the back of my mind and never really left. I think about the future and the moments I have always imagined her being part of. My graduation, college, my wedding, and all the milestones that come with growing up. Imagining those moments without her feels impossible. That fear has changed how I see life and the way I value time. Watching her go through treatment was one of the hardest things I have ever experienced. Seeing someone you love in pain, someone who has always been your source of comfort, is heartbreaking. There were nights when I cried more than I ever had before. Sometimes it was fear, sometimes sadness, and sometimes the overwhelming feeling of helplessness. I wished every day that it was all just a nightmare I would wake up from, but it never was. Cancer did not just affect my mom. It affected our entire family. It changed the way we lived and how we thought about time. Suddenly, every moment with her felt more important than ever. I started spending as much time with her as I could, realizing that nothing is guaranteed. Her diagnosis also pushed me to grow up faster. With the cost of treatment and traveling out of state for appointments, I wanted to ease her burden in any way I could. I got a job so she would not have to worry about my senior year. This experience has been one of the most painful parts of my life, but it has also helped me grow. It has taught me empathy, resilience, and the importance of loving people deeply while you have them. My mom’s strength continues to inspire me every day. Her fight has shown me that even the hardest moments can shape who we become. Cancer changed my life forever, but it also gave me a deeper understanding of what truly matters. I carry the compassion, strength, and resilience I learned from my mom into everything I do. Her fight is guiding the person I am becoming and shaping the way I face challenges with courage and purpose every day.