John J. DiPietro COME OUT STRONG Scholarship

Although I am at the ripe age of 22, I have taken a ride on life's rollercoaster that falls off the track, is wobbly and bumpy, and one where you never quite know when you'll finally be able to get off. My rollercoaster ride began the day I was born, having a parent that was an abusive alcoholic was not a ticket I would have chosen for myself. My childhood was sporadic and scary, never quite knowing if we'd be having dinner that night or we'd be kicked out of the house at 4 am on a school night. It was difficult, but I had my awesome mom and siblings to get each other through the hell we found ourselves in. Fast forward to freshman year of high school (ugh), at 14 years old I was told my mother had a stroke after dropping us off at school that morning. Not really understanding what implications that would have on the rest of my life, we visited her at the hospital for her 4 month-long stay and another 2 months at a rehab facility. In the midst of high school, dealing with an addict, and losing my mom, something changed in me. I had never been a good student, I didn't have a job and I didn't think twice about bills or money. My mom, the breadwinner of the family, was now completely paralyzed on her left side and lost her career as a hairdresser, all her friends, her independence, and the life she had tried to create for herself and us. She was unable to take me prom dress shopping, run errands with me, go for walks, and essentially every single she dreamed of vanished that morning her brain bled. Life's rollercoaster had thrown me off going 150 mph. I didn't have parents anymore, my dad's drinking got worse, he lost all motivation to work and provide for her, he had given up on life and let all of his children take the beating for it. Even though we had all just lost the most important person in our lives, instead of stepping up and getting his act together, my father decided to make all of us suffer even more so than we already had. This is when the sink or swim instinct came in, and it was time to show my mom, my role model, that her having a stroke and dealing with my father wasn't going to hold me back from achieving greatness. It was like a switch was flipped, and suddenly I found myself getting high honors for the rest of my semesters in high school. I joined soccer, cheerleading, and softball and became a caption. I won writing contest after writing contest for my school's yearly competition, and this was only the beginning. I knew I had to go to college. I wasn't sure how or where, but I knew that's where I needed to be. I began spending hours a day with the guidance office, having them be my mentors for applying for scholarships and paying for application fees. I was the first person in my family to try and go to college, so these counselors were the only help I had. Alas, I got accepted to UNH and won enough scholarships from my town to afford the first semester. My mom cried in the audience while they called my name for scholarship after scholarship, as she knew my dream was going to be a possibility. Fast forward, I have worked 2-3 jobs a semester to pay for tuition and I am now a senior approaching a dual degree in psychology and justice studies, and when I finish I'm heading to law school. The rollercoaster finally let me off, as I've achieved more than I ever thought possible. My mom is sad to have to watch my life go by from a wheelchair, unable to visit spontaneously or walk around campus. Nonetheless, she is watching her daughter achieve despite not being able to help and she wears that proudly. My mom's life was cut short, her expectations and hopes for the future were tarnished as she's become wheelchair-bound for the remainder of her life. But, I wanted to show her that she didn't fail any of us, and we're capable of reaching for dreams none of us thought possible. My mom is the shining example of strength, and I will work harder in my life because she was unable to. I will pay forward her joyful spirit, and the life lessons about perseverance she's taught me. Although I was not given an easy deck of cards, I have and will continue to play them to the best of my ability to not only give me the life I deserve, but to give my mom one as well.

My favorite role model, hands down, would have to be my mom. There is no one in this world that I look up to more than her. She is the strongest person that I know and has taught me the true meaning of hard work. I have watched her struggle time and time again and no matter what obstacles she has faced she always overcomes them. She found herself pregnant with me at the tender age of 15 years old. Two years later she had my brother and later a sister. My mom went through 11 years of domestic violence at the hands of my father. She was stabbed and beaten by him and I witnessed most of this as a child. To make matters worse my little brother, who was 12 years old at the time, committed suicide. I can't imagine how numb and hurt she must have felt after such a tragedy. This was extremely devastating to our family. To see my mother experience such a heartache was painful to watch. She was sad and depressed for a very long time. She tried to stay strong for her remaining children. My mother ended up going to grief counseling and instead of letting life get her down she decided to take stay focused. She went to college to receive her Child Development Associates Degree and graduated, After graduation my mother opened her own successful home childcare. Setback after setback my mother continues to be a positive role model. She is like a mother to everyone's children and she gives the best advice. She is strong, resilient, and beautiful. My mother would take care of her sick father, watch my child for me while I worked, and held down a full-time job owning her own business all at the same time. Sometime I wouldn't know she did it. My mother never complains and she always keeps a positive attitude. I admire her strength and dedication. Sometime I fill like I have some pretty big shoes to fill because she is such a hard worker and I want to be just like her. My son adores his grandmother and she does her role with ease. She has been through even more grief recently after losing her father to lung cancer. Though she is going through so much she is still overcoming obstacles because she is restarting her business in another state and accomplishing goals that she has set for herself. My mother teaches me the importance of never giving up and making sure you accomplish your dreams no matter what. No one has taught me the valuable lessons that I need to know for my future like she has. I go through many struggles in my life but I always remember the things that she has told me or the things that I have seen her go through and that helps to keep me motivated. My mother is a wonderful and spectacular woman who is someone who I love and look up to. Inspired by my mother's dedication I am now a college student and I am very excited to make all of my dreams come true. I am a freshman majoring in Business Administration and I have aspirations to own a Non-Profit Organization someday. I plan to help low-income families and communities who are affected disproportionately because of their race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and other disparities. I really want to make a positive impact on the lives of others because I personally know what it is like to struggle. I would really love to have the opportunity to help those less fortunate. Today, I volunteer with The Reading Partners Organization by tutoring elementary students who are reading below grade level and I also advocate for The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Getting involved in my community and addressing important issues is a characteristic that I have learned from my courageous mother. She is my true role model and I am so thankful for every lesson she has taught me.