Robin G. Thomas Sizemore Memorial Scholarship

Hello! My name is Kiara Bahena and I’m a senior at Wayne Trace High School. I’m a lover of many things including running, poetry, and cats. I’m very involved in school extracurriculars and activities, and I always feel like I need to be doing something (although I do like to relax once in a while). I live in the small town of Payne, Ohio with my mom and younger sister. Our household wasn’t always a single-parent home. I was fortunate enough to have both parents in the house until 2019. My father left the United States in 2019 on voluntary departure. To be honest, it’s no better than deportation. Dad paid taxes and had a job. He had two children. He was married to my mom for 15 years, but that was not enough to stay in the country he called home. All that love and establishment wasn’t enough to make him a true “citizen.” If I’m being honest, I don’t know how I’ll react if I ever see Dad in person again. I’ve learned how to drive, worked as a lifeguard, and grown physically and mentally since he’s been gone. Part of me wants to say I’d cry and run to his arms like I did when I was young; however, another part of me thinks I’d shrink awkwardly into his arms while we share an embrace. I know that I love my dad, but I also know that I’m almost an adult now who has learned to take care of herself. I’ve come to accept hard realities; my family has been drowning in financial problems for years. How am I supposed to forget the one that started our capsizing? When my dad left, Mom was burdened with far more responsibilities than before. I could see the stress and hurt in her eyes every single day (and still do). It broke my heart to see my mom working herself to death. All I’ve ever wanted was to make my mom proud. My mom is a driven woman who will do anything for my sister and me. She has always done her absolute best to give us the world and more. She is a woman who wakes up at 3 AM for work every day and still manages to find time to watch my sister and I's sporting events. Mom is my biggest supporter and number one fan. She is my rock, and I don’t know where I’d be without her. My little sister is the polar opposite of me. She’s quiet and doesn’t care too much for school or sports. I’m also convinced she’s addicted to her phone. Regardless of what she likes and dislikes, I love her very much. As we’ve grown up together, however, I’ve noticed that we have far more similarities than I initially thought. We both enjoy a night of staying in rather than going out. We both like coloring and singing. And most importantly, we both love our family immensely. I dream of taking my mom on a vacation to Sardinia. Sardinia is a beautiful island in the Mediterranean Sea. The island of Sardinia is known for its beautiful beaches and fascinating history. I would love for my mom to just lay in a beach chair and close her eyes as she falls asleep to the sound of waves. Mom also loves to tan (don’t be fooled she burns half the time and calls it a tan). Even when she burns, my mother is still happy in the sun. Any vacation where my mom is happy and relaxing would be a dream come true.