Yvela Michele Memorial Scholarship for Resilient Single Parents

I was raised by a Dominican single mother. That in itself tells you a lot. I was under the constant care of my Mami, who no matter what was always there for me, for the school events, for the doctor visits, for every breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While living in the Dominican Republic, I was babied by Mami, the next-door neighbor, and my other relatives. I remember as a little girl being picked up for school by my uncle on his motorcycle, stopping at a bakery for a huge empanada filled with eggs and cheese, and a passion fruit juice with oatmeal. The most important thing in my world is my family. Since I was a little girl I have always implemented the idea that family is the most important thing in life. We are supposed to be there for each other no matter what. I was always the one getting taken care of, but when I came to the United States at just ten years old I started being the one taking care of others. When I came to the United States, I was going to school, which meant that I was supposed to learn English fast and become a translator for my mom who knew not even one bit of English. I was also expected to take care of my five-year-old sister while my single mom worked. By doing all of this I helped my family keep afloat. I understood that we were all going through a tough time both financially and emotionally, and I pulled through and did all the best I could. Although this time was extremely hard for me as a young person growing and learning about myself, I feel proud of myself and how I helped my family keep pushing because I knew that my mom and my sister needed me to be the rock for a while. Later, when we moved to Boston I was hit with another challenge: work and the arrival of a baby sister. When I turned 15, I started working right away. I was going to school and then right after school, going to work. On the days I had no work, I had to take care of my sister. I had no break, which started to feel tiring. I started to feel like I couldn’t do it all, but I kept on pushing and working harder for my family. After a couple of months, I was given the news that my mom was having a baby. I was extremely happy of course, but in the back of my mind there was a recurring question: Am I going to have to take care of another child? Don't get it wrong, I love my sisters, they are the light to my eyes and everything I do is for my family, especially for those two little angels, but I needed something for myself. In this way, I contributed to the world by helping raise two strong independent young girls who will always speak up for themselves and fight for their rights. Through taking care of my family, I have contributed to the world by showing a perfect example of how even though there might be times when we feel like giving up, there’s always a reward at the end of the tunnel, and if you keep working hard you will get the reward and it will all be worth it.