What is the definition of a father? Is a father a male parent who is the reason for your existence despite not being there for your upbringing? Is a father a random guy who decides to marry your mom and buy you things as an excuse to fill a position? If this is a father, wouldn’t it be better to not have one at all? Although my mom did get married in 2021, I’ve always seen her as a single parent. My mom had to put her education on hold to take care of me and ensure that I was her number one priority. Although I never made a big fuss about it, I often envied the kids who went to events like “Donuts for Dads” or went on vacation for Father’s Day. Eventually, I got older and didn’t see the lack of a father figure as a setback. During this time, my mom had started her own daycare while taking care of my infant brother. Most things were going well for us until she married her soon-to-be ex-husband. My brother and I often struggled to be comfortable around him and felt like guests in our own home. His presence left an uneasy feeling in our house, and his mood swings frequently left us in tears. Around this time a year ago, my mother decided to separate from him due to his behavior, which was caused by drugs. Additionally, she lost her daycare business while being with him, resulting in her working two factory jobs to support her children. She also created a side job making gift baskets for birthdays, holidays, and graduations. To take the load off my mother, I learned the skills to make these goods with her. Although the late nights spent making these gifts were hard, we used our circumstances as a bonding experience and an opportunity to be grateful for what we had. When I was of age, I started working at Little Caesars as a cashier, and just this March, I started working another job at Ross Dress for Less. By working two jobs, I can pay for my car payment and help with anything my mom needs. Despite my adversity, I've been able to overcome it by keeping my faith in God, furthering my education, and helping others by volunteering at local schools and soup kitchens. My motivation to not let my mom's hard work go in vain is the reason I have been able to stay strong despite my challenges. I plan to use my experiences to remind anyone facing similar circumstances, to not let a generational battle stop them from being the greatest version of themselves. Just like there’s no use in trying to define a father, there’s no use in letting your environment define you as a person. I want to be an example for others to continue their education and pass good deeds forward. I plan on pursuing my goals by being president of Phi Theta Kappa at Randolph Community College. As president, I’m given the position to collaborate with different organizations in the community to preserve underrated stories. A few projects we’re planning are holding a drug awareness week on the college campus, restoring a local abandoned black cemetery, and fixing a halfway house for men. While some may say I’m at a disadvantage by coming from a single mother, I believe my mom's wisdom has given me the privilege that others will never understand. I may never be able to define a father, but I do know what a mother is, and mine is the perfect example.

What is the definition of a father? Is a father a male parent who is the reason for your existence despite not being there for your upbringing? If this is the definition of a father, wouldn’t it be better to not have one at all? My mom didn’t go to a four-year university and had to put her dreams on hold because of me. Even as a child, I understood my mom’s selflessness to ensure I thrived in life. Whenever I face an obstacle, I persevere by reminding myself to not let my mom’s work go in vain. She has encouraged me to keep my trust in God and stay dedicated to my faith. I plan to use my experiences to remind anyone facing similar circumstances, to not let a generational battle stop them from being the greatest version of themselves. Just like there’s no use in trying to define a father, there’s no use in letting your environment define you as a person. I want to be an example for others to continue their education and pass good deeds forward. I’m pursuing my goals by being president of Phi Theta Kappa at Randolph Community College. As president, I’m given the position to collaborate with different organizations in the community to preserve underrated stories. A few projects we’re planning are holding a drug awareness day on the college campus, restoring a local abandoned black cemetery, and fixing a house for men suffering from drug addiction. While some may say I’m at a disadvantage by coming from a single mother, I believe my mom's wisdom has given me the privilege that others will never understand. I may never be able to define a father, but I do know what a mother is, and mine is the perfect example.

What is the definition of a father? Is a father a male parent who is the reason for your existence despite not being there for your upbringing? Is a father a random guy who decides to marry your mom and buy you things as an excuse to fill a position? In my scenario, my father happens to be my mother. Although my mom did get married in 2021, I have always seen her as a single parent. At first, it was just my mom and I. One would think that with it being only the two of us, times would have been easier, but that was far from the case. My mom had to put her education on hold to take care of me and ensure that I was her number one priority. Although I never made a big fuss about it, I often envied the kids who went to events like “Donuts for Dads” or went on vacation for Father’s Day. I understood that I was not like everyone else and had to accept it, whether I wanted to or not. Eventually, I got older and didn’t see the lack of a father figure as a setback. During this time, my mom had started her own daycare while also taking care of my infant brother. Most things were going well for us until she married her soon-to-be ex-husband. My brother and I often struggled to be comfortable around him and felt like guests in our own home. His presence left an uneasy feeling in our house, and his mood swings frequently left us in tears. Around this time a year ago, my mother decided to separate from him due to his behavior, which was caused by drugs. Additionally she lost her daycare business while being with him, which resulted in her working two factory jobs to support her children. She also created a side job selling and making money cakes and gift baskets for birthdays, holidays, and graduations. To take the load off my mother, I learned the skills to make these goods with her. Although the late nights spent making these gifts with my mom were hard, we used our circumstances as a bonding experience and an opportunity to be grateful for what we had. When I was of age, I started working at Little Caesars as a cashier, and just this March, I started working another job at Ross Dress for Less. By working two jobs, I pay for my car payment and help with anything my mom needs. Despite my adversity, I have been able to overcome it by keeping my faith in God, furthering my education, and helping others by volunteering at local schools and soup kitchens. My motivation to not let my mom's hard work go in vain is the reason I have been able to stay strong despite my challenges. The obstacles I faced in life have shaped me because I feel even more obligated to be successful. I plan to graduate at eighteen with my high school diploma and Associate of Arts degree. After this, I want to continue my education by obtaining my bachelor's degree in psychology, then becoming a lawyer and owning my own practice. Through my struggles, I have become accepting, appreciative, and proud of my background. To anyone facing similar circumstances, I would tell them to not let a generational battle stop you from being the greatest version of yourself. Just like there’s no use in trying to define a father, there’s no use in letting your environment define you as a person.