For as long as I can remember I've always had this void in my life. This dark feeling inside that I couldn't quite figure out. What was the cause? No one knows, but it cunsome every part of you. I've tried every friend, education, and medication, but nothing could take away the feelings, I tried to escape it but I realized you can't run from something that's in your mind. When I was 2 years old I was adopted by an American family. Im originally from Russia. My Adopted brother died when I was first adopted which brought a disconnect in our home. When I was 11 years old I found out I was adopted which completely shattered my world more than it was already starting to. Around that time I fell into a deep depression, fights which my parents got worse and my good grades failed. I ran away when I was 13 which I soon came to realize was the biggest mistake. I got lost and trusted men that said they would lead me home. Those men were the reason I never went home. They were the reason I was too scared to go to school. They took me far away and then began turning their anger and financial problems onto me like I was their way out. They gave me marijuana and cocaine at the age of 13 to give me enough strength to stay awake throughout the night. I was sex trafficked by many men I thought loved me. When I was finally found I was sent to the foster system and never saw my family again. I was too depressed to go to school, My depression turned into PTSD which turned into constant anxiety. I attempted suicide 4 times before the people around me understood the gravity of my mental health. I took drugs to ease the pain, my friends were the suppliers. The man I loved overdosed on meth which completely changed my world. When I was 17 I found out I was pregnant which pushed me to become who I am today. Even now I find myself losing the version of me I worked so hard to achieve. I was hospitalized in 2022 which lead to my grades slipping again and classes being failed. I continue to take medication to this day, some days are worse than others, but my daughter gives me the most motivation. which is why I am applying to this scholarship.

The best way to paint a good example for your children is through self-improvement and determination. Self-improvement and determination are two essential traits that children should observe in their parents. Parents who demonstrate these qualities in their own lives teach their children important lessons about perseverance, hard work, and success. Self-improvement is the process of making oneself better. It involves taking the time to assess one’s strengths, weaknesses, and goals and then taking action to improve those areas. Self-improvement can take many forms, including learning new skills, increasing knowledge, and setting achievable goals. Parents who demonstrate self-improvement encourage their children to do the same and strive to be the best they can be. Determination is the quality of being resolute. It is the unwillingness to give up in the face of adversity and the determination to persist in achieving a goal. Parents who demonstrate determination show their children that hard work and dedication are necessary to achieve success. They also teach their children that it is important to be resilient and to see challenges as opportunities. By exemplifying self-improvement and determination, parents can paint a good example for their children. This example can help children develop the skills and qualities necessary for success in their own lives. Furthermore, it can help children learn that, with hard work and dedication, anything is possible. In fact, in order to have good self-esteem, self-improvement, being able to tolerate frustration, and being aware of the importance of learning from mistakes is fundamental. This way, children, both in their present and in their future, will be able to better cope with the problems that may arise in their daily lives. The sooner you start working on self-improvement, the more beneficial it’ll be for life as a whole. It produces positive feelings and is invaluable in children’s development. They’ll feel loved, they’ll have healthy self-esteem, and, in addition, they’ll experience the gratification of doing things well. In short, they’ll be happier and very productive children! As a parent, it’s normal for you to want to protect your children from all of life’s misfortunes, but that would only make it more difficult for them to live a full life. So, just as you shouldn’t get upset about mistakes, you have to allow your children to fail so that they can learn from their own mistakes as well. It’s a way to empower our children from a young age to find their passion both in the things they already know how to do and in the new skills they have yet to learn. May they never lack new goals!