The loss of a loved one is an intense experience that can change our lives in unexpected ways. I not only lost my dad but also my grandfather who was there for me after my dad passed. My dad had ALS and passed away in April, 2012. I was only 5 years old. I have memories of my dad, which I cherish but only of him in a wheelchair or bedridden. I can remember sitting on his lap in his wheelchair and laying with him on his hospital bed in my parent’s bedroom watching cartoons. I was lucky to have a grandfather who, after my dad died, really stepped it up. He didn’t try to replace my dad but he certainly did his best to fill the void. Sadly, my grandfather died from complications of Covid-19 in January, 2022, the middle of wrestling season my freshman year of high school. I felt a deep emptiness that was hard to fill. However, it was through sports that I found a way to cope with my grief and became stronger. Looking back, I now can see how much of a positive impact playing sports has had on me. Playing sports has taught me important life lessons. Just like in wrestling, life is filled with challenges and setbacks. There were matches where I would get pinned or make illegal holds, but each time I learned to get back up and try again. This resilience became crucial as I dealt with my feelings of loss. I learned that it’s okay to feel sad, but it’s also important to keep moving forward, similar to a wrestler who faces their next opponent. This lesson is something Gramps had always emphasized, and now I understand it in a new way. The end of my freshman year lacrosse season I messed up my knee and needed surgery. The timing of my recovery kept me from wrestling my sophomore year. Instead of seeing this as another loss, I decided the best choice for me was to rehab in the pool so I joined the swim team. That year I was the only boy on the team. I could have said, “nah, I’m good” and rehabbed in the gym but I remembered how hard my grandfather worked to get the things he wanted in life. I knew I wanted to wrestle and play lacrosse again so I did what I knew was best for me. The fall of my junior year, I even ran cross country for my high school to continue to strengthen my leg. My dedication to getting back to what I loved paid off. It was an honor to have earned Most Improved in both wrestling and lacrosse my junior year. In conclusion, sports have been a very important part of my healing journey after losing my grandfather. It allowed me to express my emotions, learn important life lessons, and connect with a supportive community. Through the game, I found a way to honor my grandfather’s legacy while also discovering my own strength. Sports helped me not only cope with my grief but also grow as a person. As I continue to wrestle and play lacrosse, I carry my grandfather’s and dad’s memories with me, knowing that they would be proud of how far I’ve come.

My mother has been my biggest supporter in reaching my educational goals. She is the strongest person I know. She’s the one who has kept our family together through some of the hardest times. My dad was diagnosed with the fatal disease that affects the nervous system: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in 2010. By 2011, she was forced to take on the role of caregiver, both for him and for my brothers and me. When my dad passed away in 2012 my older brother was 6, I was 5 and my younger brother was only 3. Being so young, I don’t remember a whole lot but what I do remember is mostly how strong my mom was. Even after dad was gone, she was and continues to be my rock. My mom has always been there for my brothers and me, making sure we’re okay emotionally and physically. After my dad passed my anxiety became very severe. My mom got me into trauma counseling which helped me tremendously. Being a single mother of such young, and might I note, very active boys was no small feat. But through my eyes she did it with ease and such grace. She has taught me to be resourceful, to work smarter and not harder. When we moved, I was in third grade. My mom had me repeat second grade. I’m a September baby so I was very young for my grade. The teachers were hesitant but she knew starting second grade at a new school was the right move for me. Had we not moved, she wouldn’t have kept me back. My mom recognized the advantages of starting over at a new school. She took advantage of an opportunity that has had a very positive outcome for me academically. When I was struggling with reading my mom got me a tutor. She knew her limits and helping me with homework was beyond those limits. Instead of fighting with me to get me to read she made a decision that would be better for both of our well beings but especially my academically. Throughout middle school, especially during the pandemic, she made time to work with me on school work. I didn’t always cooperate but she never gave up on me. At the time I didn’t appreciate all the small, extra things she was doing. But as I got older and in high school I have been able to see ‘the whys’ she did it. As a senior in high school I am in honors classes and taking a couple AP classes. I wouldn’t be where I am without the help and guidance of the most remarkable human being I am lucky to call mom. I look forward to my future, hopefully at the University of Southern Maine, where I will study cyber security. The skills and encouragement my mom has given me over the years will carry me through the next chapter of my life and beyond.

I was five years old and It was toward the end of my Kindergarten year when my dad passed away from complications of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He was diagnosed only two years before the horrific disease took him from me, my brothers and my mom. That year of school the teachers were more focused on my well being then anything else. I remember being angry at the world. My years in elementary school were not easy. I was extremely disruptive in class, often yelling, throwing things and bullying my peers. I spent half of my day in a resource room, away from my friends. By fifth grade, after a couple years of trauma therapy and anti-anxiety medication, school got better for me. I also had a really cool teacher that year that I still think about the positive impact he had on me. I learned some valuable coping strategies from therapy and ways to control my anger. When I started middle school everything flipped around for me. Instead of being in different classrooms for reading and writing I was in the mainstream classroom for the entire school day. I no longer acted out during class and I did well in all my classes. By the time I entered high school, my teachers recommended me for honors English and History. This year, as a senior I am taking two honors classes and two AP classes. My grief journey hasn’t been easy but it has been my own. I’ve always been involved in sports and I strongly believe being active physically has played a large, positive part in my grieving. I still struggle, especially when school events happen and I see peers with both their parents. It will be a feeling I will carry with me my entire life. I know my dad is watching over me and guiding me as I navigate my future. I plan to attend the University of Southern Maine to earn a degree in cyber security. Computers have always been an interest of mine. It wasn’t until recently when my debit card was compromised that I became curious about cyber security. I look forward to learning more about cyber security and ways I can contribute to helping others keep their debit cards from being compromised.