Although I was young, I had a very good relationship with my mom. We had a tight bond. She was my shoulder to lean on. I lost my mom to Stage 4, stomach and lung cancer in 2017. I was only 13 years old at the time. It was a huge heartbreak for me. There was never a day when she wasn’t by my side. I had to adjust to living without her. Now that I am older, I feel like we would have been even more close. My mom would have really been my best friend. I say that because I would talk to her about any & everything. She would’ve taught me all the important aspects of life and being a woman. My relationship with mom influenced my decision to attend college because I was taught to care for my education. My mom didn’t play about school. What I mean by that is, she didn’t want us to have any bad grades. She made sure that we stayed on top of our assignments. My mother also helped us with our homework most of the time. She constantly told my siblings and I, “Go to school to be a leader, not a follower.” Go to school to be smart, as she would say. She attended college herself. I know that seeing me pursue my dreams would have been a blessing to her. My mom encouraged me to always do what I think is best. I know that she would be so proud and happy for me. Even though my parents aren’t here, I still want to do what’s right. It hurts to know that they can’t witness the sweet young woman I am becoming. My main goal is to make them proud. Everything I do will not only be for me, but it will be for them too.

A teacher that helped me pursue higher education was my College and Career Seminar teacher. Her name is Ms. Falls. I had her my senior year of high school, for the whole semester. When school first started I thought to my self, “What is this class for?” and “Why do I have this class?” I thought it wasn’t useful or important. It was to get me prepared for real world situations as well as getting ready for college. I learned many aspects of school and life that I had no knowledge of before. Having that class was very helpful and beneficial to me. Having her as a teacher was a true blessing. Ms. Falls impacted my higher education journey by giving the best advice whether it involved school or not. She pushed me to do better. It made me think more about how I want my life to be. She always cared about my progress dealing with school and life in general. Ms. Falls taught us about things we could do to improve ourselves and things that would help us be successful once we get to college. Whenever I had a question, she was there to answer it. Her answers always gave me clarity and understanding. It made me focus on things that are more important. Many of her assignments had meaning to them. It wasn’t being assigned just for a grade but it was for our benefit. If there was any opportunity to help a student she made sure to use it. She posted scholarship and job opportunities all the time. Before school ended, she offered help to us with anything we needed during the summer. Ms. Falls attended our high school graduation. She also wants to receive follow-ups in the future. As in the description, Ms. Falls absolutely saved me from minimizing their potential inside and out of the classroom. I was genuinely undecided about the school I wanted to attend or if I even wanted to go to college at all. Listening to her talks and advice really had me thinking critically. I can say that she is the most caring teacher I’ve had. I am glad that I listened to everything that I was being taught. I prayed for guidance and also with her help the problem was solved. With all of that being said, my decision is to attend Western Illinois University in the fall.

My mom is my greatest inspiration in life. She is an inspiration because I never saw her give up. She always strives and tried her best to be the best mom. My mom passed away when I was in 8th grade and it was a huge heartbreak for me but I stayed motivated and graduated months later. I had to adjust to living without her. A few weeks ago my dad passed away so it has been extremely hard without both of my parents. My family doesn’t have much money or any to help pay for my education. I don’t want to keep stressing and worrying about how I will pay for school. Any scholarship I receive would be a blessing. As a teen, I don’t have my parents to help me or see me achieve my goals. My main goal is to make them proud. Everything I do will not only be for me, but it will be for them too.