My personal caregiving story began when I was 7 years old. My 32-year-old mother had given birth to my baby brother two months prior, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had a double mastectomy and 6 months of chemotherapy. Her treatment culminated when I was 9 years old. As the oldest of three in a low-income household, my father could not miss nearly any work. We lived simply, but the daily care of my siblings and the home consistently fell into my lap. As my childhood progressed, my mother continued to have recurrences of breast cancer, and I continued to step into the caregiver role for her and my siblings to maintain my dad's ability to work. From my 8th grade year through my freshman year of college, she fought with everything she had to survive. The cancer invaded her chest, lungs, spine, and brain. Ultimately, my mother passed away at 43 years old after fighting for 11 years. During the last 8 months of her life, when I was a full-time college freshman living at home as her primary caregiver, my mother was in a vegetative state. April 26th, 2025, marks 20 years since she passed, and I have chosen to return to college to complete a goal of mine my mother shared but never had the opportunity to do. Prior to being diagnosed, she was a 4th grade elementary teacher. I am a high school science teacher. In honor of her, to rewrite my broken college experience, and to offer future financial security to myself and my child, I am starting my MAT in the field of STEM Education. My years of caregiving for my mother built a level of resiliency that does not eliminate my fear but gives me the agility to face it consistently and willingly. I fully believe I can be a living testament to the strength of my mother. The financial influence of this scholarship would help to serve multiple generations. As a single mother, I would have the ability to eliminate a semester of federal graduate school loans with an interest rate currently at 8.08%. This impact would be exponential as it would allow me to financially assist my 14-year-old daughter as she transitions into life as a college student. The lack of loan repayment and additional costs associated with interest would be astronomical towards my goal of giving my daughter the childhood and entrance into adulthood I was not able to experience, and for this, I would be forever grateful.