8mikey0

I would say that my mom was the most influential person in my life. She is & was a single parent for all of my life. I have seen her struggle a lot. There have been plenty of ups & downs which she never let any of it keep her down. She has taught me that if you want things in life you need to work for them. I have learned to always appreciate & be grateful for what you have in life. I would say that I got my work habits from her since she works hard & always puts her best effort in. My mom has been there supporting me & encouraging me to do my best. At times I would think that she was being hard on me by nagging & bugging me to do my schoolwork but she only wanted me to do well in school. She would say how important it was to go to school & participate in things. My mom showed me being kind to others is so important because you don’t know what they going through. I would be told that if I don’t want it done to me don’t do wrong to others. That helping others is not only a good thing but will make you feel good & happy. I have also learned when in a relationship it is important to be respectful, caring & thoughtful of your partner’s needs. Being honest with your partner is very important so lying to them would not help or be a good thing. Then having the right friends in your life is important. Knowing that they will have your back when needed is also what I have learned. And if your friends tell you something that you don’t like it doesn’t mean they hate you they just want the best for you & care about you they don’t want to see you get hurt. I wouldn’t want anyone else for a mother then who I have. I owe who I am all to her. That if I fall down I just need to dust myself off and get back up keep going. You are going to have hard times in life & that nobody’s life is perfect. You should just try to look at the bright side of things & make the best out things as much as you can. Never give up.

My brother & I are being raised by a single mother. She has been working at her job for almost 35 years now. Our mother would work long hours on some days so she can make sure we didn’t go without the important things in life. Even though things were hard at times & we were struggling to get by she would never let it show that she was getting down at times. At her job when asked to do any extra work to help out she does without any hesitation. I used to get annoyed when she would bug me to get a job.I couldn’t understand why she was being so persistent on my brother & I getting jobs but I do now. She taught us that you need to work for what you need & want in life that things are not free in life. And while you are at work if you see a coworker struggling with something go and help without being asked to. Also she would tell us that when it comes to being at work on time and on our assigned days that is so important that the employer is counting on us. And calling out of work just to go hang out with our friends isn’t right. And she would tell us that if we were unhappy at the job first try to solve the problem that is making us unhappy if can’t be fixed look for another job and always give notice before quitting. I feel that I am a better person for being raised by her and that my work ethic is better then it was in the past.

I am the youngest of 2 being raised by a single mother. It has only been the 3 of us for the past 19 years. I would say that I am a kind, caring, loving & respectful person. My friends say I am fun to hang out with & be around with. Being there as support for my family & friends is important to me & I know they are there as support for me. My older sibling is in the process of transgender and I support him in every way that I can. My brother and I do get a long we do though have our times that we get mad at each other and disagree on things. My favorite sports to play is football & soccer. I played both sports since I was around 6 years old. My favorite football team is the NY Giants. At my home in NJ we have 3 cats named Harley, Pixie & Daisy and a dog named Chance. They all get along well at least most of the time. One of my favorite things to do is play video games either by myself or with a group of my friends. It was a struggle with going to school & doing school work during the pandemic but with hard work I pulled it off. The first year & half was the hardest for me which I got through it. Virtual learning was definitely a challenge. If I was to get this scholarship it would be such a big help. With the cost of going to school and the cost of living any amount I can receive would be appreciated. My mom told me that somehow we would figure things out in order for me to go to college. I was told by my mom to follow my dreams and not let anyone or anything stand in my way. She works full time and will work extra time when she can. I want to lessen the burden for my mom. For the summer I got a job so I am going to try my best and work hard to save what I can to help out. When I go back to college in the fall I am going to try to get a p/t job so I can continue to help out. I am the first of my family to go to college. So again if I got this scholarship it would be appreciated and will help out such a big way

Growing up with a single mother was tough at times. My mom worked hard to make sure me & my brother had what we needed. She would work overtime when she could to make sure we didn’t miss out on celebrating our birthdays, having good holidays and doing fun activities. There were times that I could not do things with my friends, not get things I asked for, certain foods & snacks besides other things which upset her and she tried her best to not let it show. My mom showed me that hard work does pay off & you can achieve anything if you work hard enough for it. She supported me in every way she could by going to my sporting events, school events & just by being there. It was as hard not having my father around but my mom played the role of being my mom & father. If I was upset about something or someone just getting a hug from my mom would make me a little bit better. There were times she would just listen when I talked and that was good enough for me. I had rules that I hard to follow & she was strict at times when I was younger which I hated & couldn’t understand why she was that way but with being older I know why now & understand. There were times that my mom had to ask for help with getting us clothes & food because we didn’t have enough to get through. I felt my mom was hard on me with going to school & doing my schoolwork but she just wanted better & more things for me & my brother then what she could provide. My mom has a heart of good & always tries to believe the good in others. I feel that I am a better & stronger person because of my mom. I was taught to never presume that I am always right & better then others. Also I was taught to be kind, thoughtful, kind, caring, loving & respectful to others. Going through life you will have ups & downs which taught me to never give up to keep going. I have the upmost respect for my mother I will always love her for being there for me & my brother. I would be so loss with not having her in my life.

My dream version of myself is to be the best person I can be.

I would say how a pet has changed my life is you can not judge a breed by what you hear. I grew up with family members having Pitt bulls as a pet. With having a cousin and my brother owning a Pitt bull I have learned it is how you raise the dog that matters. Before my cousin’s dog passed I learned he just wanted love and attention just like my brother’s dog. After spending time with both of the dogs I learned that they have feelings just like humans. I just love how Chance my brother’s dog gets so happy when he sees me. It makes me feel good when he wants to spend time with me. I am going to miss him when I am away at college.

In my family we have a dog named Chance. His breed is a pittbull. He is such a lovable caring dog. He loves to meet new people he gets so excited when he does meet someone new. I love it when he gets me when I get home. My cousin also had a pittbull named Tank. She recused him and took care of him til he passed away from cancer. I was actually afraid of pittbulls because off their reputation before Chance & Tank. Seeing how Chance & Tank were with people changed how I felt about pittbulls I wasn’t afraid anymore

If I had a $1,000 right now I would put it towards stuff I would need for college. With the cost of tuition and supplies for college it would definitely help. My mom works hard and said that she would help with the cost of college for me so the $1,000 would help so she she wouldn’t have to give as much. I could use it for other things not school but my education is more important

I am being raised along with my sibling by a single mother. It has been just the three of us for the last 18 years. My mom works hard to make sure she can provide for us. She has gone without things for herself just to make sure we could have what we needed and wanted. She has also been there supporting us in our school work and activities that we like to do. I have seen her struggle through life and I am so proud to have her as my mother. I know if you work hard enough and have the right support you can achieve anything you set your mind to. If I can become half of the person she is I would be happy with that.

What I would like to have changed is the gun violence. Back in October of 2021 I lost a very close friend who I would say was just like a brother. It just felt like the world stopped when I heard of the news of him passing away. He was only 17 years old he had so much going for him. He had such a wonderful personality. There is not a day goes by that I don’t think of him and miss him. Then with the school shooting in Texas where the innocent children and teachers lost their lives which was so sad. I couldn’t even imagine what they went through. And now their families have to continue living on without them. And then there was a hospital, church and on streets in different cities/states with shootings happening. It almost makes you afraid to go out and do anything where you don’t know if you would make it back home alive. It is said mental health has a lot to do with it which is true. That if people are aware of the signs they could possibly stop something tragic from happening. It doesn’t help that guns can be easily purchased in some cases. The government said they will get strict on gun laws but that wouldn’t stop someone from illegally buying a gun. It is a shame that things are the way they are

What I have learned is that life is not easy financially, mentally and emotionally. These past 2 years of the pandemic has shown that. When the pandemic first started it was hard with doing school work/lessons virtually. It was definitely an adjustment & learning experience. With hard work I got through it. Once the school’s reopened that was so much better, Seeing family members and friends get sick with Covid was hard because I couldn’t be with them and help out. I lost one of my grandfather’s to Covid and pneumonia. And seeing and hearing so many people suffer and struggle with things was hard. At first it wasn’t too bad financially but as time went on businesses closed which made it hard to find a job. Then the cost of things you needed or wanted was going up in price which made it hard to get by but I seen with hard work and support you can get through things.

The one personal finance lesson that I have learned that I find important is that things don’t come free in life. If you wants things you have to work for them which at times can be hard. I have been told if you really want something out of life don’t let anyone or anything stop you. Determination can pay off for you. Especially these days it is hard going through life financially but hard work can pay off. It all starts with a good education from when you start kindergarten up to when you start & finish college. Then you need to find the right job that fits you. Once you have found the right job you would need to work hard enough to keep that job to support yourself and your family. And if you fail the first time get right back up and continue moving forward. Money doesn’t always buy you happiness but it can help you get through life.

I feel that generosity is willing to give to others. And it doesn’t have to be financially but it could be also be you are generous with your time. Just giving your time to someone could mean the world to him or her.

The wisest thing that I ever heard was if you work hard enough you can achieve anything you want. Reaching for the stars is not impossible that don’t let anyone or anything stop you.

The most helpful piece of financial advice I ever received was that if you want anything out of life you have to work for it. You need to keep track of your finances that are coming in and going out. If you work hard enough for what you want your dreams can come true. I want to be able to say what I have I did on my own. You have to be appreciated and great full for what you have earned in life. Everything comes with a price and how you handle it is up to you. And I have learned from my mom how to be financially independent like her.

I want to be able to get a good education so I can get a good job. One day I want to get married, buy a home and raise a family. I want to bible to say the things I have I have worked hard for. I also would like to help others out if I am in the position to.

I would say the biggest problem facing the world right now is gun violence. It is so sad seeing what is happening in so many places. There are so many innocent lives being lost. Everyone should be there showing support and guidance to each other. Just being there with a lending ear or a shoulder for to lean on is so important. Showing someone that there are other ways to solve a problem is what matters that pulling a gun out and shooting someone is not a solution.

I would say the one thing that I do to improve the lives of the elderly in my community is being there. Seeing a smile on his or her face after having a conversation or helping out with a chore makes me feel good. Showing respect to the elderly is so important. Having patients with the elderly is also very important. I like the time I spend with my grandfather very much watching tv, carrying stuff in for him, going camping and helping with his laundry.

Yes I have stayed optimistic through the tough times. If you have enough family and friends who are there for you to support and guide you in the right direction you will be good. My mom is a good example that if you are going through hard struggling times that if you keep your chin up and push through you will be ok. And seeing people help others out during these hard times gives me hope things are going to be ok

It is hard to choose just one characteristic that fits me the most but if I had to I would say caring. I care about the well being of my family and friends a lot knowing they are ok, happy and healthy is what is important. I make sure that everyone in my life knows I am there if they need me.

I would say the person who has supported me the most is my mom. She has been there supporting and encouraging me in every way she could. My mom would tell me to follow my dreams that hard work does pay off. She would push me to do my best which I could not understand why but I do now.