My biggest adversity I faced in my life was caring for my father with ALS. His death carried such heavy emotional stress for me. My father had a neurodegenerative disease called ALS. Watching my father’s progression with the disease while still trying my best to care for him was extremely difficult. Seeing my fully capable father start to lose his ability to speak, move, and care for himself completely shattered me. To me, he was the strongest person I knew, and to see him at his weakest changed me. For two years, I juggled between helping my father with his condition while still going to school and doing the best I could. I spent a lot of time assisting him with meals, medical devices, and medication while also trying to keep up with assignments. It was challenging to focus on anything else, but him. However, I still remained committed to doing the best I could in school. To manage both responsibilities, I did almost all my assignments at school so when I went home, I could focus on my father. I also made sure I maintained strong relationships with family and friends so I could handle the emotional stress. Many times I felt overwhelmed, but I pushed myself to be there for my father and make him proud. I viewed his death as one of the most difficult times in my life. Going to school while simultaneously grieving for someone close to me was challenging. However, after my father’s passing, I really took time to reflect on the things in my life. I realized who my father was as a person and how he raised me. My father was a strong individual and hard worker. He always wanted the best for me and was fully invested in my pursuit of higher education. My family means everything to me and my goal for as long as I can remember has been to enter the medical field and become a pediatrician. My father's passing completely flipped my perception of myself. Before my father’s condition and passing, I never truly knew what it meant to struggle. However, I would never let my father’s passing or the grief and sadness overcome me. Even now, I am able to look back and cherish the moments I did have with my father while still balancing school and work. It made me resilient and confident as a person to know that even during a tough time, it doesn't have to be like that forever. I am so happy that I was able to grieve properly and understand that my father's passing isn't the end of a story but just the start of a new chapter.

I was never formally taught financial literacy, but I have learned about it through experience with working, helping out with bills, and seeing my family struggle financially. Growing up, I never truly realized how much my family struggled with money. As I got older, I was able to see that we really were living paycheck to paycheck for years. After my father’s passing, we were left in very tough financial situations. My father was our primary source of income and had little to no savings. Having to pay for funeral expenses while still having to pay for everyday necessities became increasingly difficult and overwhelming. Eventually, my family went into debt on our home, and it was foreclosed because we were unable to afford the payments. This experience made me more aware of the importance of savings. Unexpected and serious situations can happen at any moment, and having savings can help alleviate financial burdens on individuals and families. During the foreclosure process, my family decided to try to buy a house. However, my brother fell behind on his car payments, which drastically damaged his credit. This made it much more difficult to qualify for a loan to buy a house. This situation made me realize how important credit is and essential it is to manage money effectively and make payments on time. One financial mistake by my brother had everlasting effects that severely impacted our dire need for a loan to buy a new home. When I first started working, I was excited to receive my very own paycheck. This being my first job, I made impulsive spending decisions that I would later regret. Filled with excitement, I failed to recognize my major responsibilities, like how I need to pay for my books for my dual enrollment classes and contributing to the bills. I have now become increasingly aware of budgeting and saving, while also understanding the need to prepare for situations that can come up in the future. Understanding financial literacy is key to being able to succeed in the world and prepare for future responsibilities. With financial literacy and an understanding of finances, I will be able to better my future by making responsible decisions with budgeting, savings, and credit. I will be able to attend college without overbearing debt and be able to work towards a financially stable future. Receiving this scholarship would help me continue my pursuit of education while also helping me understand the importance of financial literacy. It would help not just me, but also my family that I care deeply about.