My household felt like a single-parent household before it actually was. I grew up with a dad who struggled with mental health issues -he was bipolar, had post­traumatic stress disorder from his chaotic childhood, and also had an alcohol addiction. He wanted to create an image that he had everything and that he had it all together. He saw sharing his problems as weakness, so he closed himself off. This pressure of having to work to craft an image of wealth and to keep his problems buried ended up becoming an overwhelming burden that he thought could be relieved with alcohol. Sadly, my dad thought that his image was more important than fostering relationships with his family and admitting that he needed help. Keeping up with the illusion of stability ultimately led to his death. Growing up with an alcoholic dad was a combination of highs and lows. Sometimes, when he was sober, things were great-he tried his best to be a good dad. But at other times home was a difficult place to be because I never knew what to expect. There was no peace when he was drinking. I also felt like I couldn't share this part of my life with anyone outside of my family, so I was very isolated. I got through this difficult time in my life because of my mom. For as long as I can remember, she has been a guide who has taught me how to work past struggles and helped me to grow stronger as a result. Her ability to put others first has served as the greatest example that I want to live by. From her demonstrations of selflessness, she has impacted not only how I deal with my circumstances, but my overall outlook on life. I've learned to put more consideration into the feelings of others instead of being self-centered, because that is what will help me feel connected to and create a community with the individuals who are involved in my life. Growing up with an alcoholic father and now no father has been an obstacle in my life, casting a shadow on how I view myself and my future. After my dad died, I was afraid of being defined as "the kid who lost his dad," and I struggled to be open about my problems and emotions. However, I have overcome this obstacle by realizing that the only way to truly fulfill the heart is to open it up and surrender it to others. Although I live in a single parent household, I have persevered through the difficult times in my life and have used what I learned to give back to my school and my community. My service as a leader in the choir, in the Young Men’s Service League, and as a volunteer soccer coach and camp counselor have helped me to focus on the good in my life. I chose Human Dimensions of Organizations as my college major—it focuses on workplace interactions and how organizations can best serve their employees and customers. I want to work in consulting so I can help companies not only create better workplaces for their employees, but also serve their clients more effectively. My career goal is to use my heart for service to create workplaces that cultivate an environment of gratitude. To avoid repeating generational mistakes, I reflect on the good memories of my father but embrace the hard times too. This way, I can honor his memory while avoiding the mistakes he made, always remembering that alcohol doesn't relieve pain, it only hides it temporarily.

My household felt like a single-parent household before it actually was. I grew up with a dad who struggled with mental health issues -he was bipolar, had post­traumatic stress disorder from his chaotic childhood, and also had an alcohol addiction. He wanted to create an image that he had everything and that he had it all together. He saw sharing his problems as weakness, so he closed himself off. This pressure of having to work to craft an image of wealth and to keep his problems buried ended up becoming an overwhelming burden that he thought could be relieved with alcohol. Sadly, my dad thought that his image was more important than fostering relationships with his family and admitting that he needed help. Keeping up with the illusion of stability ultimately led to his death. I got through this difficult time in my life because of my mom. For as long as I can remember, she has been like a guide who has taught me how to work past struggles and helped me to grow stronger as a result. Her ability to put others first has served as the greatest example that I want to live by. From her demonstrations of selflessness, she has impacted not only how I'm dealing with my circumstances, but my overall outlook on life too. I have learned to put more consideration into the feelings of the people around me instead of being self-centered and prioritizing my life above others, because that is what will help me feel connected to and create a community with the individuals who are involved in my life. Growing up with an alcoholic father and now no father has been an obstacle in my life, casting a shadow on how I view myself and my future. After my dad died, I was afraid of being defined as "the kid who lost his dad," and I struggled to be open about my problems and emotions. However, I have overcome this obstacle with my mom's help by realizing that the only way to truly fulfill the heart is to open it up and surrender it to others. Although I live in a single parent household, I have persevered through the difficult times in my life and have used what I learned to give back to my school and my community. My service as a leader in the choir, in the Young Men’s Service League, and as a volunteer soccer coach and camp counselor have helped me to focus on the good in my life. I chose Human Dimensions of Organizations as my college major—it focuses on workplace interactions and how organizations can best serve their employees and customers. I want to work in consulting so I can help companies not only create better workplaces for their employees, but also serve their clients more effectively. My career goal is to use my heart for service to create workplaces that cultivate an environment of gratitude. A scholarship would tremendously help both me and my family. My mom is a teacher, and my brother is also in college, so I would like to help my mom as much as I can.

My household felt like a single-parent household before it actually was. I grew up with a dad who struggled with mental health issues -he was bipolar, had post­traumatic stress disorder from his chaotic childhood, and also had an alcohol addiction. He wanted to create an image that he had everything and that he had it all together. He saw sharing his problems as weakness, so he closed himself off. This pressure of having to work to craft an image of wealth and to keep his problems buried ended up becoming an overwhelming burden that he thought could be relieved with alcohol. Sadly, my dad thought that his image was more important than fostering relationships with his family and admitting that he needed help. Keeping up with the illusion of stability ultimately led to his death. I got through this difficult time in my life because of my mom. For as long as I can remember, she has been like a guide who has taught me how to work past struggles and helped me to grow stronger as a result. Her ability to put others first has served as the greatest example that I want to live by. From her demonstrations of selflessness, she has impacted not only how I'm dealing with my circumstances, but my overall outlook on life too. I have learned to put more consideration into the feelings of the people around me instead of being self-centered and prioritizing my life above others, because that is what will help me feel connected to and create a community with the individuals who are involved in my life. Growing up with an alcoholic father and now no father has been an obstacle in my life, casting a shadow on how I view myself and my future. After my dad died, I was afraid of being defined as "the kid who lost his dad," and I struggled to be open about my problems and emotions. However, I have overcome this obstacle by realizing that the only way to truly fulfill the heart is to open it up and surrender it to others. Although I live in a single parent household, I have persevered through the difficult times in my life and have used what I learned to give back to my school and my community. My service as a leader in the choir, in the Young Men’s Service League, and as a volunteer soccer coach and camp counselor have helped me to focus on the good in my life. I chose Human Dimensions of Organizations as my college major—it focuses on workplace interactions and how organizations can best serve their employees and customers. I want to work in consulting so I can help companies not only create better workplaces for their employees, but also serve their clients more effectively. My career goal is to use my heart for service to create workplaces that cultivate an environment of gratitude. A scholarship would tremendously help both me and my family. My mom is a teacher, and my brother is also in college, so I would like to help my mom as much as I can.