I learned very early that hard-earned stability can easily disappear overnight. My parents never had the privilege of seeing education as a clear path forward. My father, American-born, spent his childhood working on 18-wheeler trucks to support his family, leaving little room for school. He struggled through high school and never had the chance to pursue college. My mother grew up in the mountains of Butuan in the Philippines, one of thirteen children, in a culture where girls were not expected to be educated at all. As a wide-eyed child, I listened to my mother’s stories from her village, stories that made me question the vast differences between life in the United States and life in the Philippines. One story, in particular, made me wonder why in some parts of the world, people are never even given the chance to learn? At just twelve years old, my mother walked alone through the mountains late into the night, through places no child should have to navigate alone. She was not running away or acting out of defiance. She was yearning for an education. When she reached a teacher’s home, she stood in the doorway and offered everything she had: her labor, her time, her determination, all in exchange for just the chance to learn. Why did she have to claw from nothing to earn the privilege of being literate and well spoken? As a young adult, I now understand. My mother taught me that education is not guaranteed. It is a privilege, and it is power. Now I confidently understand that my strength and hope bloom from the seeds my mother planted within me. My mother's past allowed me to see my future, but as a first-generation student, I have had to build my own understanding of education from the ground up. I have never had someone to explain navigating course selection, college applications, or long-term planning. I've learned by asking questions no one around me could answer, by seeking out opportunities, and by pushing myself into rigorous college preparatory classes like AP Biology and AP Psychology. There were moments where the weight of that independence felt overwhelming — especially as my family’s financial instability grows and they prepare to return to the Philippines while I stay behind to pursue my education alone. I dream of accomplishing something just as big and important as what my mother has through determination, willpower, and an appreciation for education. Through education, I hope to transform sacrifice into stability and continue a journey my parents began without ever having the chance to finish.