I am Scarlette Degennaro and at a young age, I had to learn to be independent. I come from a low-income family and my parents work hard to provide shelter and food for our family. Sometimes, my parents work too hard. They don't mean any harm, they just want the best future for me and my sister. Even though sometimes it meant that they weren't there. I learned how to cook at the age of eight and I would often take care of my sister. I have gained responsibility by watching my parents and learning from them. As soon as I got a job, I would pay for my groceries for them to save a bit of money. I am 18 now, and I've learned how to take care of myself. I cook my food, buy my groceries, and paid for my car. They taught me that family will be always there to help me but sometimes I have to help myself. This scholarship will help me get the education I need to be successful. My parents already do a lot for me and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for them. They don't have enough money to cover all my college tuition, so any amount of scholarship I get will help with our financial situation. My family has supported me all my life and I just want to make them proud. We don't have enough money to cover my college tuition, but we appreciate the opportunity of being accepted into college.