Balancing the roles of a single parent and student has presented itself with numerous challenges, particularly when parenting a child with special needs. I become a mother at 19 years old, and our journey was immediately marked by adversity. My daughter was born a month prematurely. She spent the first month of her life in an induced coma to alleviate brain swelling. By the time she was around five or six months old, she required physical therapy, occupational therapy, and later on, speech therapy due to developmental delays. Looking back now, I can admit that being a young, first-time mother, and caring for a child with such specialized needs took a toll on my already traumatized mental health. I would love to say that I successfully managed to balance my educational pursuits and motherhood while excelling in all of my classes. However, the truth is that I faced several setbacks. There were instances where I had to repeat courses, and even change schools due to my academic failures. I believe that my unresolved childhood trauma, coupled with self-blame for the challenges my daughter had to endure, had a negative impact on my mental health. As of now, I believe that my mental well-being is in a much better place than it was. In 2019, a significant turning point happened when I welcomed my second daughter. At this time, my eldest daughter was six going on seven years old. During that summer, genetic testing finally provided us with an answer: my daughter had been born with a rare genetic disorder known as Sotos Syndrome. Those who are born with this disorder are often times also diagnosed with ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and other physical ailments. Along with my daughter's diagnoses, it was also found that she suffers from absence seizures and scoliosis. She currently has magnetic rods along her spine to stop the curvature from becoming worse. Discovering her exact diagnosis brought an overwhelming sense of relief, as it has enabled us to better understand her condition. Since then, I have actively collaborated with her doctors and teachers to explore various strategies that can help her achieve her IEP goals. For the past seven years, I have pursued a career as a special education paraprofessional. It was my eldest daughter who inspired me to enter this field, as I have always been passionate about helping children with special needs. I am grateful to have the opportunity to work in the same school as my daughter, although I still continue to face financial challenges while juggling my role as a paraprofessional and working part-time as a pharmacy clerk. Although I have been fortunate to receive support from my daughter's father's family for daycare, meeting financial obligations continues to be an ongoing struggle. I would greatly appreciate any assistance offered to alleviate some financial stress related to continuing my education. This scholarship would be truly life-changing in my journey toward completing my bachelor's degree. I am determined to prove to myself that I can finish my degree and secure a better future for my children and myself. I want to show them that through determination and perseverance, they can achieve anything they put their minds to.

Imagine a child feeling like they have to constantly walk on eggshells and who is in constant fight, flight, or freeze mode when they are around their guardian. Imagine this child growing up feeling worthless to their core. Feeling broken, invisible, and unlovable. This was my childhood. Growing up with a mother who put work as her first priority and a narcissistic stepfather who was physically and mentally abusive has led me to struggle with mental health from childhood to this present day. During my childhood and teen years, I never felt like my feelings were ever taken seriously. When I would try to express how I was feeling or how I did not like the way he treated me, my stepfather would always gaslight me. He would always shift the blame towards myself and make me feel worthless. Taking my experience into consideration, I believe that there are a handful of ways for helping more people who struggle with mental health. There have been a lot of times during my adulthood where I have often thought about what it would be like to somehow go back in time to speak to my younger self. I would ask her what she needed to feel better. I can guarantee she would want her feelings to be taken seriously. It seems like there have been some progress into mental health awareness in the recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. I wish mental health was taken seriously years ago. It could have helped millions of people who have their daily battles with their mental health.