Drugs have had a major impact on my life and my family, especially growing up as a child. My mom was a single mom trying her best to raise my younger brother and me, but my dad struggled with serious drug addiction. Because of his addiction, he was in and out of prison throughout my childhood. Drugs completely took over his life, and because of that, he wasn’t able to be the father that we needed. Eventually, my mom passed away from cancer at the age of six, and my dad’s addiction led to him losing custody of my brother and me. My brother and I ended up going into foster care, and it was a difficult experience for us. We were suddenly taken away from everything we knew and had to adjust to new homes and a completely different life. Drugs didn’t just affect my dad, they affected our entire family and our future. Losing our parents left us without a parent to care for us. With my dad continuing to struggle with addiction and being in and out of prison, there was no stable home for us to go back to. It was a confusing and painful time in my life, especially because children need stability and support while growing up. For years, my dad would go through cycles of trying to get clean and then falling back into addiction. There would be moments where it seemed like things might change, but drugs always pulled him back in. Eventually, he would end up back in prison again. Drugs like fentanyl and other substances are extremely destructive, not only to the people using them but also to the families around them. My brother and I experienced firsthand how addiction can break apart families and change the direction of a child’s life. Eventually, my dad decided to sign away his parental rights because he knew he could not provide the life that we needed. After spending a few years in foster care, my younger brother and I were finally adopted when I was ten years old. Being adopted gave us a stable home and people who truly cared about us, which was something we had been missing for a long time. Even though adoption helped give us a better future, the experiences we went through as kids still shaped who I am today. Growing up around addiction made me realize how serious the drug crisis is in many communities. It also made me realize how many children are affected by addiction even though they are not the ones using drugs. Because of my experiences, I want to be part of the solution instead of just another person affected by the problem. This is one of the main reasons I chose to pursue a degree in criminal justice. Through my studies, I want to better understand the connection between addiction, crime, and the justice system. My goal is to use my education to help address the root causes of addiction and crime. I want to work in a field where I can help support prevention programs, rehabilitation efforts, and resources that help people recover from addiction. I believe that when people are given the right support and opportunities, they can change their lives. My childhood showed me how damaging drugs can be to families and communities. Because of that, I want to dedicate my future career to helping people break those cycles. By studying criminal justice and psychology, and becoming a forensic psychologist. I hope to make a difference and help create safer and healthier communities for future generations.

My relationship with Jesus has played a huge role in shaping my faith and who I am today. My journey with God started at a very young age, especially during some of the hardest moments of my life. When I was six years old, my mom passed away from breast cancer, and my life changed completely. After that, my brother and I ended up in foster care for several years. During that time, there was a lot of uncertainty, pain, and confusion in my life. Even though I felt alone in many ways, the one presence that I always felt was God. As a child, I didn’t always understand why things were happening the way they were, but I found comfort in believing that God was with me through it all. When everything around me felt unstable, my faith gave me something steady to hold onto. It helped me believe that there was still purpose for my life, even when things felt overwhelming. I truly believe that God carried me through those difficult years and helped give me the strength to keep moving forward. Over time, my relationship with Jesus has continued to grow and become more personal. I have learned that faith doesn’t mean life will always be easy, but it means that you never have to face challenges alone. My faith has taught me resilience, hope, and the importance of trusting God even when I don’t fully understand His plan. Looking back on everything I’ve been through, I can see how my faith helped guide me through some of the darkest times in my life. As I continue my educational journey over the next four years, I plan to keep my faith at the center of my life. I want my relationship with Jesus to guide the way I treat others, the choices I make, and the goals I set for my future. College will bring new challenges and opportunities, but I believe my faith will continue to give me strength and direction. One way I plan to implement my faith during my education is by staying connected to God through prayer, reflection, and surrounding myself with people who share similar values. I also want to use my faith to encourage and support others who may be struggling in their own lives. Because I know what it feels like to go through difficult times, I want to be someone who shows kindness, compassion, and understanding. Most importantly, my faith reminds me that my life has a purpose beyond just my own success. As I work toward my education and future career, I want to use my gifts and knowledge to help others. My relationship with Jesus has taught me that serving others and showing love and compassion are two of the most important things we can do. Throughout my educational journey, I hope to continue growing in my faith while using it as a foundation for the person I am becoming.

Jack Terry’s story is inspiring because it shows how someone can overcome unimaginable hardship and still dedicate their life to helping others. As a child, Jack Terry survived the Holocaust and lost nearly his entire family. After the war, he came to the United States with very little, but he worked hard to build a successful life. Instead of letting his painful past define him in a negative way, he chose to use his experiences to make a difference. Through the Terry Foundation, he has helped thousands of students pursue higher education and build better futures. His story is powerful because it shows that even after facing extreme adversity, a person can still choose hope, resilience, and generosity. In many ways, Jack Terry’s story inspires me because I have also had to overcome many challenges in my life from a very young age. When I was six years old, my mom passed away from breast cancer. Losing my mom at such a young age completely changed my life. My dad struggled with addiction and used meth, which led to him being in and out of prison. Because of this, there was no stable parent to take care of my younger brother and me, and we ended up entering the foster care system. My time in foster care was very difficult. The environment was often abusive and unstable, and it felt like my childhood was taken away from me. Instead of feeling safe and supported, as most kids should, I had to learn how to survive in situations that were confusing and painful. Those experiences forced me to grow up much faster than other kids my age. Eventually, when I was ten years old, my younger brother and I were adopted. Being adopted gave us stability and a home. For the past eight years, I have been trying to navigate life while carrying the weight of those experiences. Sometimes it feels like I don’t fully fit in with others my age because my childhood was so different. I had to deal with loss, instability, and trauma at a time when most kids are just learning how to be kids. However, those struggles have also shaped who I am today. They have taught me resilience, empathy, and the importance of perseverance. Like Jack Terry, I want to take the hardships I have experienced and turn them into something meaningful. My experiences growing up are also what inspired my future goals. I plan to study psychology and eventually become a forensic psychologist. I developed a strong interest in psychology because I became fascinated with how the human mind works and why people make the choices they do. Growing up around addiction, crime, and instability made me want to understand the deeper reasons behind human behavior. As a forensic psychologist, I hope to work within the criminal justice system to understand offenders better and help improve rehabilitation efforts. I want to contribute to programs that focus on mental health, trauma, and prevention so that people can receive the support they need before their lives take a destructive path. My goal is to help others break cycles of trauma, addiction, and crime that affect so many families and communities. Jack Terry’s story reminds me that even the most difficult beginnings do not have to define the rest of a person’s life. Adversity can be transformed into purpose. Through my education and career, I hope to use my experiences to help others, just as he used his experiences o give back and create opportunities for future generations.

My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer at a really young age. She was incredibly strong and actually beat it the first time she had it. For a while, things were better, but sadly, the cancer came back later on. When I was six years old, my mom passed away after her second battle with breast cancer. Losing our mom that young completely changed our lives. Since she was a single mom, there wasn’t another parent to take care of us, so we ended up going into the foster care system. Going through that at such a young age was extremely hard. My mom had always been the person who made me feel safe and loved, and suddenly she was gone. My brother and I spent years in foster care. We didn’t have the stability that most kids grow up with, and that can be really confusing and emotional for a child. Finally, when I was ten years old, I was adopted with my brother. Being adopted gave me a more stable home, which I’m grateful for, but it didn’t take away the pain of losing my mom or everything we had already gone through. I feel like I had to grow up a lot faster than other kids my age. When you go through something like losing a parent and being in foster care, you learn to be strong whether you want to or not. My childhood wasn’t as simple as most kids’ childhoods. I had to deal with grief, big life changes, and learning how to adjust to new environments. It forced me to take on responsibilities and mature earlier than most kids. One of the hardest parts for me was growing up without a mother figure after the age of six. There were so many moments where I wished I could talk to my mom, ask for advice, or just have her there for support. When she was sick, even though I was really young, I remember feeling like I wanted to help take care of her. I cared about her so much and hated seeing her struggle. Even though losing my mom made my childhood harder, it also shaped who I am today. It taught me how to be resilient and keep going even when life is really difficult. Going through something like that at a young age makes you see life differently. I feel like it made me stronger and more independent, even though it was something no kid should have to go through. Another thing that has always been at the back of my mind is the fear of breast cancer affecting me in the future. My mom had it, but my great-grandma also had breast cancer, which makes me think about how it could run in my family. Knowing that multiple generations in my family have had it is scary sometimes, and it’s something I worry about for my own future. It makes me think more about my health and what I can do to take care of myself. Overall, my mom’s diagnosis and passing had a huge impact on my life. It changed my childhood, my family situation, and the way I see the world. Even though it brought a lot of pain and challenges, it also helped shape me into the person I am today. It taught me strength, resilience, and how important family and health really are. I do have a photo of my brother and me celebrating out moms birthday when we were in foster care because I don't have photos with her as a kid.