Hobbies and interests
Camping
Cheerleading
Coaching
Criminology
Forensics
Government
Human Rights
Mental Health
Psychology
True Crime
Volunteering
Elizabeth Forrey
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FinalistElizabeth Forrey
515
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FinalistEducation
Grand Canyon University
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- Psychology, Other
Miscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
Career
Dream career field:
Legal Services
Dream career goals:
Sports
Cheerleading
Club2008 – 202214 years
Awards
- Most Inspirational
Future Interests
Advocacy
Politics
Volunteering
Jackanow Suicide Awareness Scholarship
On the morning of May 21, 2021, my mom got a phone call no one should ever receive. The call was from my grandpa and all he had to say was, "He did it," for us to know exactly what had happened.
Throughout high school, my dad struggled with drug abuse and alcoholism. When my sister and I were born my mom told my dad he had to get clean to be a dad for us, so that is what he did. Although he got clean, he still struggled with alcohol throughout the rest of his life. His consequences of doing drugs and drinking alcohol resulted in many mental illnesses like depression and bipolar disorder.
Before my dad passed away, he had tried to take his own life 3 times in front of my sister and me. Once with a gun and twice with pills. The trauma he was causing us resulted in my mom filing for a divorce to protect my sister and me from any more trauma. Those two years they were apart were both great for us and bad for us. It was good because we saw our mom free from walking on eggshells whenever she talks to someone, but it was bad because my dad went downhill really fast. His depression got worse and he started drinking more and more alcohol. It got so bad to the point where he would show up at our house, break-in, and get arrested for what he did. Eventually, he earned our trust back and we started hanging out with him again. Things started to look uphill from here, he was doing amazing mentally and he wasn't drinking any more alcohol.
Although he seemed to be healthier and happier, the demons took over and he decided to resort to overdosing and ended up being successful this time. I was 17 years old when I lost my father to suicide and it impacts my life to this day. I have to live life listening to people talking about all the experiences they get to have with their dad while I get to experience none of those. A main impact of my life that has resulted from the passing of my father is realizing that my dad won't be at any of my big life experiences like my high school graduation, college graduation, my wedding, and when my kids are born. When my dad passed away, I allowed myself to go through and continue to allow myself to go through the grieving process. I deal with this loss by talking to people I trust when I am feeling down about it. I also deal with his loss by doing things he would want me to do like being successful in school and making life-long experiences. I don't think I have yet overcome this loss but I feel as though I am on the uphill stretch to being able to overcome his death. My dad's passing has taught me to never take things for granted, always tell your loved ones just how much they are loved, and that life is short so don't think too much about the things you are doing and just have fun.