To me, resilience isn’t just about getting through hardships; it’s about finding strength in those moments and using that strength to help others. The person who inspires me to be resilient and that has made the most positive impact on me is my mother. My life has been full of challenges, but my mother has always been there to comfort me and teach me how to be strong not just for myself, but for the sake of others. When I was 10 years old, my dad passed away. His loss left me absolutely broken, but my mother stepped up to be both parents for me, lending me her strength to get through that difficult period. My mother is the strongest person I know. My sister, who has a developmental disability, needs her constant care, and so does my elderly grandmother, who lives with us. But despite all this, my mother has carried our family with so much love and she never let us feel like we were alone. Because of my mother, I’ve learned the true power of resilience. She has shown me that even when life gets difficult, you can still be there for others. Her example has made me want to be the same kind of support for my friends and those around me. I want to be the person they can talk to about their struggles, the one they can lean on during difficult times. My mother inspires me every day, and her love has made me feel so loved that I want to share that same love and comfort with others. This scholarship would mean so much to me and my family. As a low-income household, we struggle to make ends meet and in addition to my sister’s bills, I have no way of paying for post-secondary education on my own. This scholarship would help me achieve my dream of becoming a medical professional. I want to be someone who can help and inspire others, just as my mother has done for me. My mother’s resilience has taught me that even in the hardest times, we can find strength and use it to lift others up. My mother has made the most positive impact on me and she influences me to help everyone I possibly can. With this scholarship, I want to continue living up to my mother’s teachings by making a difference in the lives of others.

Being the first in my family to go to college and the oldest sibling is something I’m proud of, but it’s also been really hard. My mum has always pushed me to do well, and though I know that she just wants the best for me, sometimes the pressure feels like too much. My sister has a developmental disability, and while I love her and understood that she needs extra care, I felt like I didn’t get the same attention. And even though I knew it wasn’t her fault, I couldn’t help feeling jealous and resentful sometimes. It’s something I’ve had to work through. My parents split up when I was around seven or eight, but even before that, things were rough at home. There was a lot of fighting, and I witnessed domestic violence . Those memories followed me into my pre-teen and teenage years and it wasn’t until 2020 that I was diagnosed with PTSD. My dad was a smoker and an alcoholic, and even after the divorce, he’d make me “pinky promise” to help get him and my mum back together. I was just a kid and I didn’t know how to fix their marriage, and I didn’t understand why he was asking me to. It felt like it was my fault and because of me, our family broke up. After the divorce, my mum, my sister, and I moved to the U.S. to live with my grandma. Moving to a new country at eight years old was overwhelming. I had to learn English and adjust to a whole new culture. When I was ten, my dad passed away. Even though he wasn’t the best dad, I always held onto this hope that he’d change. I dreamed that he’d come to America, that we’d be a family again, and that I’d finally get to do all the normal father-and-daughter things I saw other kids doing. When he died, that hope died with him. It hurt so much, and it still does. Depression and PTSD have affected every part of my life; my relationships, my self-esteem, even my ability to focus on school. It made me feel hopeless and I lost my faith in God, I began distancing myself from my friends, and I just completely isolated myself. The COVID-19 pandemic was a breaking point for me. I started self-harming and when my mum found out, she got me into therapy. It took a while to find the right therapist, but once I did, it made a huge difference. Therapy has helped me understand my trauma and find healthier ways to cope. My background has made me want to become a better person and help others. I have always been interested in the medicine field because my father was a sociologist, but I really want to study radiology. I want to help others through medicine and that is my ultimate dream.

To me, success is not just about achieving personal goals and overcoming trauma; it’s about using those experiences to uplift others and make a meaningful impact in my community. Success means becoming someone who can provide support and healing to those in need, just as my mother has done for me and my family. It means turning my struggles into strength and using that strength to help others through their own challenges. My ultimate dream is to become a radiologist. I want to use my passion for medicine to help others in a life changing way. Growing up, I faced challenges that shaped my understanding of perseverance. As the oldest sibling and the first generation college student, I carry the weight of responsibility to set an example for my younger sister, who has a developmental disability, and to honor the sacrifices my mother has made for our family. One of them being coming to the United States to help me find better and safer education. As a child, witnessing domestic violence, coping with the loss of my father, and battling depression and PTSD have been the most difficult moments of my life. These experiences have also taught me the importance of perseverance and the power of using your own strength to help others. My mother has been my greatest inspiration. Despite the immense challenges she has faced raising two children on her own, caring for my sister and elderly grandmother, and providing for our family on a low income. She has always shown me only her strength and love. Her resilience has taught me that even in the darkest times, we can find the strength to lift others up. She has shown me that success is not just about personal achievement but about being a source of support and hope for others. This scholarship would be a life changing opportunity for me and my family. As a low-income household, we have a lot of financial issues and the cost of going to a university is a lot more than we can handle. This scholarship would alleviate the financial burden and allow me to focus on my studies and my dream of becoming a radiologist. It would absolutely help me to pursue a degree in radiology, where I can use medicine to help others. It would give me the chance to honor my mother’s sacrifices by becoming someone who can make a difference in the lives of others. Success, to me, is about being able to help others and save lives. It is about continuing what my mother has taught me to make a difference with care and positivity. This scholarship would allow me to give back to my community, support my family, and help others through their own challenges. Beyond financial support, this scholarship would give me the opportunity to be part of a community of people who care about helping others as much as I do. It would help me learn the skills I need to succeed in the medical field. This kind of support would mean so much as I work toward my goal of becoming a radiologist who not only treats patients but also gives them comfort and hope.

To me, resilience isn’t just about getting through hardships; it’s about finding strength in those moments and using that strength to help others. The person who inspires me to be resilient and to inspire others is my mother. My life has been full of challenges, but my mother has always been there to comfort me and teach me how to be strong not just for myself, but for the sake of others. When I was 10 years old, my dad passed away. It suddenly hit me, that I can’t go out with him anymore. That I can’t say “parents” anymore in conversation. I felt so empty and hopeless and losing him left me absolutely broken, but my mother stepped up to be both parents for me. She lent me her strength and I overcame my depression. My mother is the strongest person I know. My sister, who has a developmental disability, needs her constant care, and so does my elderly grandmother, who lives with us. But despite all this, my mother has carried our family with so much love and she never let us feel like we were alone. Because of my mother, I’ve learned the true power of resilience. She has shown me that even when life gets difficult, you can still be there for others. Her example has made me want to be the same kind of support for my friends and those around me. I want to be the person they can talk to about their struggles, the one they can lean on during difficult times. My mother inspires me every day, and her love has made me feel so loved that I want to share that same love and comfort with others. This scholarship would mean so much to me and my family. As a low-income household, we struggle to make ends meet and in addition to my sister’s bills, I have no way of paying for post-secondary education on my own. This scholarship would help me achieve my dream of becoming a medical professional. I want to be someone who can help and inspire others, just as my mother has done for me. My mother’s resilience has taught me that even in the hardest times, we can find strength and use it to lift others up. With this scholarship, I want to continue living up to my mother’s teachings by making a difference in the lives of others.