Thoughts From Our Parents

We have been living in Tarpon Springs since August of 2015. Since moving here from Buffalo, things have been financially rough, which means I have been living paycheck to paycheck, making it impossible to save money. I have been a single parent since my daughter was six months old. She has no contact or support from her father and a scholarship would allow her to realize her potential as an excellent and hard-working student who wants to be successful in life.

Our family fled from our mother country (Egypt) because of religious persecution and we spent four years adjusting to our immigrant status. All of our family suffers from depression and anxiety and my son was diagnosed with a learning disability but he is challenging his weakness with his hard work and determination to success and his grades are all A’s and B’s. This chance for better education was a big reason we chose to immigrate here and we know that our son if granted this scholarship will make the most of it.

We moved to Florida from Texas last year and our financial challenges have meant that my son has attended 8 different schools and he is only in the 9th grade. I have Lupus which has made life even more challenging. My son has ADHD and struggles with time management and organization. Having a team of adults encouraging and supporting him could really help him develop his skills to be an even better student. He wants to be an aerospace engineer and while I cannot afford to help him go to college, I CAN be his supporter, encourager and advocate for resources until he can do it for himself.

When I was younger I did not have the opportunity to pursue my education past grade 6 since I had to help my very ill mother. I am the eldest of 6 siblings and so went to work at age 12. When I heard my son might get this scholarship, I cried tears of joy because if he gets it he will never have to suffer the lack of even basic essentials the way my family did when I was young. He knows the value of education and I know he will continue to work hard to be a role model to his siblings and to benefit his family and community.

My daughter’s father is not part of her life and does not help support her financially, emotionally or socially. Because of a health diagnosis, I have had to go from working full time in the legal field to part time in a restaurant. Having a mentor to guide and encourage her would be incredible. My daughter is an asset to her family, community and peers. Her energy and dedication to excellence will be put to good use when she gets this scholarship.

The loss of her mother to cancer has resulted in a family that is grieving and many self-agendas have torn our family apart. But my daughter’s strength and perseverance are what makes me proud to be her dad, she is more than special and deserving of a chance to excel in college.

All of our family members suffer from asthma, limiting or making my holding a job impossible. We struggle and rely on Section 8. The only other income is monthly child support, which isn’t much, and the help of food stamps and medicaid. My child lost her grandfather to cancer recently and her grandmother, who lives with us, keeps me on the road constantly for medical treatment. My child needs an outside support system and I think that the mentoring this program offers would be really valuable for her future.

Over the years I have been homeless and have experienced financial hardship but I did not lose hope. The fact that I am not fluent in English limits me to find work. I must cut corners and stretch every dollar. When we are hit with hurricanes and bad weather, I am frustrated because it means my husband wont be able to work those days. I would be so grateful if you choose my son for a scholarship so that he will be able to provide for his family when he is an adult and not suffer as we are doing now.

We moved to the USA shortly before my daughter was delivered via C-section where my doctor found that I had ovarian cancer at age 28. As new immigrants we struggled. We had no family, friends, stable jobs, no knowledge of the health system, no health insurance and not even a car. Though this was 14 years ago, we still struggle with many complicated surgeries for me and my family struggles with anxiety over the many financial and health challenges we face on a day to day basis. Please grant my daughter the bright future that she earns every day that she excels in school. I know she is a great investment.

My son has an immune deficiency and this cost is very expensive. A scholarship would alleviate some of my stress over how to pay for medication and his schooling and it would also alleviate his stress that can make him sick.

My son’s father lives in Ohio and so he doesn’t get to see him. This scholarship would provide him with a male mentor as well as funds for school. I am not sure which is more important…BOTH!

I don’t want to be the reason that stops my children from earning opportunities based on their own merit. I know very well the frustration of financial hardship as I have sacrificed my own life in benefit of my children’s education. I gave up my career and dreams when I became a single mother after the abandonment from my children’s father. I could not abandon them to the care of a system and so adjusted to working part time to be there for them. We only eat at home and live frugally so that my children can participate in extra-curricular activities and visit educational places like museums. My child earns all A’s and his future will be brighter if he also earns this scholarship. Thank you for considering him.

It has been a struggle taking care of my daughter since her father was deported to Mexico. That happened when she was 3 and I have been her sole caretaker ever since. I have struggled but with the help of my family and church we are surviving. My daughter is hard working and bright and a scholarship would help her reach her goal to be a veterinarian.

My son will be a great leader as he works well with and takes good care of others. I would love to see him be able to prosper both himself and others who look up to him because he is respectful, dependable and motivated. My family has experienced the effects of poverty, homelessness and loss of income. My son is the caretaker for his sisters when I am at work and he helps them with their homework and feeds them before he can even start on his own homework. He is well aware of the importance of working hard to achieve and make ends meet. He remains optimistic and motivated in spite of challenges and would be an excellent college student if awarded this scholarship.

I am a single parent with a GED and have constant financial struggles. I don’t know if my daughter will ever be able to go to college without a scholarship but watching me work long hours and be constantly tired has motivated her to do well in school so that her life will be easier. She is a very bright child and I hope her future will be bright too.

My grandson has lived with me since he was 2 months old to keep him out of foster care since his unmarried parents felt that neither of them could provide him with a safe environment. This scholarship would ease the burden of tuition and maybe other expenses and open doors to quality learning opportunities, while allowing him to focus on academics with much less financial stress. He wants to work with computers and is really good with them. I know college would give him a much better chance of getting a good job. A mentor would also be good for him since he has no male role models in his life.

I want my child to have opportunities that I never had and that none of our family has had. I never had a stable home as we moved each year. I was the oldest of 5 siblings and was the mother to them while my mother worded. I have worked really hard to provide a stable home for my kids. I want her to break the cycle of limited education and low-income jobs. My daughter volunteers at my job in a 62+ community. She nurtures that age group but really wants to become a neonatal nurse and I know that I have absolutely no way of helping her pay for her schooling as we are stretched to the breaking point just to afford the basics.This scholarship could change my daughter’s future AND put her in a position to help other people.

My son’s father suffers with epilepsy and I have a mental illness that limits how much I can work. My son is the oldest of 4 children and helps so much with his brothers and sisters. He wants to go to college and then possibly into the military to become a medic and if he has this chance for a scholarship I know it will help our whole family and he will be the best role model for his siblings.