Breaking The Cycle by Isaiah

Breaking The Cycle by Isaiah - April 2024 Scholarship Essay

My parents separated when I was young and I have not lived with them since. It was tough growing up without the constant presence of my parents, and I struggled to understand why I was rarely with them. While it was always great to visit my parents, it was bittersweet to leave and go back to the home I was used to. My grandparents were always there for me, but they could never replace the longing I had to live with my mom or dad. My grandparents couldn’t give me the attention my parents would have because of their older age as well as the problems they were dealing with. Even though my grandparents weren’t the most well-off, they could provide me with the emotional and financial stability that my parents could not.

Despite this I couldn’t help but feel upset and envious when I thought of my parents. I never truly experienced what it felt like to be close to them. I didn’t have a “normal” family dynamic and wished that I did. It sucked to see “normal” families, as it was something that I never had. I lost those years with my parents, and I couldn't get them back. Over time, I’ve appreciated the time I had with my parents and learned that there is not a true “normal” family situation or dynamic.

My parents often repeated this same phrase to me; “Don’t make the same mistakes I did.” At first, especially when I was younger, I didn’t know what they meant by this. But as I grew older, I knew what they were trying to tell me. Most of my family did not graduate from high school and therefore lived on lower wages. They also did not work jobs that they “enjoyed”, they instead got whatever job paid the most. It was not about what they thought was fun or interesting; but was about making a living. They wanted me to break this cycle that they had created for themselves. As I learned and grew older, so did I.

Since around seventh grade, I knew that to create a better future life that my parents didn’t have; I had to do well in school. This was because I was old enough to realize the mistakes that they made. They never really took school seriously and never applied themselves. Because of this, they ended up dropping out, never looking back on the choice that they made. What helped me realize this mistake was the constant reminder from them to do well in school. Even though I had no immediate help to “do well in school”, I made do with what I had. I overcame this lack of resources by learning to work on my own and use online resources to help me better understand topics. I also attended tutoring sessions when I needed to and joined the college prep courses. Though my parents and grandparents supported me through this process, I had to learn for myself how I could do well for myself.

This experience has been the single greatest motivator for me to achieve high levels of success in school. With this motivator, I achieved more than anyone in my family had previously expected. While also making me independent in my studies, as I worked hard and studied for my exams with the resources I had. It has been the light that takes me out of times when I feel immense stress and feelings of wanting to give up. This driving force in my life has been and will continue to push me toward success, no matter the place, time, or obstacles that come my way.