A Grandma's Impact by Liliana

A Grandma's Impact by Liliana - December 2023 Scholarship Essay

When I was younger, I had always been a grandma's girl. I had a connection with all my grandparent's, but there was something special about my connection with Nana, maternal grandmother, and my Wela, paternal grandmother. They had always pushed me to be the best that I can be, whether that be reading the most books, or getting the highest grade on a test.
Sadly, both my grandmas are no longer with us. My grandma, or Nana, was my whole world. She was there when my mom was worried about her pregnancy with me and she was the one that encouraged my mom to return to the church. Her presence was a comfort in my life and it was hard for me to be able to let her go. Before she passed, Nana was wheelchair-bound; however, a couple of days before she was gone, she had told my mom that she had a dream where she was walking again. I believe that Nana is now in Heaven, where there are not any wheelchairs in sight.
After this experience, I naively believed that my heart could never break again. This was not true, as in 2016 my paternal grandma Wela, passed away. Wela was an important part of my life as well. She had many struggles in her childhood, but she never let these struggles negatively impact how she cared for her children and grandchildren. Wela persevered in life with strength and grace. When my mom was pregnant with me, she was the one who told my dad that it was now time for him to man up and be there for my mom and me.
Every day, I miss my grandmas and wish that I had a chance to go back and spend just one more day with them. My grandmas helped influence the person I am today and has taught me to never back down, and that strength is a mindset that can always be achieved. I hope that as I grow older I can exhibit their lessons in my character and be at least half of the women that they were.
Up until about a year ago, I had always been unsure about what I wanted to do with my life. My plans seemed to change every single week; however, recently I found that I enjoy fighting for what is right. In my career, I wish to become a lawyer, so that I can help any people that are being taken advantage of by people who may have more power. No person deserves to be taken advantage of, and being able to stand up against oppressors is a right that all people should have.
I wish to study English because I believe it will allow me to develop stronger language skills that will be crucial to defending against people with more resources and power. After receiving my Bachelor's degree, I will attend a law school to become a lawyer. While I am unsure of how much of an impact I can make, I know that my grandmas would have believed in me. Every day as I think about them, I know that I am making the right decision and that just helping a couple or even one fight against oppressive powers would make my grandmas proud and in my eyes, anything that makes those strong women proud must be something that positively impacted the world.