A First Grader by Ryan

Ryan's entry into Varsity Tutor's November 2022 scholarship contest

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A First Grader by Ryan - November 2022 Scholarship Essay

Last night my father's girlfriend sent me a picture of my six-year-old brother. He was sitting on the couch smiling, with his glasses slightly crooked. His curly hair was wet, so I knew he had just gotten out of the bath and was getting ready for bed. She said that he has a photo of us hanging in his bedroom and that he points at it every night and says, "That's my sissy!" The picture she referenced is from three summers ago, the only time I've met him.
He's my half-brother and lives five hundred miles away. Our father is a drug addict, and his girlfriend is not my brother's biological mother. Still, she takes care of him, and I'm forever grateful. His biological mother is also a drug addict and refuses to see him, much like my father refuses to see me. I have not spoken to him in four years. The last time I saw him was when my oldest brother, his other son, was in a car accident. He needed spinal surgery, and we didn't know if he'd ever walk again. My father drove the five hundred miles to the hospital, and instead of holding his son's hand, he told us to never contact him again. He said that we were just too much for him. I fear the day he decides my younger brother is too much for him. If my father's girlfriend ever leaves him, my brother will have no one.
In two years, I'll turn nineteen and graduate with my bachelor's. Starting college so young was difficult, but I've always had my brother in mind. Whenever I'm about to give up while studying for a final, I look at his picture and remember what I'm working towards. I want to be able to provide him a safe, stable home if he ever needs it. I love him more than anything. His smile inspires me every day to work harder and succeed. I never expected a first grader to inspire me, yet I'm surprised by how much he does every day.

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