One of the hardest challenges I have faced throughout my life is when my father passed away. When he passed away I started to spend less and less time with my mother as she was busy working everyday, and some nights. To overcome this I began to work and started helping with the bills around the house. Due to my decision, my mother only worked four times a day and I worked on the weekends allowing her to spend family time with us. After my dad passed away another hardship that my family had to face, was the thought of me going to a university after high school. At that time me and my mother agreed that we weren't going to be able to pay my university and keep a stable home. So as my dad's younger siblings heard about my family's situation they offered to pay my college tuition and help us economically. My uncles also helped my mom apply for social security. The government now helps my mom money on a monthly basis and is also going to pay all of my university or college needs. Due to all the hardships I have learned that I would always have my family, and especially my mother. there for me. This challenge has also made me feel different from the rest of my friends as they talk about their two parents at home while I only have one. But I have learned that my mother counts as both a father and a mother figure.
One of the privileges I've had during my educational needs, is the economic and educational support from both my mother and uncles. As a young child my mother and father always tried to surround me with picture books, started school at a young age and always provided me with anything I needed education wise. Even though my mother nor my father finished high school, all 3 of my uncles graduated from UCSD with a major in criminal and justice. They provided me with knowledge on how and what is should do to get into a college or university to get a higher education. For example my Uncle Alexander, a private investigator, provided me with information on how to pass my classes in high school and always provided me with moral support and was always there for me when I was stuck on an assignment or homework. My other two uncles always stayed in touch with my counselor and or teacher to see what I was struggling in and how they could help me at home. My mother on the other hand always put me into an after school program during my middle and elementary years. In those programs I would get help with homework and I would still be able to do extracurricular activities. As a young child my mother and father provided me with educational toys and would limit the time I would spend watching tv and try to keep me busy with other activities that were beneficial. For example my mother would base my time out in drawing, reading to me and was always careful with my bed time.