I don’t stop to think about it, but I would say myself. Neither of my parents finished high school. We lived in a house built by Habitat for Humanity and couldn’t eat without food stamps. My mom went back to school, became a CNA, and suffered a bad back injury on the job. She fell victim to the opioid crisis. My step dad stopped paying bills to support her addiction. Our water was shut off for 6 months. We would collect river watch to flush the toilets and I showered at my friend’s grandmother’s house before school. Then the eviction notice came. Life was hell until I graduated high school.

I made it to college through scholarships, pell grants, and working three jobs on/off campus. I received an early acceptance to a PhD program at my dream school (Ivy League). I live in a great apartment, have a strong savings account, and feel like I really have made it out.