Mi Papa by Mariana

Mi Papa by Mariana - May 2026 Scholarship Essay

A couple of years ago, I lost my dad on Thanksgiving night to a silent heart attack. I was in sixth grade and completely broken. I didn't know how to manage it. I would see all my classmates in school getting picked up by both mom and dad. I got picked up from school by my older sister because I saw how much stress my mom had gained from it. I wanted to help, but I was just 11. As I grew older, I never got the opportunity to get professional help to process my dad's death. I tried so hard to keep a powerful promise to him. I promised I would be the first person in our family to graduate from high school and with honors. During my sophomore year of high school, I started to break that promise. I was getting myself into a life that wasn't for me. It wasn't until then that I asked my mom if I could start seeing a therapist to handle everything that was going on in my life. My therapist helped me see things clearly and helped me process everything about that horrifying night. I picked myself up and decided to take my life back. I kept my promise to my dad and will now be the first to graduate in the family. Unfortunately, it won't be in honors, but I will be the first.