Alex Elle, author of Words from a Wanderer, states, “I am thankful for my struggle because without it I wouldn’t have stumbled across my strength.” As a first-generation college student from Southwest Virginia, I have witnessed and experienced much strife. However, I do not feel regretful or saddened by my past. I believe I experienced hardships to fully understand my purpose in life. I do not wish to harp on my struggles, but I feel their mention will help more deeply explain my strength.
My mother and father divorced when I was two years old after they realized they were too young to withstand the troubles of marriage. My father turned to alcohol for support; my mother chose to remarry, but divorced after nine years when my stepfather’s …show more content…
Because of her disease, my mother has been unemployed, while my father works as an underground coal miner with the threat of a layoff constantly clouding his mind. Consequently, the word stable has never been an adjective to describe my family. It’s difficult for people to understand how I could be thankful for such a life. As I began contemplating career choices and delving into volunteer work, the source of that feeling became clear: my struggle has served as the foundation from which I built my strength as an advocate for Appalachian health.
Nestled in the heart of the mountains, my hometown did not have a high school, let alone a hospital. A dentist visited the town once a week and a few family care physicians had limited business hours and busy waiting rooms. Individuals cannot afford medical care, let alone transportation up curvy, mountainous roads, which lead to the next closest provider and another crowded waiting room. Accordingly, I have seen the effects of poor healthcare my entire life: family members struggling to travel for medical specialist appointments hours away, friends and neighbors dying
My mother and father divorced when I was two years old after they realized they were too young to withstand the troubles of marriage. My father turned to alcohol for support; my mother chose to remarry, but divorced after nine years when my stepfather’s …show more content…
Because of her disease, my mother has been unemployed, while my father works as an underground coal miner with the threat of a layoff constantly clouding his mind. Consequently, the word stable has never been an adjective to describe my family. It’s difficult for people to understand how I could be thankful for such a life. As I began contemplating career choices and delving into volunteer work, the source of that feeling became clear: my struggle has served as the foundation from which I built my strength as an advocate for Appalachian health.
Nestled in the heart of the mountains, my hometown did not have a high school, let alone a hospital. A dentist visited the town once a week and a few family care physicians had limited business hours and busy waiting rooms. Individuals cannot afford medical care, let alone transportation up curvy, mountainous roads, which lead to the next closest provider and another crowded waiting room. Accordingly, I have seen the effects of poor healthcare my entire life: family members struggling to travel for medical specialist appointments hours away, friends and neighbors dying