Overcoming Financially Divided

In my lifetime, I have had to overcome many obstacles when it came to playing chess, such as trying to beat an opponent whose rating was a thousand plus points higher than mines, or trying to think of a winning move when I only had ten seconds left on the clock. However, none of those obstacles could compare to the greatest struggle I had faced: growing up financially disadvantaged. Money does not buy happiness, but it does help you sustain a comfortable living. Throughout my entire childhood, my family struggled when is came obtaining finance. My mother was a single mom and a college dropout trying to raise three children, so it was very challenging for her. She had full-time job that provided us with enough to survive, but not enough to live.

We lived in a family home,with history from more than four generations. My mom owned the second floor, while my aunt lived on the first floor. Our financial issues came when I was about 4 or 5, when an electrical fire brought out in the back of our house. I can’t remember what exactly happened after that, but I remember not having electricity, heat, and water. It as extreme difficulty to adapt to those conditions. But, because of …show more content…
It taught me the value of a dollar, for sure, and to budget and spend wisely. It also taught me to never judge a book by its cover. My mother made sure that we had clothes on our back and food on the table. One would have never known how much we were struggling based off of our appearance. I never let my situation stop me from being optimistic for the future. Also, because of this experience, I am not afraid of hard work. Currently, I am working part-time as an usher to provide additional financially stability to my household. Most importantly, however, it taught me to appreciate everything I have and to give to those who don’t. And this experience as a whole shaped me to be the strong, determined young lady I am