At the age of 21, having her first daughter, my mother did not have an education beyond the sixth grade. Three years later we were abandoned by my fleeing father to fend for ourselves in a small and rural community. Growing up on the small Caribbean island of St. Lucia, my mother struggled for many years to support her small family. Four years ago, we made our way to Florida, along with my younger sister, where we resided with friends. Although I graduated high school in St. Lucia, my mother did not have the finances to aid with my college expenses, thus she insisted that I again attend high school to provide her with ample time to obtain some form of income. We later moved into an apartment after obtaining her Home Health Aide Certificate,
