Nominated by
Sophia Zayac
March 22, 2020
My mother migrated to the U.S from Russia when she was 18. She has lived through poverty, abuse, and a economic depression, in Russia. When she moved here she married my father who abused her as well when she was gaining citizenship. When she was 24 she had me, and after five months we were kicked out of the house. We lived in a car for some time, then a homeless shelter for one week. After that we lived in the basement of my mom’s old OB/GYN nurse for five months while she was working tirelessly cleaning people’s houses. Around this time she also took a part time job for ESL teacher at Flushing middle school. She was unable to pay for a sitter so she had to take me to the school itself, and any teacher that was able to help watched me on their break. After some time my moved to studio in down town flint. My mom unable to pay for the studio had to quit her part time job at the school and go full time in cleaning. In 2012 my mother signed up for over 25 scholarships and wrote specific essays for each scholarship. She got 19 scholarships to go to nursing school. At this time my mother had enough money to move to Mary Dan Swartscreek. She graduated top of her class in a advanced nursing course. She started to her job at McLaren, moved from the ICU, then to the Cath lab. After two years my mother got promoted to resource nurse, this means she goes everywhere in the hospital and solves the hardest problems. My mother has gone through things I can’t imagine, she’s had all the chances to give up, but she never has. With what ever anyone or anything has thrown at her she always got back up and tried again. She started from poverty and climbed her way to the top, she shows that anyone can achieve greatness. I look up to her for her perseverance, dignity, and work ethic. If there’s anyone that I think deserves an award it’s her.