Physically, I am different from the “normal” category. When my biological mother was pregnant with me, the doctors found abnormalities and the prognosis of my survival was slim to none. I was born with many different medical mysteries, club feet, a bicuspid aortic valve, a cleft palate, the list goes on.
I took on residency between Cooks Children’s and Scottish Rite. I was two years old when I had a complete cleft palate replacement. My Papa would tell you that I haven’t missed a beat since.
My life growing up was a different kind of fairy tale. Even though my biological parents were not stable characters, my grandparents were. They made sure that I had a stable home, food, clothes, and anything else I needed.
Let’s fast forward to 2019, when my world came crashing down when the woman who raised me, Mimi, gained her wings and flew up to paradise. A short year later in 2020, my biological mother gained hers.
After these sudden losses, I had found my way down a very dark road and then one day in the spring of 2021, I decided that after being out of school for 10 years, it was my time to go back.
I enrolled in Vernon College and took out my very first loan and used it towards my degree. I had been a vet tech for four years already and knew that I wanted to become a veterinarian, so that’s what I set my mind to. I was taking one class at a time because that’s all I could afford.
In November of 2022, I had my interview with Catholic Charities, and little did I know, a few days later I would be receiving a call telling me that I had been chosen for the fully funded program. I crumbled to pieces and was crying – happy tears of course. This was my chance to be able to have my dreams become a reality.
In addition to budgeting and goal-setting, the biggest thing my Navigator helped me with was my confidence.
Growing up, I didn’t like the way I looked. I would hide in the shadows. And my Mimi, she wouldn’t let that happen. But when she passed, I started to gradually lose that confidence and it’s been my Navigator who has helped me to finally start gaining it back.
Sometimes, I have moments where she just reminds me to breathe. I don’t want to lose what I’ve worked so hard for, and she is always there to remind me of what I’m capable of doing. I can’t climb the mountain in a day, but I can take small steps towards my goals and still make meaningful progress.
Catholic Charities to me isn’t just the name, it’s the staff, the mentors, the navigators, and the donors who make it all happen. My navigator, Melody, has brought me out of my darkest times, always encourages me, and reminds me of who I am and how far I have come. She has been amazing, and I wish so bad that I could take her with me when I transfer to MSU for my Bachelor’s degree.
In 10 years, I see myself owning my own veterinary practice. I don’t know what it is, but I can relate more to animals than to people because for the longest time I don’t think I had a voice. So, I want to be their voice.
Opportunities like Catholic Charities don’t happen for just anybody. They took a chance on me and I’m forever grateful to them. I know that I am still a student and hoping to graduate in the spring, but I know that my future is better because of this organization. I look forward to the day that I can be a donor to a student who has felt the way I do and give them the hope that I was given.