My Childhood

During my childhood, I experienced a life-altering family crisis. When I was eight years old, my father, who immigrated to the United States from Eritrea, became addicted to crack cocaine.  A consistent state of chaos and fear became a recurring theme in my life from that point forward.  I was forced to mature and assist my mother to navigate a world that I scarcely understood. During my teens, each day presented new and unforeseen challenges. When I was 13 years old, my mother had arranged a play date with my best friend. My best friend and I rushed home so that we could catch the ending of our favorite soap opera Passions, instead when we arrived we found my father had sold all of our TVs, new shoes, new clothes, game consoles and piggy banks support his addiction. At the time, I couldn’t understand how a person could do something like that to his own children, I was deeply hurt by my father’s actions. I cried myself to sleep for months wishing my life was different, wishing that I had a father that supported my siblings and I instead of destroying our inosines, wishing that my father loved my family and my life could mimic the lives of my favorite characters on TV. By the age of 14, I witnessed the addiction cycle many times over. Based on my interactions with my father, I could sense where he was on the cycle, some days he if he was ready to go to rehab soon or while others he would continue using crack cocaine. With unwavering support from my family and friends, I was able to cope with this tragedy and overcome a numerous of other obstacles. The feelings of fear and anxiety that once paralyzed me came to be replaced with a new sense of hopefulness.  Receiving such encouragement and hope during difficult circumstances in my life led me to realize that I want to provide that same encouragement to others and assist them in reaching their potential. A career in social work will align perfectly with this aspiration, as this is a profession that engenders social change and the empowerment of people.