<p>Dear *** Committee,</p>
<p>I am requesting an appeal to regain my financial aid so I may continue school this summer and further semesters. I would like to explain my family and financial issues that occurred to me during my freshmen year that caused me to have a downfall in my studies. I would like to first give you a little background on my situation. My mother, siblings and I moved to Illinois from California when I was 15 in order to move in with her boyfriend. During my high school career two of my older siblings moved back to California and my mother had two children with her husband. During those years her husband was both physically and emotionally abusive to my mother. Many times my mom wanted to leave him but we never had the money to do so. We were in a difficult situation as my mom has no papers and is unable to work, so she had no money and the fact she had 3 small children other than myself gave her no chance of being able to be let into a shelter home.
Forwarding to fall 2011, after I was admitted to UIC my mom decided she would leave him and stay in Illinois. My mother and her husband fought every single night. She would call the cops but would later tell them she was just scared and send them off because he would threaten her to send people after her and that if he went to jail she would not be able to pay for rent or any necessities for the children. Their fighting always affected me but I always knew she was safe because I was still there to protect her, both my jobs were close to home and I knew I could get to her fast.
Once college started I began to get uneasy as I wasnt as close to my mom and never got to see her. She would call me crying and I would never be able to do anything about it. I came in with no money into college and my mom wasnt able to help me as she had no money. I worked during the summer but I bought a car to be able to get to both my jobs, sometimes helped my mothers husband with bills, and paid my insurance and phone so the money I had left over I bought what I needed for my college dorm. I was able to take out a student credit card in order to buy my books for the fall. It was very hard to take the train to my mom and had to stop paying my phone because the money I would have was to pay off my credit card debt. Around October of my first semester, my moms husband was incarcerated; my mom had finally had enough and decided to leave him. She got family members to lend her money and got my sister to come to Chicago and drive to California with her and my siblings. I was able to say goodbye to her, by November my mom was gone and I had stayed in Illinois by myself. The rest of my first semester my mom had no job and no place to stay other than family members. I grew worried for a while because she would not answer my calls which worried me incredibly as I would borrow peoples phones and only had certain chances to contact her and I had no idea where she was staying and how she was even able to support my baby siblings.
Once winter break came I went to New Mexico with my dads family. It was rather hard because my dads family had no idea my mom had moved back to California. I didnt want to say anything because they had resentment with her for supposedly moving me away further from them. A few days into winter break I was finally able to contact my mom and she informed me she was still living with family members but soon she would most likely get an apartment. Once I heard back from her I decided Id tell my father. He was incredibly angry and had told me that I would finish the year and then we would decide what will happen. For the rest of my break I wasn't able to talk to my mother regularly.
I got a phone a couple days before getting back to Chicago so I was able to contact my mom. She told me she had gotten her own studio apartment in December for her and my siblings with help of the government because of her not being able to not get a job. During this time both my parents kept hassling me that I had to choose where I wanted to move, whether with my mother o father. I did not know what to do. I wanted to be with my mother because I have always been with her and protected her and I felt so guilty that she moved back alone with no home and no job when I could help her. Then there was my dad who I have never lived with and had always asked me. My dad is my life and it tormented me that I always see him once a year. I couldn't imagine having to now suddenly have to see both my parents just once a year. That once could be the last time I did, whether it be because of god or their chance of deportation. In the midst of this I got a job in March which was helping me pay for the credit card and school payments. I had many talks with my parents, friends and family members about my situation in order to see what was best. As bad as I felt to make my decision, I decided to stay in Chicago. I saw that although the happenings took a huge toll on me I grew incredibly independent. I was able to do so much for myself. After talking with my parents, they told me the reasons that I would move back with either of my parents were to please them or benefit them, not my education. Everything had just happened so fast and were out of control that no one knew what to do. At the end of the day I have 5 younger siblings whom I love with my whole heart and I want to be a good role model. I am first generation to go to college and I don't want to let them down, specially myself. Once I knew what I wanted to do and my parents were okay with everything I was so disappointed in myself. I had the most horrible grades I have ever had in my life and seeing how the spring semester was going I thought it happen all over again. I had just figured out everything and I was not about to let my education fall under because of things I was not able to control. I shouldnt have let my situation get in my way but haven gotten a 1.3 my first semester and not doing so well the first part of my spring semester but ending the spring with a 2.0 I believe I can do much better in the upcoming semesters now having my complete focus in school. I know that I will be able to keep my grades up because of my motivation, dreams and families support. For instance, I was completely failing chemistry, up until the last couple weeks of school, I got good grades in my last quizzes and I studied an incredible amount for my exam and got a 100.00 and a B on my final. When I saw those scores I knew that as long as I keep my focus and motivation I will be able to do whatever I strive for. I know 2.0 isn't such a nice number but being able to pull up my grades up to that the last weeks made me realize I am able to get amazing grades if I try.
Although finding my way crucially affected my grades I am glad who it made me today. I realize and accept my problems and make the best I can of them and I am incredibly responsible. I can do so much for myself now. I was able to realize that I had to do something about my school and stayed in Chicago and registered for summer courses. I am excited to in a way start again and do great in school, but without financial aid I cannot higher my grades or attend school completely. I know that if I take summer courses I will be able to achieve a cumulative of 2.0 or higher. I cannot possibly afford school thus summer and I have to attend as its the only reason I am in Chicago. There is no way I could possibly pay for school and I just ask for you to please take me into consideration, I know I can higher my grades and not let anything get in the way of my goals. I have improved and I want to show my improvements and want to show I have finally gotten my motivation back. Please let me prove myself, give my siblings someone to look up to and show my parents that all their hard work and hardships were not for nothing. I want to improve for myself and to be able to give my parents something to be incredibly proud of. Thank you for your time and consideration and I am sincerely sorry for making this a long appeal, Thank you.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>