As a child growing up in a very violent home, my mother was a victim of domestic violence and for many years we lived in poverty, which made it very difficult for me to cope with secondary education until she decided to escape to the United States. At seventeen, my environment changed. The abuse stopped but we still struggled because as an illegal immigrant she was not qualified for a job and she worked cleaning and ironing clothes while I went to high school in Brooklyn, New York . I had to learn to adapt to life without my brother because my mother didn't have enough money to stay with us and adapt to a new culture. During this time, my mother and I found ourselves homeless during the winter months, it was the most brutal and embarrassing time of our lives. In my teenage life, I overcame many obstacles; Even though we lived in poverty, my mother had high expectations for her children and graduating from high school was just the beginning. Unfortunately I was still stumbling, I failed my Math Regent and didn't graduate, but I was determined not to get discouraged. I joined the military and blossomed into a new person deployed twice to Iraq and overcoming the combat situation. It was in this new adventure that I acquired my leadership roles but was still desired internally for my education. I met a special person and he had a degree and I left my education equivalency aside after I got married and snuck in a GED class and passed in three months. I was ready for a fresh start and let everything stop in my tracks, BSW in 2014 and definitely ready to attack my MSW. I have the determination and I have endured the world of life to be where I am today. I have no regrets for the outcome of life, it made me the person I am today; I... middle of paper ...... took my level of thinking to a different level. Even though I worked with an Iraqi family, I didn't really understand the custom. Currently I am working with an Iraqi family and they are giving me the opportunity to learn their customs, values, religion and language. EXPLORE MOREGraduate education would be a struggle and sacrifice for my family mentally and emotionally with two children in school, my husband working and also preparing for graduate school, but we are committed to this journey for a while. Honestly, I can't give up my obligation to work, but I would dedicate my nights and weekends to studying. In order to stay crazy, I have to take care of myself. An hour at the gym should solve this problem, I'm afraid of people in trouble but I won't be the first or last person to complete the MSW program..