Samantha Matthew
Professor Schultz
English 101
17 July 2008
Breaking Through
Seven years ago I was in a violent relationship, which made me emotionally and physically withdrawn from everyone. Because of the physical abuse I endured, I did not want to have relations with anyone. However, the birth of my daughter was the only positive experience that came out of the relationship. After the relationship ended, I felt there was a need to secure my daughter’s future, and build a stable and safe environment for her. I then decided to go back to school to earn a college degree. Leaving my relationship, and at the same time being a single mother, made life very strenuous for my daughter and I; and, therefore, was forced to make tough choices. Oftentimes, I had little or no money, and contemplated whether or not to buy diapers or baby formula. There were also instances where I missed class sessions because I had to use transportation funds to buy food or pay the light or gas bill. I went through this mental torture for over a year.
Consequently, becoming a single parent, while attending college and working, was overwhelming in both my emotional, mental, and physical life. I was stressed, and had high blood pressure, and spent many nights crying. In addition, I became withdrawn from friends and family. The abuse made me distrust everyone around me, and therefore refused to reach out for help.
Within two years of returning to school, I earned an Associate’s degree and got a job at Interboro College. Although, was working fulltime, I continued to struggle, financially. After a year of being employed, I applied to Pace University because I wanted to earn a Master’s degree. When I was accepted at Pace, I felt proud of my accomplishments, and was confident that me and my daughter’s future could be a successful. A few months into my junior year at Pace University, I met someone named Mike. He was handsome, smart and cared...