Life has an unusual way of testing our resilience. For most teenagers, their biggest worries consist of academic stress or wondering if their crush likes them back. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case for me. On May 26th, 2020, just after my fourteenth birthday, my entire world crumbled upon me. The devastating news had been delivered, that they had found a body.
My father was a crab fisherman, he fished on the Sarah Anne alongside his crew. On May 24th, 2020, they left the shores of St. Lawrence to collect their crab pots but did not return as expected the next afternoon. Shortly after, the coastguard was called, and authorities were alerted of the missing vessel. After a frantic search for the Sarah Anne, the only thing recovered was the four lifeless bodies of the crew.
At such a young age, I had difficulty coming to terms with the loss of my father. We shared a deep and meaningful father-daughter relationship throughout my childhood. The emotional landscape of grief is complex. Navigating these overwhelming feelings and dealing with this substantial loss led me down a dark path. My mother was severely emotionally unstable and had to take leave from work. During this time, I took it upon myself to care for her. That day, I didn’t just lose my dad, something inside of my mother died too. The stress from my mother's depression and the loss of my father had left me completely overwhelmed.
I sought support through counseling and hospitalization for my mental health. I was then diagnosed with major depression and PTSD. Despite these struggles, I excelled academically throughout high school with a 98% average whilst helping my mother financially. I worked at the St. Lawrence Miners Museum and babysat in my free time for extra money.
I’ve recently been accepted to the engineering program at the Memorial University of Newfoundland. My father had always pushed me to get a higher education so I wouldn't have to work as hard as he did physically. He often said “Hailey, you got the brains to do whatever you want in this world”. His words inspired me to pursue a career in engineering. Although he was right about my intelligence, unfortunately, the cost of university restricts me from honoring his wishes.
My father did have life insurance, but it was very little and didn’t even cover the cost of his funeral. My family had to make significant lifestyle changes so we could afford to live. Our situation puts things into perspective for me when it comes to the importance of having good life insurance. If the circumstances had been different, I wouldn't feel like a financial burden to my mother for wanting to attend university.
Receiving this scholarship will allow me to reduce student loan debt, obtain my dream degree, and honor my father's wishes. I hope to be recognized for the strength needed to overcome the struggles entwined with grief, in addition to receiving financial support for my education.
