Sara Schisler
I was a daddy’s girl. I have always admired my father and wanted to be patient, intelligent, and kind, just like him. Even after death, my father still continues to have an impact on my life. He was not only the sole provider for my family as a civil engineer, but also the primary parent of the household; my mother has been on disability since 2005 and is too sick to work. He was always present when my mother could not be; once at a large Girl Scout sleepover at the natural history museum in Philadelphia, a woman with a microphone announced, “Could the only gentleman here please leave the room so the girls can change into their pajamas?” He was a wonderful father and I am happy I spent the time I had with him.
On January 15, 2013, my life forever changed. I was in my afternoon chemistry class when my teacher received a call from the main office saying that my mother was there to pick me up; I actually did not believe it so the secretaries in the main office called twice. When I got there, my mother, my older brother, and men in suits greeted me outside. My mother explained to me that my father was in an accident at work and that we had to go see him right away. The men drove us to the hospital in a limousine. We waited in a pink waiting room for what felt like forever. Eventually, a few doctors came in and explained to us that my father fell from the Aqueduct High Bridge in the morning and passed away. The news destroyed me. Through the years my family faced terrible struggles because of my father’s death, from financial troubles to the burden of losing my primary caregiver. I had to find comfort and support from organizations, like Kids’ Chance of New Jersey.
Thanks to the Kids’ Chance Organization, college would be a dream that is affordable again. I am currently a senior in high school and I will be attending Susquehanna University where I will study Psychology in the fall. I was inspired to study Psychology to become a counselor because of the counselors who have helped me through the grief I had of losing my father. Kids’ Chance of NJ would give me the gift of becoming a better person, the person my father would want me to be.
