Two years ago my life changed in a way that I could have never predicted. I still remember being on a call with one of my closest friends when i got the news. It was the hours before I knew, while on that call, where i tried to distract myself while trying to prepare mentally that made those news just that more bitter. I knew at that moment that a part of me would never recover. 

That day my dad passed away. The next days were a blur but something stuck with me. How little we are appreciated. I lived all my life in the USA, in the community of Weston, going through highs and lows with my friends. However, we were given months before we had to leave just because my dad couldn't work anymore. I had to leave my home and go back to a foreign country which was so starkly different from my community. 

I know I'm privileged to say that I moved to Europe and not other less fortunate places, but nevertheless, I need people to understand what its like. Not knowing nobody while being in the darkest moment of your life. Just like everyone in my closest family I lost motivation and fell into a rabbit hole that seemed to have no exit. Living in one of the worst parts of Spain makes school feel like an preschool with people so different than me and at home my family struggles to keep it together. 

It feels like i don't have an escape, nowhere to go. The reason I am asking you to sign this is not because I'm asking for pity but because i want to right the wrong the system has done to me and so many others like me. Weston is my home, and just because I don't have the paperwork to back it i know my community will. I have excellent grades and a good portfolio, but i cant return to Weston without money. This petition will serve as a way to try to counteract that and be considered for a scholarship in American Heritage. 

Thank you for reading this and always remember to appreciate what you have.

- Diego