Nineteen years ago, I was born right here in Valdosta, but I live in Quitman, which is a little town thirty minutes from here. When I was six years old, my mom, sister, and I were in a tragic car accident. My mom lost her life, while my thirteen year old sister, Casey, suffered from a traumatic brain injury. I had a few staples on my arm and head, but that was it. Casey stayed in a coma for eight months, and one day was able to follow us around the room with her eyes and catch a basketball. She has spent the past thirteen years trying to fully recover. Due to complications in the emergency room, she is still unable to walk without assistance and she is unable to talk. She is now twenty-six years old with the mentality of a third grader, but she has taught me so many things.
I have learned the true meaning of unconditional love. My sister will laugh and smile no matter what she is going through, and she knows just how to brighten each day. She has taught me that no matter how cliché “never take a single day for granted” is, it is one of the truest statements. Most of all, she has brought me closer in my relationship with God. He shows my family and I miracles each and every day through her. When the doctors told my dad and stepmom that she wouldn’t make it through the night, God answered our prayers that night and every night for thirteen years by blessing us with her slow recovery.
My decision to stay near home and go to Valdosta State instead of other schools I was accepted to was based on being closer to my sister. I am going to major in business management, so maybe one day I can own a business of my own. A professor once asked me, “What would you do if someone gave you a $100,000 grant to start your own business?” In my next few years at VSU, I hope to find the answer to that question.