Page 8 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, February 14, 2025 CANCER | FROM PAGE 1 without. My siblings did not approve of my choices, and the distance that grew between us took a heavy toll on my motivation. Growing up, we raised one another and only had each other. As our bonds weakened, I mourned the relationships I once had with them, and in the midst of grief, I lost my sense of self. As a result, anything beyond smoking felt impossible. I remember the days I showed up to school. I’d spend seven hours in Katarina Son is a member of the Senior Class of 2025 at Malden High School and is scheduled to graduate with honors in June of this year. Dr. Rosemonde Paulo DNP, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC Mindset Psychiatric & Wellness LLC 26 Ferry St., Everett, MA 02149 Phone: (781) 242-5401 Fax: (781) 205-1973 Email: Info@mindsetpsychiatricwellness.com Lawn and Yard Care SNOW PLOWING *REASONABLE RATES * PROMPT SERVICE * PARKING LOTS USA 781-521-9927 MARCHETTI CORP. 47 Years of Excellence!! 1978-2025 Regular Unleaded $2.839 Mid Unleaded $3.379 Super $3.479 Diesel Fuel $3.539 Kerosene Available! HEATING O L IL ULS $4.759 $3.39 9 DEF Call for Current Price! (125—gallon minimum) DEF Available by Pump! 24-Hour Burner Service Open an account and order online at: classrooms, yet not a single minute of it was dedicated to learning. For so long, I clung to the last scraps of motivation I had, until one day, I finally decided, “school isn't for me.” Eventually, I stopped showing up. Stubbornness and pride caused me to spiral, as I tried to pinpoint what had gone wrong and why my family despised me. As summer of 2022 approached, I began to pray in private, which allowed me to gain clarity on the people I kept around. Eventually, I came to realize that the root of my problems stemmed from my own actions. With this new sense of clarity, I became more self-aware of who I allowed into my presence. But then, a turning point came. My sophomore year marked a new beginning when I moved to a new city. It was a chance for rebirth – the start of my sobriety and a new school environment that allowed my siblings and I to be together for the first time in CONTEST | FROM PAGE 4 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. More information is available on The ILC website: ilctr.org The ILC, which is located in Malden, is a nonprofit organization that gives immigrants a voice in three ways. The EnI realized this was going to be my turning point. I started online schooling and tutoring, determined to keep not just myself alive, but my education as well. In seven months, I completed eight courses. When Junior year began, I returned to in-person school. It was tough — fatigue, pain, and weekly appointments weighed in on me, but I pushed through. A few months in, I developed Avascular Necrosis in glish Language Program provides free, year-round English for Speakers of Other Languages classes to help immigrant and refugee adults in Greater Boston become successful workers, parents and community members. The Public Education Institute informs Amerisilience, ready to embrace whatever comes next in life with determination and strength. Katarina, who recently. joyously announced she was cancer-free, submitted this essay to many colleges and universities along with her applications and has received acceptances and generous scholarship and other financial assistance pledges from every institution to which she applied. Good luck and Godspeed, Katarina! cans about immigrants and immigration in the United States and the Institute for Immigration Research, a joint venture with George Mason University, produces valid, reliable and objective multidisciplinary research on immigrants and immigration to the United States. Hours: Monday thru Friday 6 AM to 7 PM / Saturdays 7 AM to 5 PM / Sundays 9 AM to 5 PM For Advertising with Results, call The Advocate Newspapers at 617-387-2200 or Info@advocatenews.net two years. Waking up every day, and getting ready with my siblings fueled my motivation to change, it allowed me to gain a mind of my own that wasn't reliant on marijuana. However, on December 22, 2022, I was diagnosed with something that changed everything: cancer. Watching my loved ones cry, uncertain of my survival, forced reality to sink in. At that moment, I realized I had to fight, not just for them but for myself as well. “Why do you deserve to survive?” I questioned myself. Deep down I knew cancer wasn't going to be the end of my story. I refused to let it. Ultimately, during my monthlong stay in the hospital, connected to tubes of medication, my hip from steroid treatments, leaving me on crutches for six months. Although navigating a three-building school on crutches was challenging, I refused to let it discourage me. By the end of the school year in 2024, I proudly achieved high honors. Now I'm a senior who's been sober for two years, ending chemotherapy treatment in four months and set to graduate in eight.(Edit. note: This essay was prepared in October 2024) Cancer is known to leave burdens on people's lives. But for me, it was my biggest blessing. It has taught me to fight – to take control of my own narrative. As I embark on this new journey of life without cancer, I carry forward the invaluable lessons of gratitude, perseverance and reCall Driveways from $35 FLEET Prices subject to change
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