The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on My Familie

The coronavirus pandemic has created a snowball effect in my life. My family owned a restaurant for approximately thirty years until Covid hit. With the inconveniences of quarantining and the fear-mongering theories being thrown up in the air, the restaurant took an enormous financial hit. My parents, sister, and I all worked there for as long as we could but when the world shuts down, it does not make any exceptions for a small restaurant in a small town. Suddenly, we all had no source of stable income in our household for about four months, which was really concerning seeing that I was going to be in college in a little over a year. After trying to keep the restaurant afloat for several months, it became too much stress and effort for the few workers, including myself, to keep going. On December 31, 2021, the restaurant shut down for good.

Financially, my family and I were in an uncertain situation. We had not made a lot of money from the restaurant in the past couple of years and now everyone was unemployed. We had absolutely no source of income during this time, which was just a few months ago. My mom and dad were able to find jobs after about two months of searching, interviewing, and getting no callbacks. It was even more difficult because their high school diplomas from China are not recognized in America. They have been working jobs that pay living wages, but a living wage is not enough to save up and pay for everything that college may entail. It also does not make up for all of the time and money lost towards the restaurant these past two years. I have also been in search of a job, but trying to find a job that would be flexible with my school schedule and extra-curricular activities has been difficult and I have not been able to find one.

I do not want to miss out on an opportunity like Boiler Gold Rush since my family can not afford it. I am a first-generation college student, so I want to make the most of my college experience. Three hundred and twenty dollars does not seem like an abundance of money in the overall scope of tuition, housing, and book fees, but it would definitely lift some of the financial burdens that come along with higher education.