paying for college without parents

hey let me start off by saying my name is kevin podolak and I am a sophomore student at SIUC aspiring to recieve a degree in aviation managment. let me fill you in with my back story leading up to college. I was born in Rochester, New York by two of the most amazing parents, my mother Debbie and my father Steven. My parents never went about things the normal way but thats the lifestyle ive learned to love. When i was in fifth grade my father steven passed because of his addiction to alchoal. moving around from house to house and living with differnt friends because my mom was not finically stable. In seventh grade my grandma started to pass away and my mom wanted to go be with her in Chicago, Illinois so me and my younger brother brian and older sister samantha moved in with my uncle walt meyers living in the basement of the house with all of our clothes in bins. After my grandmother passed of breast cancer we moved to Romeoville, Illinois where I started high school with my little brother brian in the house with me after my sister moved back to New york. At the beginning of my senior football season the second week of the seasons tragedy struck. My mom Debbie passed away because of an accidental overdose i woke up that morning to find her calling the paramedics for any chance of life giving her CPR while I send my brother to school to get him out of the hosue. There i was 18 years old no parents my future just seemed so grim. I moved back in with my uncle Walt in Bolingbrook trying to live the most normal life that i could. I was accepted to Southern Illinois at Carbondale with tears in my eyes because i was the first to attend college in my family. 

I tell you all this becasue i need help. I lost both of my parents and have been let down by so many other things in life. My little brother Brian is my reason I can still wake up with a smile on my face. I want to show him that we can get through college. I want to lead him to show him we can live better lives and give back to everyone who helped us and give more to those in need like me. please help my dream come true of being the first in my family to graduate college. I was never promised anything in my life but more than anything in this world i want a future. My parents have given me most of the tools to be succesful i just need some help.


I love you mom and dad I hope I make you proud
your boy,
kev