Fall 2025 Winner of the Miami Family Law Breaking The Cycle Scholarship

Anaely Jimenez

Anaely’s perseverance is rooted in creating a better future for her family. She continues to work hard, determined to use her knowledge and skills to help others. Congratulations, Anaely— we wish you the best as you continue to achieve your goals!

Read her essay here:

Migrating from Cuba and growing up in Homestead, Miami, higher education wasn’t the top of my family’s priorities. My father fell into the devastating cycle of addiction and abandoned my mother once I was born. However, my mother did what she could to provide for my brother and me, suffering from epilepsy, she would walk most places with us. It was those walks to school or church that my mother would tell us about her childhood. By pointing out the places where she had been before, she would serve as a diversion from the unpleasant realities of our surroundings. Seeing family members fall apart due to addictions, lose rights to their children, and revert to homelessness fueled my desire to do more for my family. My mother had the same desire, but I saw how her hopes of leaving poverty had been destroyed by life. However, I did not doubt that I would be different.

Unfortunately, my mother knew that she could not afford to help me through higher education. Especially when her main worries were focused on our next meal or the next bill that needed to be paid. On many nights, as I sat trying to finish my homework, I heard my mother scream and beg God for help, crying that she couldn't comprehend why she deserved this. Even though I knew deep down that things couldn't possibly get better, I would still pray for change. I knew I was a financial burden and that I couldn't work to help pay the bills, which made me feel so small and worthless. I now know that through my degree, I can help those in situations similar to mine feel understood.

Even throughout being evicted and moving to different schools, my main goal was to do the best I could. If not for me, for my family. I was determined to break the cycle of dropping out of high school to work full-time to make ends meet. To help my mom pay the bills and save money for my future, I worked two jobs while I was in high school. It wasn’t easy, but through continuous hard work, I was able to be the first in my family to graduate from high school with honors. I was confident that obtaining a higher degree would enable me to break through cycles of hardship by giving me the information, abilities, and chances for a secure, rewarding career. This scholarship will help me complete my degree to create a brighter future and make a meaningful impact on my community, I will continue to be resourceful and determined. With a degree in psychology, I will be able to comprehend and deal with the causes of suffering in society and personally. I'll apply this understanding to support mental health, encourage constructive change, and inspire others to build a future where these obstacles are more successfully overcome. With the education this scholarship guarantees, I will be able to break the cycle of poverty in my family.