By Kenya Davis

In 2010, 20 million children were living without one parent according to LifeSiteNews. Jasmine Bahena is a senior who has one simple problem, she misses her family.

Just a few years ago she was living happily in Chicago, Illinois with her family which includes her mother, father, and older brother, but all of that changed when she and her mother had to move to Kalamazoo when she was just fourteen. This was a hard time for her because her father was staying in Chicago and her brother was moving to New York. Their family was splitting apart. Young and hurt Jasmine did the best with what she had. She came to Loy Norrix High School and did the best she could to make the family she wasn’t with proud.

All Jasmine has now are her memories of the once extremely close family. She thinks about all of the time they used to spend in the house just relaxing as a family, having a cookout at the lake. Time times that the whole family would get together and just have a great time. The good ole days. She misses the love that was shared in her house. Bahena can no longer walk into the living room and ask her father for advice in a simple situation.

Her parents have always been there for her even when that means giving her a long speech when she does something wrong and helping her do better. Her family is not like the average family with their living arrangements, but overall they are just like everyone else.

“They’re not ghetto or preppy. They are just strict, calm, and fun,” Bahena said.

Although she is living her life normally she still faces the reality every day. She know that things will never be the same for her, and that she will have to go day after day without her family as a whole.

“I haven’t seen my brother since I was 14. I have to go to Chicago to visit my father, and it’s rare that I visit. I only see him during summer and school breaks,” said Bahena.

Graduation is a big step for students in high school. Bahena has worked her hardest to make it through high school so she can make herself proud and graduate. Children with fathers who are involved are 70% less likely to drop out of school according to TheFatherlessGeneration.com. Not having he father around has not stopped her from achieving her goals and graduating, also making her mother proud. Although she has made it as far as she has she is still saddened that her father and brother could not make it.

“My brother is going to Louisiana for basic training. I’m not sure about my father,” Bahena said.