Katie Ludwicki- The Family

Who am I?

My name is Katie Ludwicki and I am currently a second semester senior. I am originally from Northvale, New Jersey which is about 25 minutes outside of New York City. I am majoring in accounting and plan to earn my Masters degree next year. After graduating, I am excited to begin a career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in downtown Albany, where I will be working in their tax department. I am amongst the other 69.7% of Americans who attend a college or university after graduating from high school. I am so thankful for the education and opportunities that Siena has offered to me and could not have imagined myself attending any other college or university.

My favorite hobby is swimming. I have been a competitive swimmer for 16 years and have continued my swim career here at Siena College for all four years. Only 7% of all high school athletes continue on to play for a division 1 college or university, which is why swimming in college was a lifetime goal of mine.

**Siena Women’s Swim Team Class of 2020**

My Family

I have one older sister, Kristin, who is 23 years old. She also attended Siena and graduated last year with a bachelor’s degree in physics. She currently attends RPI and is earning a second bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering. After graduating she is planning on continuing her education and obtaining a PhD. My sister and I are very close and share many of the same hobbies and interests, one being swimming. She is definitely my best friend and someone I look up to.

My sister and I come from a “broken home”, as stated in today’s society. My parents got divorced when I was around seven years old and I lived with my mom until leaving for college. My mom, sister and I all have a very close relationship and have grown together as a family. We are Christians and usually attend church every Sunday together as a family. Our faith has impacted our lives significantly and has guided us through some of life’s hardest moments.

Single mother households have grown so common in America that today 80 percent of single-parent families are headed by single mothers.

**My mom, sister and I in New York City.**

Although my sister and I grew up living with my mom, we both are still very close with my dad. We get dinners, go on vacations, and spend holidays together which have expanded our relationship in many ways. Even though we did not spend everyday together, our relationship did not change and still managed to grow as the years went on.

**My dad, sister and I in Saratoga, NY.**

Around 25% of people over the age of 18 have gone through a parents divorce, which is a rising number in today’s society. Although divorces in households are becoming more and more common, children still suffer the consequences and the effects that come along with them.

My family does not execute the “breadwinner-homemaker family”, which means you have an employed father, and an unemployed mother (Cohen, 17). Being that my parents got divorced while my sister and I were still young, both of my parents had full time jobs. They both had significant power in the workforce, and worked very hard to provide comfortable lives for my sister and I. We both had the privilege of attending college and working towards our future goals because of the support of our parents. Only around 33% of children with divorced parents have the privilege of attending a college or university, which is why I am very grateful for all the sacrifices my parents made for my family.

This is an important concept in social class position because some people who may not be as privileged do not have the opportunity to attend a college or university due to financial implications. I would classify my direct family as being part of the middle class, which 42.4% of Americans are within the middle class range (Cohen, 129). I have definitely considered myself lucky for being able to live the life that I can currently live.

I am thankful for the family that I have been blessed with and although I was faced with some challenging situations, I believe it shaped me into the person I am today.