Milwaukee Catholic Herald

Why Carina Jauhari inspires people

Messmer senior works, maintains household, keeps the faith

By Maryangela Layman Román
Catholic Herald Staff

Carina Jauhari, a senior at Messmer Catholic High School, participates in a mock interview with Manpower's Mario Cortez. (Catholic Herald photo by Sam Lucero)

MILWAUKEE — Messmer High School business teacher Bob Monday looks the other way when his star pupil’s eyelids struggle to stay open during his “Introduction to Business” class. It’s not that the instructor is going easy on Carina Jauhari, but rather he knows the senior is facing struggles outside of class that would challenge most adults.

Since last December, when Jauhari’s father, Ealie Chadwick, was hospitalized at the VA Medical Center, suffering from kidney failure and a weak heart, the teenager has lived on her own, managing not only her studies, but her household.

Money goes quickly

At a time when many of her classmates are consumed with typical high school activities: dances, athletics, college applications and final exams, Jauhari, 17, also has had to worry about scraping enough money together for the rent, groceries, phone and electric bills.

She started working at Kentucky Fried Chicken about four months ago, but said she isn’t excited to get her paychecks because she knows they are already spent. Two hundred dollars goes toward rent, $150 for gas and lights, $50 for the phone bill and the rest covers food and any other necessities.

“The money is gone very quickly,” said Jauhari in an interview with your Catholic Herald. Admitting the semester has been exceptionally tough, Jauhari said she wouldn’t have made it through without faith in God and assistance from family, friends and Messmer High School staff.

When she graduates on Sunday, June 3, Jauhari is hopeful her proud father will be able to attend.

‘Me and daddy’

Since she was about 9-years-old, Jauhari said, “It’s been just me and my daddy,” explaining her mother lives in Portland, Ore. Chadwick, who spent six years in the U.S. Navy, worked in maintenance for Milwaukee Public Schools and also drove a truck until his health forced him into early retirement about eight years ago, said Jauhari.

Describing her relationship with her father as close, Jauhari said the two enjoyed taking long walks together “just talking about stuff.” Now that he’s hospitalized, waiting for a kidney transplant, Jauhari takes three buses, three to four times a week to visit her dad. He’s usually either sleeping or heavily medicated, but Jauhari said she still enjoys just being with him.

Late night visits

Often her time at the hospital comes when much of the rest of the world is asleep. Monday recalled a recent class project where students worked with the Milwaukee Bucks to promote eating healthy breakfasts. He noticed on the early morning bus ride to the Bradley Center that Jauhari was not her usual bubbly, bright, chipper self, and asked her why she appeared so tired.

She told Monday she worked after school and after work, a friend took her to visit her dad from 1 to 3 a.m., she went back home and studied, before getting up at 5 a.m. to get ready for the project.

Jauhari’s schedule was similar the day of the interview with your Catholic Herald. After school, she went to work until midnight; stayed up to complete a research project, went to bed at 3 a.m., and then got up at 5 a.m. to begin getting ready for the school day. It was a day that contained not only the newspaper interview, but also a mock interview with professionals from Manpower. Even in her sleep-deprived state, Jauhari was thrilled to announce, “I got the job,” after her practice interview.

“The teachers (at Messmer) really understand what I am going through,” said Jauhari. “If I have a big project due, sometimes they’ll give me a few extra days to finish it, or if I fall asleep in class, they’ve been very understanding.”

Noting that Jauhari’s grades have not slipped since her father’s illness, Monday wondered had she not been living on her own, how well she might be doing.

“Students are supposed to be inspired by their teachers, but who is the inspiration here?” he asked, explaining he is amazed at Jauhari’s resilience.

Describing an author who wrote that success is not measured by a person’s IQ, but rather by how he or she handles adversity, Monday said, “Carina is a definition of that book. How a person handles adversity is a better predictor of success than the IQ.”

Following graduation, Jauhari is looking forward to a job with M&I Bank, either as a teller or in the IT department. The job will pay her three times as much as she earns at Kentucky Fried Chicken, she noted excitedly. Monday said she received the job offer after a speaker from M&I was impressed with Jauhari’s questions during the class presentation.

In fall, Jauhari will attend Bryant and Stratton College to study information technology and she will continue as a medic with the Army National Guard, an organization she joined last summer.

Her plans don’t stop. Following college graduation, she wants to attend the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay to earn a master’s degree in computer science.

The semester has been “very tough, very stressful, very hard,” acknowledged Jauhari, adding, “I finally understand what it means to be an adult. Paying bills has been one of the greatest lessons I have learned. I’ve learned what parents mean when they tell you to turn the lights off when you leave a room, and why you should not be on the phone for long.”

Jauhari admitted there were times when she thought about quitting, yet she said Messmer theology teachers encouraged her to look for support through scripture. A member of Community Baptist Church, Jauhari said because of her time at Messmer, she is drifting toward Catholicism and may enter the Catholic Church.

“I know there are certain priorities, certain things that need to be done,” said Jauhari admitting she is “probably more mature than some of the people I know.”

“It has been stressful, especially as a senior looking to graduation and college. I’m also worrying about my dad, about the National Guard, about paying bills, but my dad has helped me a lot; even though he is still at the hospital, he does what he can do,” she said.

When asked where she’d like to be in 10 years, Jauhari quickly answered, “I hope I’ll be working for Microsoft, and I’ll have my dad — in great health — by my side.”