CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A North Carolina woman is embracing her future after juggling college and taking care of her family.
What You Need To Know
Joyce Chung’s mother, step-mother and father passed away from different types of cancer
Chung became the legal guardian for her three younger brothers after her father passed away
Chung graduated from UNC-Charlotte with degrees in accounting and finance
Joyce Chung, 29, has faced a great deal of heartache throughout her life.
“My mom passed away [from breast cancer] when I was 10,” Chung said. “My dad got remarried a year after, but she [step-mother] also passed away with brain cancer.”
Chung spent a lot of time helping her father raise her three younger brothers.
“The fact that my mom wasn’t there, there was a lot of pressure for me to cook, clean and step it up,” Chung said.
Chung was juggling school work at UNC Charlotte while she took on a maternal role.
“Studying and taking care of my younger brothers wasn’t easy,” Chung said.
Chung eventually took a gap year and moved to Raleigh to clear her head and focus on herself. She was planning to transfer to N.C. State until she got a call from her brother, who told her their father has been diagnosed with colon cancer.
“I had such an internal struggle of ‘do I finish? Or do I go back?’ but I made the decision to go back [to Charlotte],” Chung said.
Chung’s father passed away a few months after she moved back to be with her family. She became the legal guardian for her younger brothers at 23.
“We’re all dealing with grief. We’re all dealing with transition,” Chung said. “And as much as [my brothers] respected me … I know I’m not their mom”
After putting her degree on hold to work a full-time job, Chung went back to school. She attended community college before enrolling again into UNC Charlotte, where she majored in accounting and finance while taking care of her brothers.
“It was really hard,” Chung said. “Some nights I literally did cry.”
At one point, Chung said she thought about dropping out of school.
“I had some really good people in my life that told me if you don’t do it now, you’re not going to do it,” Chung said. “They’d rather see me get to a financially stable place as my brothers were getting there.”
In May 2021, Chung graduated from UNC Charlotte and accepted a corporate auditor job at Bank of America.
“I think up until now it was how can I be the best Joyce for my brothers,” Chung said. “If I’m being honest, I don’t think I’ve thought about what I wanted for a very long time.”
Chung also takes virtual classes on data analytics in her free time in hopes of expanding her knowledge and career success. She says she hopes her parents are proud of her as she looks forward to the next chapter of her life.
“I want a very low-key life and very peaceful,” Chung said. “That’s what I want – no more chaos.”
Chung says since cancer runs in their family, she and her siblings plan to get tested regularly. Meanwhile, her three brothers, who are now in their 20s, are getting ready to move out next year.