Maddie Malhotra was born on May 14th, 1997 in Parker, Colorado. She is the youngest of two but, she was always the parent. Maddie's life has thrown her hardship after hardship. But if you met her today, you'd have no idea. Maddie is now a multi-award winning photojournalist at Boston Unversity. Here is her story of how moving 1,972.5 miles away made her change her views on life, family, and in the process find her true home.
Family Home
Carrie and Neil are Maddie's mother and father. They had her oldest sister Katie in 1994. and moved to Parker, CO shortly before Maddie was born. Maddie's house is huge. Full of different rooms that seemed to slowly get filled with tragic memories. Her parents' bedroom is haunted with the drunken screams of her father while the bathroom has stains from her mother's eating disorder. Katie's room is a mess of clothing, shattered glass, old food, and broken paintings. Maddie's room is her safe haven. There is very little out of order and she knows exactly where everything is. She lived in this same house for almost 18 years. Her mother kept the house until 2010 then afterward her father Neil took it.
"Photography has allowed me to capture all the emotions around me instead of hiding them"
Middle School is the worst time in children's lives. But, Maddie found her first camera and started taking as many pictures as possible. She was able to step out of her broken world and capture the beauty of everything around her. In 8th grade, Maddie became a part of Sierra Middle School's yearbook staff. She went to Kansas City and entered in 14 photo competitions. Every entry was compared to the best young journalists in the nation. She placed 1st in 13 of the entries, she 2nd in the 14th entry. These awards are extremely impressive, but what meant the most to Maddie was the confidence that came with these awards. For the first time, she felt validated in a skill she loves. But the brokenness of her family still lingered.
Middle School
Family Home
Carrie and Neil are Maddie's mother and father. They had her oldest sister Katie in 1994. and moved to Parker, CO shortly before Maddie was born. Maddie's house is huge. Full of different rooms that seemed to slowly get filled with tragic memories. Her parents' bedroom is haunted with the drunken screams of her father while the bathroom has stains from her mother's eating disorder. Katie's room is a mess of clothing, shattered glass, old food, and broken paintings. Maddie's room is her safe haven. There is very little out of order and she knows exactly where everything is. She lived in this same house for almost 18 years. Her mother kept the house until 2010 then afterward her father Neil took it.
Colorado Home
Carrie and Neil are Maddie's mother and father. They had her oldest sister Katie in 1994 and moved to Parker, CO shortly before Maddie was born. Maddie's house is huge. Full of different rooms that seemed to slowly get filled with tragic memories. Her parents' bedroom is haunted with the drunken screams of her father while the bathroom has stains from her mother's eating disorder. Katie's room is a mess of clothing, shattered glass, old food, and broken paintings. Maddie's room is her safe haven. There is very little out of order and she knows exactly where everything is. She lived in this same house for almost 18 years. Her mother kept the house until 2010 then afterward her father Neil took it. Maddie was forced at age 5 to become the adult of the house. Her mother and father tried to help but had issues of their own that needed to be delt with.
Middle School
The first thing Maddie did when she stepped into Chaparral High School, was sign up for as many photography classes as possible and yearbook staff. These classes flooded her life with joy. She could capture all the wonders in the world. By her sophomore year, Maddie became the photo editor and the following year she was the editor-in-chief of the yearbook. She knew what she was doing and never wanted to stop growing. Senior year, Maddie had won National Photojournalist of the Year twice and from Youth Society of Professional Journalists.
With all of this excitement and success, there was a great amount of tension that had built up in her house. Often she would call me in the middle of the night and I would pick her up from her mother's bipolar rage or her father pushing her to the point of tears. Maddie felt like the seems of her life were unraveling, yet every outsider saw a talented young woman.
High School
Maddie received a stream of scholarships and acceptance letter to various universities around the country. The largest scholarship she earned was to Boston University. Maddie and her mom, when she was stable, went and toured the campus in March of 2015. Maddie fell in love with the city. This was finally her home, 1972.5 miles away. Maddie struggled with the idea of leaving her family behind. She was the rock that held everything together, but she needed out.
So, she took a leap and has thrived ever since.
Today, her mother remarried and moved to downtown Denver and is very happy. Katie, Maddie's older sister, is currently in rehab receiving addiction treatment but plans to begin classes at a local community college. Maddie's father is doing well and lives at her old childhood home in Parker still. He struggles with his alcoholism but, is able to control his emotions. Maddie is now ending her Sophmore year at BU and is the youngest editor at The Daily Free Press. She has made more new friends than she could imagine. Her photography career has taken her to the sidelines of Harvard football games, The Bean Pot hockey tournament, Joe Biden and Michelle Obama speeches, and The Boston Marathon. Maddie plans on staying in Boston after college and applying to the Boston Globe and other large publications.
Her relationship with her family is finally healthy after she was able to remove herself from her home. She talks to her mom almost every day and same with her dad. She also reaches out to her sister when she can and their relationship is based on love rather than fear and hate. When Maddie does come back to visit for holidays and breaks she appreciates her family and is able to see the bigger picture.
But, her home is in Boston now and that is where she has truly found herself.
Boston Home
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