Is it normal to feel overdshadowed by your younger sibling?

Alright, I decided to take a year off from school as I had planned to do for quite some time and spend time with my father of whom I've never had much of a relationship with.

But, on to the point. Through High School I wasn't a terrible student, I made decent grades. Other than my English classes, Chorus, and History courses I was a straight D/C student. Anything involving mathematics or foreign language is simply incredibly difficult for me to understand. My GPA wasn't even a 3.0 once I graduated, receiving the Distinguished Scholar in Science award helped some. So, after graduation I packed up and moved in with my father. I spent a few months with him before leaving based on differences between his new wife and myself.

So, I moved back in with my mother. I never was able to finish my college financial aid form this year due to my mother's reluctance to provide income information. So, I am unable to go to college for another year now(Though I've already applied for next year and I've taken various other steps.). I've been searching and trying my hardest to get a job so I'm not a bum(I'm able to pull off odd jobs from time to time at least.), however where I live jobs are a pain to come by.

So, my sister is in High School currently. She's ringing in nearly a 4.0 GPA, and she's been recognized on many occasions. She begins looking for a part-time job in order to get a car and to have some extra cash. So, not only after out-playing me throughout her school career (She graduates in two years) she land an interview in almost every place that I had sent in an application to and even followed up with in-business visits and phone calls. She gets a job at a place I have been wanting to work at since it opened. She's basically guaranteed to get a number of scholarships at this point when she starts college as well.

Adding to this, her and I have differing religious views. Hers, fall in line with my mother and other family members while mine not so much. I am also an avid LGBT activist, and I myself am Pansexual while she herself is hetero-sexual. My family and are heavy Pentecostals, so you know how that is seen by them along with my atheism. My mother has always played favorites, I've sort of been the black sheep my entire life. My mother has always had some level of disdain for me due to me thinking and viewing things differently from her. Not once did she praise or assist me through school when I asked.

She is always commenting on how proud she is of my sister, always talking about her to everyone without even acknowledging my existence and when I am brought up she either changes the subject or is very general. (I've been present during many of these conversations.) Hell, she never even bothered to step in or give me advice when I was bullied throughout school. Yet, the second my sister gets in to even a verbal argument with someone my mother turns in to superwoman and basically calls in the army.

It's like my sister is the pride and joy of my family, everything she does is met with praise. Me, no matter how hard I try to impress or even make my family proud of me it seems to just not exist. I've tried talking to my mother over this and she's said time and time again all through my childhood and teen years that it's not what I think. All I want is a single "I'm proud of you." Or some form of praise or sign that she and the family accept me.

I don't know what to do at this point, I don't feel like I'm worth much of anything at this point. I don't feel motivated to do anything, it's like no matter what I do no one will care. My only talents that I believe I have are my writing, and speech skills which go hand in hand.

I'm politically aware, I am going to the ends of the earth with the effort I place in, I am assertive and willing to fight for my views/beliefs, I'm on top of everything going on in my life, what am I doing wrong? I try and have a positive outlook, but I just don't know anymore.