Law Family Single Parent Scholarship

Perseverance of a Single Teen Mother My name is Isabella Mimms. I am a 17 year old graduating senior from Georgia Chaffee T.A.P.P. I aspire to be a therapist and mental health advocate in order to make significant changes in my community. I’ll be attending Simmons College of Kentucky for 2 years to get my Associate's Degree in Applied Psychology, and then transferring to University of Louisville to get my Bachelor's. My greatest strength is my charisma and the fact that I am a natural born leader. I have had many opportunities to develop my leadership skills throughout my high school journey. I hope to continue to develop these skills in college in order to succeed in my career. Throughout my journey I have had to overcome many challenges. At 14 years old, I became pregnant with my son and my life changed drastically. Before this pivotal moment I was just a young girl who was struggling with my own mental health. I was failing every single class, I had no motivation, and ultimately was in the worst position in my life. Once I transferred to T.A.P.P. my concept of education changed. I wanted to be the best mother I could be for my son. In order to do that I had to put in effort in my education. I started off in the RES (Racial Equity Scholars) Club as soon as I came to T.A.P.P. Through RES I have had the opportunity to be a leader. I was elected President of RES my second year at T.A.P.P. As president, I helped plan our school's Black History Month programs. I delivered a speech addressing anti-DEI and Senate Bill 93. At T.A.P.P. This leadership role has helped me gain confidence in my speaking and confirmed my desire to be an advocate for people. I have had the opportunity to meet with career mentors who are mental health professionals. They have helped guide me in pursuit of this career path and fostered my passion for entering the mental health field. I want to be an advocate for people of color and women struggling with mental health. The reason why I want to be a therapist is because this is personal to me. I've always been the person to help people when they need it but never received the same back. There is a lot of stigma surrounding mental health in my community. There isn't a lot of information or resources available. I want to close this gap and do my part in order to support the people of my community. I see a lot of violence in my community. Many are struggling mentally and resorting to violence instead of learning to cope with their problems. My hope is to become a mental health counselor who can provide the necessary guidance for those young people in my community who need it. Earning this scholarship will provide me with the help I need in order to reach my goals in college and beyond. I want to prove to the world that being a teen mother does not mean that I am destined to fail in life. I have high hopes and dreams and plan to achieve those goals. I want to be a good role model for my son. I want him to grow up and see that his mother overcame enormous odds in order to realize her potential. I will work to ensure that my son grows up in a community where support is available and mental health is not stigmatized.

My name is Sydney Mitchell, I’m 17, and a graduating senior at Georgia Chaffee TAPP. I’ll be going to Berea College this August to study Psychology. I want to be a clinical therapist because my passion is to help people and to help them better understand themselves. I’m extremely proud of myself and ready for the next chapter of mine and my daughter's life at college. I've had a lot of growth within my character over the past 4 years. Before my daughter was born, I wasn't thinking about my future, if anything, I was struggling mentally. With my mental health struggles and hard home life, I didn't think I would make it to 18 years old. Although my grades at school were good, I didn’t know what I wanted to be career-wise.  When I became pregnant with my daughter, I knew to be the best mother I could be for my daughter I had to continue school and put in the best effort. When my daughter was 6 months old, I had the opportunity to come to Georgia Chaffee TAPP which made things so much easier for me; because I could bring my daughter to school instead of leaving her with my grandparents while I go to school. I needed the resources Georgia Chaffee T.A.P.P could provide, including childcare, small class sizes, mental health resources, and an onsite clinic. Georgia Chaffee T.A.P.P gave me a second chance at my education and set me up for success. Ever since attending I've changed so much and have become a leader by setting an example for underclassmen. Georgia Chaffee T.A.P.P has presented me with so many opportunities to get me connected in the community and give me career-ready experiences. I've always known helping people was my passion but I didn't know what my career should be. With the help of the career exploration class at Georgia Chaffee T.A.P.P and an interview with a registered mental health therapist, I realized this is the career choice for me, this is something I'm genuinely passionate about. I hope to make a change in my community by helping others going through mental health struggles, or simply just being someone to talk to. My daughter is the main reason why I strive to be successful in my college and career journey. I hope to set an amazing example for my daughter. If I earn the Law Family Single Parent Scholarship, I plan on using the funds to purchase school necessities for college and items that would help make things easier for me and my daughter living on campus since we come from a low-income household and don’t have our own things for a kitchen, bathroom, etc. With this being said, I’m proud of my academic journey and ready for the next chapter of life.

My name is Aubree Saunders, I am 18 years old, and have a 2 year old son named Ezra. I currently attend Georgia Chaffee TAPP with a 3.46 cumulative GPA and I plan to attend Berea College for psychology. I am described as creative, mature, passionate, and open-minded. My career aspiration is to become a mental health practitioner and either work in a middle/high school or private practice. I have a passion for activism, and have been a speaker at Women’s Equality Day hosted by the Metro Office for Women. I also have used my AP Art portfolio to raise awareness for sexual assault victims. I was always the kid who didn’t understand why I had to go to college and do more school after 12 years of it. So, I tried to find careers that I didn’t need schooling for, such as singing or photography. As kids and teens do, I grew out of those dreams and kept finding new ones. That is, until I found out I was pregnant at the age of 15. I didn’t know what I was going to do or how I was going to make it through life. Finding out I was pregnant isolated me from the people I had in my circle at the time. My parents were supportive in whatever decision I chose but we never had a good relationship and I couldn’t lean on them. I was scared and in a really dark place. I didn’t know what my future would hold. TAPP introduced me to great teachers and administrators that showed support and motivated me. During my time at school I was able to reflect on my past experiences and I found my passion for helping people. I had always been the friend that people went to when they needed someone to talk to, and I loved it! I loved being that shoulder to cry on or the person to help them get back up. When I found out I could turn it into a career and make a life for my son and me, I was set on going to college to work in the mental health field. Being able to work in the mental health field has a lot of aspects that are significant to me. One aspect is being a representation of a Black person acknowledging that addressing your mental health is important. In many Black communities, getting help for your mental health is a taboo and often not encouraged. I want to help my community embrace how vital it is to get help and take care of yourself mentally. Another important factor to me is helping people that are struggling. Being a therapist means giving people tools to cope with their emotions in their everyday life and especially when tragedies happen. I would also like to make time to participate in more programs and activities raising awareness for equality issues. This can be life changing for people and sometimes even life saving. Women’s and LGBTQ+ equality issues are what I would like to focus on, because these are issues that not only affect me but people I care about. I sincerely thank you for the opportunity to earn the Law Family Scholarship.

My name is Ronyale Wilson, I am 17 years old and I go to Georgia Chaffee TAPP High School. I have a 1-year-old daughter, and her name is Khalani. She is the love of my life. I am planning to attend Western Kentucky University or the University of Louisville. I am going to major in nursing or social work. I would like to be a nurse or social worker because I enjoy helping others. I am also interested in working in an office environment at some point in my career. My biggest strengths are that I am very detail-oriented and a very determined, loving person. I believe these strengths will help me in college, as well as in life in general. It has been extremely difficult trying to balance my school life, personal life, and life as a single parent. Sometimes I feel like I can't balance everything, but my daughter gives me inspiration to achieve and push forward. It has been extremely hard since I lost my child's father when I was pregnant. That event has had a really big impact on my life. For a while, I had a hard time dealing with his death. It is still hard to imagine, but each day it gets a little easier. In overcoming this loss, I have been focused on being the best parent I can be. I want my career to have a positive effect on those around me. It also made me think about causes that are important to me and how I will help my community. I am passionate about improving the level of homelessness in my community. I plan to make a difference in the lives of people who don't have a place to live or can't afford to feed their families. I am looking forward to owning a food truck to give back to the poor community at no cost. I would like to reach single-parent families mostly. I plan to partner with the Dare To Care organization for extra community support and resources. I would like for this food truck business to be something that my daughter could take over to do also. I love seeing people happy and smiling. It brings me joy and happiness to know that I can have a positive effect on people. I plan to make people in need smile by providing them food and other necessities they need to improve their quality of life.

Growing up, I never would’ve imagined me being a mother at the age of 15. I was just now in highschool, and I was also very behind in school. When I found out I was pregnant, the first thing I thought of was me and my child’s future. How could we be successful in life if I hadn’t even graduated high school? I had to come up with a plan to get back on track. Motherhood is a complicated journey, but that’s the beauty of it. Being able to weed the good from the bad, and to keep pushing yourself forward. My child was the biggest blessing I could’ve asked for. Being a single parent has surely been a challenge, but it has also been a rewarding experience that has shaped my pursuit of higher education in many ways. One of the challenges of being a single parent is finding the time and energy to balance work, parenting, and pursuing an education. This often requires a great deal of organization, planning, and time management . I have had to prioritize my responsibilities and make sacrifices in order to make everything work. For example, I have had to turn down social invitations in order to focus on my schoolwork or spend time with my child. This has been difficult at times, but it has also taught me the value of dedication. Being a single parent has also made me more motivated to succeed in my work. I know that my education is not just for myself, but for my child and our future together. I want to be able to provide a better life for us and be an amazing role model for my child. I want to show him that with work and determination, he can achieve his dreams. Another way that being a single parent has shaped my desire for higher education is by providing me with an understanding of the challenges that many people face. As a single parent, I have had to navigate a variety of challenges, such as finding childcare, dealing with financial struggles, and managing my own stress. This has given me a sense of empathy and a desire to help others who may be facing similar challenges. In terms of making a positive impact in my community, I plan to use my education and the knowledge that I have gained to give back and make a difference. One way that I plan to do this is by volunteering my time to organizations that support single parents and their children. I also hope to use my education to advocate for policies that benefit single parents and their families. Another way that I plan to make a positive impact in my community is by using my education to pursue a career that helps others. I’ve always wanted to be a Registered Nurse, and now it is finally time to make those dreams come true. Helping others has always been a passion of mine, as I am a very heartfelt person. In conclusion, being a single parent has definitely been a challenge, but it has also been a rewarding experience that has shaped my desire for higher education. It has taught me dedication and time management skills, as well as provided me with a unique perspective and understanding of the challenges that people face. I plan to use my education and the skills that I have gained to make a positive impact in my community by volunteering, advocating for policies and initiatives that benefit single parents and their families, and pursuing a career that helps others.

Throughout my life, there have been many experiences that have inspired me to become the woman that I am today. However, above anything or anyone, my five children are my greatest inspiration. Undoubtedly, single parenting requires an abundance of diligence, patience, and sacrifice. Every single moment of my life revolves around my children, as they are my top priority. Working twice as hard to make sure that all of my children’s needs are met is certainly not an easy task. There have been moments where I let guilt, doubt, and anxiety consume me, and I had no desire to live in my true purpose. Even so, I never gave up. In 2017, I withdrew from school due to my extreme hardship in maintaining work/life balance. My children were having behavioral and learning difficulties, in which one of my sons was diagnosed with Autism. Additionally, my other children were diagnosed with ADHD. Although I had very little support, I stepped up and advocated for my children. Now, each of my children have specialized therapeutic services, learning support plans, and tutoring services. They are growing, thriving, and doing so much better in school. I didn’t give up on them because they deserve a quality education, regardless of their learning challenges. All things considered, I had to resign from my full-time job as a medical assistant in order to begin my nursing studies at Drexel University. This was an arduous decision that I had to make, however, I know that it will prove to be beneficial in the near future. This scholarship will help with tuition, and any additional fees, books, and other expenses. Continuing my education was the best decision that I have ever made. My children watch my every move, and they depend on me for everything. So, I have no choice but to go above and beyond for them. I am also setting an example for them to do and be their best, no matter how hard life gets. I am resilient, adaptable, and ambitious. I am currently pursuing my Bachelor's of Science in Nursing at Drexel University. The area of nursing that I choose to focus on is Maternal/Fetal Health in disadvantaged communities. I want to help improve the safety and welfare of pregnant women through various preventative care measures. I hope to learn more about how I can incorporate reproductive health into my field of study, and how I can do more to advocate for women that do not have access to adequate health care. Since beginning my nursing studies at Drexel University, I have joined the National Student Nurses Association. In January, I also plan to join the National Black Nurses Association. I believe that joining these associations will help me to grow and thrive as a nursing student. Networking and making connections with other nursing students and faculty will prove to be very beneficial to my nursing career. I am also a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Rho Upsilon Chapter. Currently, I have completed my first quarter at Drexel University. I am on the Dean’s List, and I have a 3.71 GPA. I also plan to continue my education and complete my Master’s degree in Nurse Midwifery. I believe that a career in nursing will be extremely rewarding, because I know I will have genuine opportunities to make a difference in the lives of many.

At age seventeen I gave birth to my son Elijah, and my world somersaulted. Any prior concept of love, responsibility, or commitment was blown away as soon as I looked into his eyes. Though many people warned me my life would be over, his birth reinforced my decision to pursue medicine by deepening my capacity for compassion, strengthening my confidence, and showing me that I was always meant to be a protector of life. Despite the statistics of teen moms graduating from high school and college I pursued my dreams. I had so much more drive then ever before, I demonstrated resilience and perseverance. My son has encouraged me to be a better version of myself. Before his birth I was caught up in a negative lifestyle; I partied all the time and begin using drugs. I tried to clean up my life but kept falling victim to my addiction. Once I got pregnant my entire mindset, attitude, and goals changed. I wanted to be a good role model to my son and I wanted to provide for him and give him the love and support I didn't receive when I was young. With persistence and dedication, I am proud to say I have done all those things and continue to everyday of my life. I hope to set an example to other teen moms and give them courage to pursue their goals. I want to motivate them by sharing my experience in hopes that it will encourage them to never give up and never let themselves be defined by statistics.