Law Family Single Parent Scholarship

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.