As a single parent and a student, I face numerous challenges on a daily basis. However, what I find most challenging is juggling the responsibilities of being a caregiver for my son, who has a disability, while also pursuing my academic goals. Growing up in foster care and experiencing poverty has taught me the importance of education and hard work. I am determined to provide a better life for myself and my son, and I know that education is the key to achieving that goal. However, as a single parent, it can be difficult to balance my academic responsibilities with my duties as a caregiver. One of the biggest challenges I face is finding adequate childcare for my son while I attend classes and complete coursework. My son requires specialized care due to his disability, and finding reliable and affordable care can be a struggle. Additionally, I often have to prioritize my son's needs over my academic responsibilities, which can lead to feelings of guilt and frustration.
Despite these challenges, I remain determined to succeed. I know that by pursuing my academic goals, I am not only creating a better future for myself, but I am also setting an example for my son. I want him to see that anything is possible with hard work and determination and that his disability does not have to hold him back from achieving his dreams. This scholarship would be a tremendous help in paving the way for my future and the future of my son. With the financial support, I would be able to afford the specialized childcare and resources my son needs while I attend classes and complete coursework. Additionally, the scholarship would alleviate some of the financial burdens associated with being a single parent and a student. But more than just the financial assistance, this scholarship would provide me with the motivation and encouragement to continue pursuing my academic goals. Knowing that some individuals and organizations believe in my potential and want to support me in achieving my dreams is a powerful motivator.
Furthermore, this scholarship would help me to achieve my ultimate goal of becoming a social worker. As a former foster youth who has experienced the cycle of poverty and abuse, I am passionate about advocating for vulnerable youth and families. As well as hoping to one day become a foster parent to help even more youth in need. With a degree in social work, I will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to make a positive impact on the lives of others. In conclusion, the combination of being a single parent and a student is not without its challenges. However, with determination and support, I know that I can achieve my academic goals and provide a better future for my son, the community and youth I will serve, and myself. This scholarship would provide me with the financial support and motivation I need to continue pursuing my dreams, and ultimately make a positive impact in the lives of others.
The most challenging aspect of being a single mother of three boys and a college student is time management. Often times, I feel like I have to sacrifice one for the other at the moment. As a mother, I worry about the impact this has on my children and the events that I am missing as I can not attend many of their school functions while I am in school and trying to maintain my 4.0 GPA in my nursing program. However, I know that the sacrifices that I am making now to complete the Associate Degree in Nursing program at Kapiolani Community College will allow me to be able to be financially stable and provide a better life for my boys. Despite the time management issues, I have managed to maintain a 4.0 GPA for the last two semesters of my nursing school program. I have two more semesters to complete and then I am able to attempt the state licensure exam to become a registered nurse.
My boys and nursing are my passion. I witnessed firsthand how influential nurses are and the impact that they have on families. My twin boys had to spend several months in the neonatal intensive care unit because they were born prematurely at 28 weeks. My oldest son suffers from asthma. One of the twins has situs inversus, and the other twin has Stage 2 Chronic Kidney Disease. I practically lived in the hospital during this time and was by his side for his next 13 surgeries and numerous other procedures so that he could avoid having to start dialysis or have a kidney transplant. During this time, I fell even more in love with medicine, especially nursing. I would not have been able to get through this difficult time if it was not for the nurses and their compassion. This reignited my passion and drive to go back to school and purse a nursing degree. I want to specialize in pediatric nursing because I want to provide the same care and comfort to other families and their children, like my sons and I received throughout their time in the NICU and even now through the various doctors appointments that my boys still have. Nurses are these amazing people that are able to be by our side to laugh and cheer during the good times and cry right beside us during the difficult times. My future career and my boys are what inspire me to keep going everyday.
This scholarship will help me to continue my journey in nursing so that I can become a registered nurse, but also not have to stress as much about how to pay for college while I deal with their medical bills. I plan to continue in my education journey after completing the ADN program and attend University of Hawaii's bridge program from RN to BSN. After which, I plan on getting my Masters in Nursing Education and eventually, a doctorate in nursing practice and become a Pediatric Advanced Practicing Nurse. I know that if I continue on my education journey that I will be able to provide the lifestyle that I want to be able to give my boys. In addition, I hope that my boys see that no matter their circumstances, they can still achieve their dreams.
The biggest challenge that I have faced is balancing the financial and time sensative priorities of parenthood with the priorities of higher education. I began my undergraduate education when my youngest daughter was six months old. I was completing the final class of the program when my other daughter was born. During much of this time, their father was deployed with the military and I had no financial or emotional support. Despite these barriers, I achieved what I set out to do; I completed my AABA and my BSCJ with an 3.89GPA and graduated with full honors and was granted the award of Magna Cum Laude.
It has been seven years since I became a single parent, but many of the challenges have not changed. I did not receive any formal support for much of that time. All friends and family remained behind when I left to start life anew. The cost of daycare and other household obligations are taxing, and leave very little room to save and prepare for anticipated school costs. Even with this awareness, I have not allowed it to slow me down. I determined from the start that I would set an example for both of my daughters as a first generation college graduate, and I continue to maintain this focus within my current Graduate program. Despite working full time, managing an integrated team of professionals, serving as an advocate for regional behavioral health needs, and coordinating for care regarding my childrens' own behavioral health diagnosis, I have consistently and persistently used my own experiences in resilience and dedication to show my children that they are not limited by their immediate circumstances.
The mixture of financial obligations and time limitation has been the largest barrier for me, but I will not allow this to slow me down. I currently have around $3,500 left to account for in regards to my upcoming semester. I anticipate that his amount will increase as I move into my Specialist Year of study. This will also initiate my required participation with fieldwork placement, impending my ability to explore secondary employment options to suppliment. For this reason, any scholarship funds I receive will be dedicated to covering all additional costs associated with completing my degree.
As I work to instill the values of perseverence, resiliance, self-advocacy, and determination in my children, I actively communicate the lessons I learn and the solutions I develop so that they can grow with the guidance and example of someone who has struggled and succeeded despite overwhelming obsticals. This includes the process of scholarship hunting. I anticipate such barriers to only become more prevalent as my children age, and the statistical probability that they may also be limited by their life circumstances is always at the forefront of my mind. We live in a world that seems to become more disheartening with every year, and I worry about my children falling into the social and economic trap that their immediate circumstances may otherwise confine them to. I want them to know that there is always another option, and there is always another idea to seek out and try. Our current world seems to have very few examples to look up to when in need of hope. As I have struggled to find this myself, I will endure so that my children can learn from me rather than having to pave the way for themselves as I did.
