Phoebes in Philanthropy Scholarship

In my life, I have had more than one Phoebe, but there is one woman who stands out above the rest. She came into my life when I did not even know I needed saving. Her name is Aunt Keisha, and while she is not my biological aunt, she became family in every sense of the word. She is the woman who helped me find my voice when the world tried to silence it. She is the reason I stepped on my first stage, wrote my first script, and believed that my stories were worth telling. Aunt Keisha joined our church back in the 90s. She was a college student, only twenty-one at the time, but full of light and boldness. She created the church’s drama and arts department, and that was where I was first introduced to the performing arts. While many kids shied away from the stage, I leaned in. And she saw that in me. She nurtured it. She pushed me when I wanted to shrink. She clapped the loudest when I performed. She spoke life into me, reminding me that I had something special long before I ever believed it myself. Her presence changed the trajectory of my life. Because of her, I began to write, direct, and teach others to express themselves through art. And even as I have walked through some of life’s most difficult seasons, single motherhood, financial hardship, separation and heartbreak, she has been one of the people who reminded me that I still had a purpose. As a woman over 30 returning to school, I now understand how rare it is to have someone who not only sees your potential but also walks beside you while you pursue it. I am currently studying Film and Media at Georgia State University’s Perimeter College. I was once months away from graduating at the Art Institute of Atlanta before it closed, forcing me to start over. But women like Aunt Keisha inspired me to get back up, apply again, and believe that it is never too late to begin again. If I am awarded this scholarship, it would not only help me continue my education it would help me pour into the next generation of women, artists, and dreamers. My dream is to open a performing arts academy and launch a production company focused on storytelling that heals and empowers. I want to mentor girls who feel unseen, single mothers who are rediscovering themselves, and youth with disabilities who need a space to create and be celebrated. I am already making an impact in small ways through community events, actor coaching, and youth mentorship. But this scholarship would allow me to go further, do more, and create something lasting. It would help me become someone else’s Phoebe a woman who shows up, believes in others, and helps them see the light within themselves. I am proof that all it takes is one person to believe in you at the right time. Aunt Keisha was mine. Now I want to become that for someone else.

Hi, My name is Natakie Eccleston and I am 33-years-old married with 2 children. My Phoebe is my aunt, Winsom. As far as I can remember she's been a second mother to me. My phoebe doesn't have children of her own because she took in her younger sister's 3 young children. My brother, sister, and myself. She was there for everything doctor appointments, struggles, school, heartbreaks, graduation, etc. My phoebe is my hero, she taught me love and discipline. She is an immigrant who came to this country with little to nothing. She was uneducated without talents meaning in the working environment. She then became a Home Health Aide. That has been her career and still is. Moving forward, when my Phoebe began working she taught me to always take care of my brother and sister. Working a 12-hour shift she came home to cook, prepare our clothes, and check our school work for the following day. She is a strong brilliant woman the smartest woman I know and that is not because she's my aunty but because she navigated her way through life with nothing but breath in her body. Can you imagine not having anything and taking 3 young children and building a life for yourself and them? My phoebe is an amazing character and a beautiful soul. As opposed to my Phoebe being awesome in my life, I didn't always make it easy for her. I grew up being a troubled child following the wrong crowd, not listening, and being disrespectful. With all that being said she always had my back. I dropped out of high school, got pregnant, and had no job and she nursed me a cared for me through it all. My entire childhood I felt unloved, now as an adult I grew to understand my whole childhood represented nothing but unconditional love, inexpressible love, the sweetest love known to man. With the baby in the picture I was lost, didn't know what to do, and wanted my freedom. Even though she worked a 12-hour shift she would help me before work and when she was released from work. My daughter is the apple of her eyes and still is. She was rough but at the same time soft. She paid for trade school for me and I became a Certified Nursing Assistant and still is up to this present day. This scholarship can help me to pay for school an obtain my degree. My passion for helping people started when I was a young child, and I have made it my career. With a diverse background in patient care, I am dedicated to providing exceptional care to those in need. I can sympathize and empathize with all different kinds of people ranging from children to the elderly. I am energetic and have a great passion for patient care, and the necessary leadership skills to contribute to a clinical and collaborative team. I took the initiative to go back to school to further my education so I will be able to to utilize my skills to there maximum capacity. In conclusion, my Phoebe taught me everything. Without her, I would have strayed away. She instilled in me strength, willpower, drive, and a beautiful heart because of her I know the sky is the limit and there is nothing that I am unable to achieve. As long as I have breath in my body and determination I will execute, accomplish, fulfill, and succeed. Life isn't easy I am now in college but what my Phoebe indented in me, let's just say I've already graduated.