Poynter Scholarship

Hello, I am Ashly Silva, a dedicated mother of three and an aspiring nursing student, reaching out to share my journey and goals. My children are Brady, five; Ani, nearly four; and Aftyn, who recently celebrated her first birthday. They are the core of my existence. As their only parent and caregiver, their childhood is the force behind every aspiration and decision I make. Our recent move was a huge step towards healing and establishing a foundation of safety and stability. The legal and child custody battle continue to demand considerable emotional and mental attention from myself. I am now wholly committed to creating an environment of healing and happiness for my children and myself. The decision to leave my children’s father was the hardest experience I have ever faced. Following a life-threatening incident that lead to immediate danger to our youngest daughter and myself, I recognized with absolute clarity that I had no choice but to escape. After years enduring physical, verbal, financial, and emotional abuse, I finally mustered the courage to stand up for myself and, most importantly, for my children. Navigating this transition as a single-income household has lead to debt and struggles. The expenses in establishing a new home, along with overdue utility bills for which I am now solely responsible following my children’s father’s departure from our previous residence, present immediate challenges. My children are also growing incredibly fast, and their clothing and shoe are constantly needing to be replaced. While I seek out thrift stores and second-hand items whenever possible, these efforts do not always cover all essential needs. My determination to forge a stable future for my children remains a priority. I am currently in a full-time academic schedule, working towards acceptance into a nursing program. I chose this career path not only for the financial stability but my want to care and impact meaningful change in the lives of others. My professional goal is to specialize as a nurse midwife, a role that would allow me to empower families during childbirth and early parenthood. This deeply resonates with my own journey of advocating for well-being during and after pregnancy. I want to demonstrate to my children that with determination, no obstacle can prevent them from achieving their dreams. This scholarship would be absolutely transformative, offering not just financial relief but stability my family needs to thrive. It would directly address the immediate concerns of maintaining a secure home, providing essential daily necessities for my children, and ensuring reliable transportation. This critical support would allow me to dedicate my full attention and energy to my academics, and lessening the stress of financial barriers. My daily life is a testament to how I balance my academic commitments and the nurturing of my children. Beyond my coursework, I remain deeply engaged in their lives, coaching my son’s soccer team and diligently seeking out social activities for all three. These efforts are my way of leading by example and demonstrating perseverance. Covering the critical day-to-day necessities such as diapers and wipes to laundry detergent, toiletries, and household cleaning supplies, places a substantial and recurring strain on our budget, impacting our family’s ability to truly thrive rather than merely survive. Thank you for considering my application and for the invaluable opportunity to share my story. A scholarship represents far more than mere financial assistance; it is an investment in my family’s future. It would not only help me to achieve my ambitious academic and professional goals but, more importantly, enable me to build the secure, loving, and thriving environment my children so deeply deserve. Ashly Silva

Balance is not a word I use lightly. For most people, it suggests some kind of equilibrium, two sides of a scale sitting even. My life does not work that way, and it never has. What I have instead is structure, intention, and the stubborn refusal to let anything I love fall apart because I got tired. That is how I do it. That is how I have always done it. I am an active duty Air Force NCO and Aircraft Mechanic at Beale AFB, maintaining the U-2, a 1960s spy plane that demands precision every single day. I am also a full-time student finishing my Bachelor's in Project Management at Grand Canyon University, with Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle planned after graduation. I am the sole provider for my nine-year-old son, Darien, and the primary support for both aging parents, one dyslexic and unable to read or write, the other a Mexican immigrant with ongoing health issues. I volunteer as a paralegal on base improvement missions and show up with my son to community projects at nursing homes, schools, and city initiatives because service is part of who we are, not something we do when convenient. My days are built around Darien. He wakes up knowing his mother will be there in the morning and there when he rests his head at night. I study after we finish homework, sports, dinner, and chores. I take coursework seriously because he is watching how I handle hard things. Every credit hour I complete is something he sees me choose on purpose. That is the lesson I most want him to learn. You cannot wait for life to get easier. You build the life you want inside the one you have. There is no version of my story where someone handed me a clear path. I learned what the SAT was on my own. I was on my own at 17, attended college, and worked two full-time jobs. At 20, I found out I was pregnant after back-to-back miscarriages. I left an abusive marriage at 22, enlisted, and became a single parent at 23. I spent my teens and early twenties as a community organizer, mentor, nanny, restaurant manager, marketing coordinator, and volunteer firefighter. I earned my AAS in Aircraft Maintenance Technology on active duty and have not stopped since. The obstacles have never been a reason to stop. They have just been part of the route. What this scholarship would do is specific. It would cover tuition not funded by the Air Force. I transferred my GI Bill to my son so he can have everything I did not know I needed. I am one income supporting three people. Tuition, engineering fees, and hands-on coursework costs add up fast against a budget with no margin. I understand others may need this more, and I am prepared to work two or three jobs again if I have to. I apply for scholarships to protect my time with my family. I dread missing parent-teacher conferences, birthdays, games, and appointments. Financial support does not just pay a bill. It protects momentum. It means I do not have to slow down right when I am closest to the finish line. I will earn this degree. With this scholarship, I can get there without sacrificing the stability my son and my parents depend on. I can move faster, focus sharper, and cross that finish line without choosing between my education and the people I am doing all of this for.

Balancing my education with my responsibility as a single mother is not something I plan out neatly on a calendar … it is something I live every single day. I was already in school, already building a future for myself and my children, when my life changed. When I experienced a traumatic brain injury, everything I thought I understood about learning, focus, and endurance shifted. I did not stop being a student … but becoming one again felt entirely different. Before my injury, reading came easily. I trusted my mind. After my injury, processing information slowed. Concentration required effort. I reread pages, lost my place, and fought frustration that felt deeply personal. Some days my brain feels clear, other days it feels heavy and crowded. Healing is not linear, and neither is learning. Still, I show up. I adapt. I build systems to support myself, because quitting was never an option. Alongside school, I trained and worked in emergency medicine. EMT school taught me how to function under pressure, how to stay calm when everything around me is chaotic, how to help people on what is often the worst day of their lives. Working as a CNA deepened that understanding. I learned patience, humility, and the quiet strength it takes to care for others when no one is watching. I learned how much dignity matters. I also learned how emotionally and physically exhausting it is to give everything to others while still trying to hold yourself together. Motherhood sits at the center of all of this. Studying happens while meals are cooking, while homework is checked, while little voices ask for attention. I have written papers late at night when the house is finally quiet, reviewed notes with toys scattered at my feet, and carried the invisible weight of knowing I am the one my children rely on. There is no pause button. There is no safety net. There is only commitment. What keeps me moving forward is knowing my children are watching. They see me struggle and continue. They see me rest when I need to, then try again when my brain slows me down. They are learning that strength is not perfection, it is persistence. Education is not just my goal, it is part of how I parent. This scholarship would ease a burden that single parents carry quietly. Every dollar matters. Tuition competes with groceries, books compete with bills, time for school competes with rest and healing. Financial support would give me breathing room in a life that rarely allows it. It would allow me to focus more fully on completing my education without sacrificing my family’s stability. I am pursuing my degree with intention. My experiences in emergency care, caregiving, motherhood, and recovery have shaped my desire to advocate for others who feel overwhelmed by systems they do not understand. I know what it feels like to need help, to be dismissed, to keep pushing anyway. I want to turn what I have lived into service and impact. Balancing education, work, healing, and motherhood is not easy. It is emotional, exhausting, and real. But it is also powerful. I was a student before my injury, and I am still here after it. This scholarship would not change my determination … it would support the work I am already doing, every single day.

Firstly, I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to be in a predicament where I can finally breathe again. My children & I have been hit with a significant loss. I was in a terrible car accident a couple of months ago. A few weeks later my youngest son had to have an emergency surgery which caused me to miss work & later ended up having no job at all. The last 7 years I have only been able to do Instacart because my oldest son has Autism, so any job I have had I ended up losing because I would have to leave and deal with his outbursts whenever he had them. Leaving work caused me to be fired. I've been looking for work from home but keep running into scams. I have been "hired" a couple of times but oddly ended up getting no response from the employer. I truly don't understand. After going through the application process, and interviews, the a congratulatory email or message saying you got the job. When I would reach out I then got no further information. I am facing an eviction currently. Because my child is autistic, right now we depend on his income from social security but it doesn't even cover our full rent. I signed back up for school so that I can get back on track. I chose to get into Medical Billing and Coding because I want to be in the medical field but on the administrative side. I know it will be easier for me to find work from home as a medical coder and biller. Unfortunately, I don't know if I will be able to continue with school because we may be homeless soon with no where to go since I just lost my job after the accident & my baby's surgery. I am a single parent & I want to show my sons that giving up can't be an option, that's why I want to continue my education. Only 1 of my children's fathers has been "compliant" with child support but even that is less than $200 a month. I really just need a helping hand with me staying on course. Any extra financial help will help me avoid this eviction or even help with getting another vehicle for my family so I can get back to work as soon as possible. Also, so I focus on getting my school work done so I can move forward in life and graduate with another accomplishment. Any help is truly appreciated. Thank you for your time and your efforts in trying to help the next family. Even if it's not my family I truly understand that this scholarship will be a blessing to anyone trying to get on track like myself. Hopefully I get the chance to make a difference in this same manner one day. I just need to get over this bump in the road first. Again, thank you for taking the time to hear my troubling situation. May you be blessed in return.

Balancing my education with my commitment to my family as a single parent is one of the most challenging aspects of my life. As a mother, full-time employee, and caregiver to my paraplegic mother, I am constantly juggling responsibilities. However, I’ve learned that with strict scheduling and effective time management, it is possible to achieve my educational goals while maintaining my family’s well-being. This scholarship will be a key factor in helping me reach my goal of becoming a Registered Nurse by providing the financial support I need to focus more on my education and less on financial stress. To manage the competing demands of my life, I have developed a strict schedule that helps me allocate specific time for each responsibility. I wake up early each day, before the rest of my family, to study and complete any assignments. This quiet time in the morning allows me to focus without distractions, ensuring that I make the most of my study sessions. After work, when my energy is often depleted from a long day of patient care, I take short breaks to recharge before spending time with my child and caring for my mother. I’ve learned to make the most of the time in between these activities—using moments during lunch breaks at work to review notes or listening to educational podcasts during commutes to stay on track. On weekends, I carve out longer blocks of time for studying, ensuring I cover the material needed for the week ahead. While spending time with my child and my mother is essential to me, I have also become adept at setting boundaries for family time, particularly when important assignments or exams are approaching. This balance isn’t always easy, and there are times when I must adjust or re-prioritize based on my family’s needs, but having a well-organized schedule allows me to stay focused on my goals. The key to balancing everything is flexibility. I understand that life can be unpredictable, especially as a single parent and full-time caregiver, so I make sure to plan my time with built-in flexibility. If an unexpected event arises, like my mother’s health needs or my child requiring extra attention, I can adjust my schedule and tackle any missed work when time allows. Over the years, I’ve learned that perfection is not always achievable, but progress is, and I am committed to making progress every day, no matter how small. This scholarship would be life-changing for me. While I have learned to manage my time effectively, the financial stress of tuition and educational expenses often distracts from my ability to focus on my studies. With this scholarship, I can relieve some of the financial burden, allowing me to dedicate more time to my coursework and caregiving responsibilities. It would also enable me to reduce the number of hours I work at my job, giving me more time for both studying and quality time with my family. The scholarship would not only provide financial assistance but would also reaffirm my commitment to my education and my long-term goal of becoming a Registered Nurse. In conclusion, this scholarship will play a pivotal role in my success. With a strict schedule, strong time management skills, and the financial support of this scholarship, I am confident that I can balance my responsibilities as a single parent, caregiver, and student. My goal is to become a compassionate, effective nurse who can provide for my family and make a difference in the lives of others. This scholarship will allow me to take one step closer to achieving that dream.