Coming from a single parent and low-income household has taught me to persevere. Being raised by a single parent, and being a single parent myself affected me in negative ways. My mother was a single parent, and when she passed away when I was seventeen, my sixteen year old brother and I became orphans. I was a teenage mother twice, and I made the decision to not let my mistakes cause me to give up. I have experienced family dynamics and challenges that single parents face. I’ve faced trauma, hardship and struggle that challenged my ability to reach my goals, but accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior contributed the most to achieving them. These hardships taught me that with Christ I can do all things, that I have grit and how it served me, that happiness is not in circumstances and that life is worth living. My life experiences fuels my desire to serve my community. I was created to fulfill the purpose and call on my life by being obedient to whatever God is leading me to do. My plan is to couple my life experience with the knowledge I gain from my education by becoming a Biblical Counselor or Family Service Worker to serve parents, children and families. I want to give them access to healthy and wholesome resources that teaches them how to build and lead their family. I am actively working toward my goals by being a college student, working part-time, being a homemaker and homeschooling my children. Completing my studies and receiving my A.A degree was challenging, but I was determined to fulfill my goals by the grace of God. I see education as a “vehicle” and a “key” to unlock doors and to build generational wealth and leave a legacy for my family.

My journey has been shaped by trauma, hardship, struggle, faith, and perseverance. I was once a teenage mother twice and made the decision not to let my mistakes cause me to give up. Losing my single mother at age seventeen made my brother and I orphans. Later, a hit and run car accident caused the death of my children's father and made me a single mother responsible for the sole care of my family. These life events challenged my ability to reach my goals and caused me to postpone my college education, but they also taught me that with Christ, I can do all things, that I have grit and how it served me, that joy is not in circumstances alone, and that life is truly worth living. As a single mother to six children, I made a sacrifice to answer the call to be a homemaker and homeschool them. I wanted to give them the best quality of life and to be present by raising them with a strong biblical worldview built on faith in Jesus and genuine love. At the same time, I became a full-time college student while working part-time. This has been extremely challenging. Juggling my responsibilities was very difficult. My faith was challenged. I questioned myself and re-evaluated my goals several times throughout my journey. I changed my routines to fit my new reality while endeavoring to prioritize my children and their well-being. Working hard toward my studies while prioritizing my children’s well-being and schooling and working part-time was extremely hard. But I persevered, earned 64 credits and received my A.A. Degree by the grace of God. There has been fulfilling moments as well. I was able to graduate my oldest daughter, and she went on to attend college. My oldest son will be graduating high school this year while accumulating 70 college credits. Being blessed with the opportunity to enroll in classes tuition-free, starting with just one course and gradually increasing my course load from the nudging of God and the encouragement of my professors, has been fulfilling. Finishing with excellence despite my challenges has been rewarding because it materialized the unseen hard work and dedication I’ve been committed to. It also grew me as a parent and allowed me to learn knowledge and wisdom that I can apply to my life and parenting. Continuing my education is important to me because it is a “vehicle” that shifts your paradigm and a “key” to unlocking doors that you did not have access to before. A degree would qualify me to pursue career advancements and provide financial stability to my family. It would afford me the opportunity to forge my own path and create a career that allows me to be flexible and active in my children’s lives. Which will improve their well-being because the financial strain will have been removed. I will be healthier, less stressed, and able to show up as my authentic self. Improving the quality of our lives and allowing us to experience the world in a different and better way. I hope to uplift myself and my family by continuing my education, being intentional about building generational wealth and leaving a legacy for my family. Coupling my life experiences with the knowledge gained from my educational studies will make me credible and relatable to the families I plan to serve. My desire is to be an example of perseverance and determination for my children and the generations to come, demonstrating what it looks like to fight against barriers, hardships, burdens, and roadblocks and come out on the other side victoriously.

I have faced so much trauma, hardship, and struggle throughout my life that challenged my ability to reach my goals, but the most influential support in my educational journey came from accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior. With Christ, I learned that I can do all things, that I have grit and how it served me, that joy is not found in circumstances alone, and that life is truly worth living. His presence in my life has been the foundation that kept me alive and full of faith and hope. As a child who lost a parent and became an orphan, this support has been instrumental because it gave me the strength to continue when I felt alone and unsure of my future. Losing my mother at age 17 and becoming an orphan with my 16 year old brother, created challenges that could have caused me to give up, but my faith shaped me and helped me to persevere. I also honor the support I received from the nudging of God and the encouragement of some of my professors. They motivated me to increase my course load from one class to full-time, even when I questioned myself and re-evaluated my goals several times. Their encouragement strengthened my determination, especially while juggling all of my responsibilities as a single mother to six children, a homemaker, a homeschool parent, a part-time worker, and a full-time college student. Their support shaped me by reminding me that I was capable, even when my life circumstances made the journey extremely difficult. The support I received has driven me to be successful because it reminded me that life is truly worth living and that the hard work I committed to would materialize into the fulfillment of my personal accomplishments. As I strive toward my dreams, I honor this support by persevering, by continuing my education, and by wanting to serve parents, children, and families. I honor it by wanting to give others the same access to healthy and wholesome resources that teach families how to build and lead their homes. I also honor it by raising my children with a strong biblical worldview built on faith in Jesus and genuine love, and by being determined to demonstrate what it looks like to fight so hard against barriers, hardships, burdens, and roadblocks and to come out victoriously. I will build on the support I received by being intentional about continuing my education, earning my degree, and pursuing opportunities that will allow me to be flexible and active in my children’s lives. I want to improve their well-being by removing financial strain so I can show up as my authentic self. I plan to be intentional about building generational wealth, leaving a legacy for my family, and coupling my life experiences with the knowledge I gain from my educational studies so that I can be credible and relatable to the families I plan to serve. This support has shaped me, strengthened me, and pushed me toward the goals I intend to fulfill by the grace of God.