As many single parents can tell you, our children solely depend on us for daily survival. I have been told that there will be negative effects, some psychological, that will affect my son because of being raised in a single-parent home. Despite society's negative outlook on my family's dynamic situation, my son and I are both thriving. We come from a very toxic family, where for generations, dysfunctional traits have been taught and passed down. Because of the toxicity in our family, I have cut those ties and have done so for good reasons. I am breaking the cycle. A cycle that has taught my siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and even my mother that it is okay to use narcissistic behavior to get what you want out of others around you. Only one cousin and I have learned to set boundaries and remove ourselves from this dysfunctionality. My son's father was an abusive alcoholic. We were partners for 9 years and the day he was born, he denied him. He has not been in his life at all. No child support, no packages in the mail, or even a phone call or card on my son's birthday. His father is also a very toxic person, so even if he did try, I would not allow it due to his history and the documented abuse. Being a single parent has shaped my educational journey by allowing me to realize that no matter what, it is solely up to me to make a difference in my son's future. I have spent years advocating for him due to situations with schools not wanting to follow his IEP. I have spent hours researching his rights and walking into situations where people with degrees were staring at me in my face and I refused to sit down and accept "no" for an answer. I have walked away winning every situation for my son when the odds were most certainly stacked against me. I have sat in courtrooms with women who have had to testify against their abuser's face to face. Being a survivor of DV, I found myself wanting to be a voice for anyone in that situation. I want to be able to sit with them and help them in ways that I can not without a degree. How do I plan on giving back to my community? I am literally getting my higher education because I want to be able to help others without doors being slammed in my face. I want those doors to be open to me and be able to walk through them with the confidence of a million soldiers because that is who I am. I have a zero quit mentality and with my degree backing me, I will be able to pursue so many things that I am unable to without it. This opportunity means the world to me. It means that I am not doing this alone. It means that I am not the only one who is committed to standing up for those who can not stand alone. I truly appreciate this opportunity. Respectfully, Andrea Lambert

I decided to go back to school in 2020. At 42 years old, I felt like I had experienced enough in my life that I could use those experiences and pass on my knowledge to our youth. My primary goal was to work in Law Enforcement and work with the endangered youth in my community to help guide them toward a better path in life. On March 25, 2021, a 14-year-old died in my arms from multiple gunshot wounds. It was a gang-related shooting and watching him take his last breath changed something inside of me. I met with several members of his family and decided during that time to change my concentration to Human Services. I wanted to work with survivors and families of survivors. I decided to become an advocate on a higher level. I have advocated for my son who is a special needs child, on many different levels. I have also advocated for women in domestic violence situations for years now. I have never received payment for any of these things. It has always just been a part of who I am. To be a voice for those who are not able to speak for themselves. Because I am a survivor of domestic violence and sex trafficking, I understand these women and what they have been through. Simply standing next to someone when they have to testify against their abuser can make a world of difference to them. Being a voice for others ensures that they know they do not stand alone. Advocating for my son is a given. He will always be my number one priority and has always been my motivation to help to do my part in making this world a safer place. I am fully aware that I can not change all of the negativity in this world. I am only one woman. I am a powerful woman, though. I am persistent and through my determination, I want to be a voice for those in my community who do not have a voice for themselves. By being an advocate, I am showing my son that being altruistic is one of the most important parts of being a human being. Using your platform to show compassion and understanding and securing and defending the rights of others is the only way to safeguard their future. In doing so, I am teaching my son that no matter your differences, no matter the barriers that life places in our way, that our voice and positive actions will always be able to overcome any type of oppression or injustice we may come to face. Thank you, Andrea

"I have Lupus and Diabetes. Lupus and Diabetes do not have me"- Andrea Lambert I also suffer from chronic pain due to severe osteoarthritis that has attacked my spine. I recently had spinal surgery on my C-Spine this year. Every day is a struggle. Just getting out of bed is a mountain that has to be climbed daily. I am only one of the millions of people that deal with these hardships because we have what is referred to as a silent disease. What people don't see causes judgment and criticism. Their accusations of me being "lazy" on days that it is nearly impossible to move only give me the courage to stand up and move forward. I am a single mother of a special needs child. I do not have a choice but to fight daily to be the best person I can possibly be for my son. As we all know, children watch our actions and learn from those actions. He is my motivation. He is the reason I decided to go back to school. I will do anything within my power to create a positive future for him. Failure, to me, is not an option. I am limited on what I do only if I allow myself to accept those limitations. My struggle and my son are my strengths. I prove to myself daily that no matter the condition my body is in, anything is possible and nothing is out of reach as long as perseverance and fortitude are present. I believe we manifest our futures. What we put into our goals is what we will get out of them. When someone has told me I should slow down, it gives me the unswayable strength to move forward. I do not take the word "no" lightly whatsoever. No matter who says it. I believe that we can literally achieve anything we set our minds to. No matter the circumstances. My multiple autoimmune conditions have taught me that even though I may feel like the world is closing in around me at times, it is also readily available if I put forth the effort. I have learned that nothing is impossible. Self-reflection and self-awareness are some things that have enabled me to place my goals where they need to be. I have been able to learn to reflect on my own thoughts and actions, learning through that process that I am the one that determines my future through my actions or lack of action. I have placed myself into therapy with an amazing mentor that has taught self-reflection for years and she has guided me through the measures of changing the way I think. Changing one's behavior and process of thinking is the most assured way of reaching the goals set in place. Through this road to change, my goals have also been changed. More than once. They have been reestablished through the growth of self and means of motivation. No matter what obstacles I face, no matter how many times I am hospitalized, no matter how many surgeries I have. There is nothing that can stand in my way because my ultimate goal is to advocate for those with special needs (Children, adolescents, and adults) and women in domestic violence situations. I have the voice they need and the mental strength to support them. I will also always have to courage to stand up to adversity and use those circumstances as teaching situations for those who are just starting to find themselves. I have a purpose in this world. Thank you, Andrea

Mental health has always been a consequential part of my life. I grew up in a single-parent home with a mother who was a functioning addict. At the age of five, I was shot in a daycare center run by my mother's friend. She gave me to my grandparents because her mental health wouldn't allow her to take care of me properly. When I was 8, she showed up with a new husband and took me back to another state, away from the only people who had ever shown me any love and nurturing. While back with my mother, I was left on my own with a new stepbrother who constantly abused me. At the age of 11, my stepbrother nearly killed me by choking me to death. I ran away to another state to go back to my grandparents. I was desperately seeking their love. My mother went to Oklahoma and picked me up only to return me to the state of Kansas to give me to the state, where I stayed until I aged out. I was labeled "A Child in Need of Care". I have overcome so much in my life since then, battling severe anxiety, PTSD, and learning to forgive. Through therapy, I have learned that the forgiveness was not for my mother or the other people that purposely caused me harm, it was for myself. Through self-reflection, I have learned that nature is my best friend. I often escape the city to float the river or go on hikes with my special needs son. The atmosphere helps me to create balance in my life. I can reset my "clock" by becoming one with nature and I have found that through this process, the course of healing has become stronger with each adventure. Andrea