Going back to school is never an easy option, especially when you are raising a family. Aside from the financial aspect, there is also the time and logistical aspects you have to worry about. Will I still be able to balance work and school and mom-life? Will I have enough time to help with homework, after-school activities, sports? There are so many factors to consider, but the ultimate question I had to ask myself was, will this benefit my family and myself in the long-run. The answer is most definitely, YES. This year we had to help our oldest start planning and preparing for college applications and along with that came a longing to return to school myself. I've always loved school and the first time around I majored in Microbiology with plans to continue on to Grad school and do research. As it happens though, sometimes life has other plans and you just roll with it. A new marriage and a few blessings later, I feel like I'm finally at a point where I can consider returning to school to take on a new challenge. Going back has always been on the back-burner but this year I made the decision to return to school after a rather frustrating year with COVID and the inflexibility of my job in regards to remote working. The pandemic has challenged our family and finances to say the least but because of that, it has allowed me to take a step back and re-evaluate what I want the next part of my life to look like. I want the flexibility to be able to work from home, the ability to be present in my kids' lives, and I want to learn something new that will challenge me in my daily career. Returning to school is a privilege and a choice I am extremely grateful to have before me. I think the biggest difference in going back to school now (as a parent) versus the first time around (without kids) is my perspective. There is this sense of appreciation for learning and the foresight to know what this new degree will help me to achieve. I plan to major in Information Technology with a focus in Cybersecurity and my hope is that I can continue on to Graduate school to become a competitive candidate in my field. I would like the ability to not have to sacrifice raising my kids for the ability to accomplish something in my career. I feel like this path will help me succeed on both levels without having to compromise either of them. I will be able to not only help support my family financially, but also show my children that as long as they have the desire to go after things in life, to work hard, and to not give up, that they can do anything.

“Study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in.”― Leonardo da Vinci This quote seems to be a theme in my educational career. When I first began college in 2002, I had very little knowledge about what I wanted to do or why I was taking classes. I was there just to be there and earn a degree, nothing more or nothing less. After two years of still feeling unmotivated I decided to move back home and take a break to work and live life. A few months turned into a few years and I found myself as a single parent looking for ways to better my future. With the little education I did have, it made work options bleak at best. I knew I needed to go back to school if I had any hope of being a competitive applicant in the workplace, and if I ever hoped to provide for myself and my child. With the support of my parents, I was able to live at home and work while going back to school and taking care of my then 3 year old daughter. Knowing what was at stake and what I wanted our lives to be like in the future, helped to fill me with purpose and a desire to want more from life and from myself. That spark of desire to better myself still burns even after graduating, getting married and adding a few more children to the plate! I think that as long as there is a desire to learn, you will continue to better yourself and find new avenues to explore. Fast-forward to today and after working in a totally unrelated field from my degree for the last 8 years, I know it is not where I am meant to be long-term. Once again, my desire to challenge myself and learn something new is a driving force in my educational goals. This quote encompasses the desire I have to continue learning despite the challenges I may face and also the gratitude I have for the ability to pursue higher learning at my age. I would like to go back for a Bachelor’s in Information Technology with a focus in Cybersecurity and continue on in a Master’s Program after graduation. Receiving a scholarship to help in my future endeavors means so much, not only to myself but to my family as well. It means not having to take on a second job that will take me away for dinners or helping with homework after school. It will allow me to balance my aspirations with the needs of my family, and allow me to be present in their lives as well. It also means less loans or debts when I finish with my schooling, which is a huge burden off my family’s shoulders as we will have one child entering college in a few years as well. After overcoming so much to get to this point in my life, you can definitely say my perspective on life and learning has changed. You realize what motivates you and encourages you to study. I hope to continue to expand on the educational foundation I have built in this new chapter of learning and of life.