I am a single mother of an amazing 12 year old boy. He is so intelligent and puts a smile on my face daily. I became a mother at 19 years old. Shortly after James was born his father signed over his rights. Over the years I have tried to go to school while working to take care of my boy. Working always trumped school because I did not receive child support or help from anyone else. My son is now in Jr High school and keeps encouraging me to go to college too. I would love nothing more than to make my son proud, and to have a career by the time he is in High school to be able to provide the experience he deserves. My son was 10 years old before I was able to ever take him on a vacation. If I had vacation time at work I always op-ed to work because I needed money. I managed to get a scholarship for him to attend Montessori preschool, and he was part of the beta club in grade school. I have worked ever since he was born. I started out as a dish washer at a local diner. I learned how to serve and then became a line cook. I worked my way all the way up to assistant manager of a local chain. I then became the bar manager of a local fine dining restaurant. When COVID-19 hit it was a rude awakening that all the experience in the restaurant business would not help me succeed, I need a degree. I have lost almost everything that I worked so hard to get over the years since the pandemic to include my car, my house, my way and most of all myself. A good friend told me "You have to start somewhere, Ashley. Why not start here?" So I am. I am going to get my degree no matter what it takes. This scholarship will help me achieve my goal.

My craft is woodworking. I discovered my love for woodworking once I lost my job due to covid-19. The only challenges i have encountered is i have to many projects and not enough me. I would love to eventually start my own business restoring wood pieces. There is something so satisfying to take something that someone thinks is no good anymore and making it into something so beautiful and breath taking. I'm not sure how to go about starting my business and I am having a difficult time finding funding.

A year and a half ago I was on top of the world, bar manager bringing home $1200, 2018 Nissan Altima, my house, my son, i had it all. Then the covid-19 pandemic hit and everything flipped. I lost my job. I started remodeling my house. There was a shelf that had paint caked on it. I completely stripped it and refinished it. That shelf looked so good and I was so proud. Just think about that favorite piece of furniture or "trinket" if you will, holding on for dear life. You dont want to throw it away because you love it. Well bring it to me, I will give it life again. Make it something you're proud to have on display! I want to start my own wood restoration business.

Covid-19 has effected my life in ways I could have never imagined. I was on top of the world, driving a 2018 Nissan Altima, managing a bar making 1200 a week. I am now unemployed, lost my car, & lost my house. I am now going back to school in order to get a degree and hopefully get a career that won't be effected the way bars and restaurants were with this pandemic. I have been living in a friend's garage since before Thanksgiving. This year has taught me lessons I never thought I would learn. I lived in my house for a month and a half with no power, filling buckets with rain water just to flush the toilet. It has been a very humbling experience to say the least.