I didn’t plan on returning to school, but as with most things in life, things don’t always go as planned. I was married for over 2 decades. I was a foster mom and adopted 7 children from the foster care system during that time. As my kids grew up, moving away or returning to biological families, I realized that I had been living my life for everyone else. I had put myself on the back burner to be a wife and mother. I thought I’d always be a mom, and I thought I’d always be married. Sometimes, things don’t always go as planned. There has been grief, heartache, and disappointment throughout my journey to this point. I experienced the loss of both my mother and my grandmother. Following the deaths of these impactful women, I became even more determined to find my way and build a life for myself that would speak to the sacrifices that they made for me and their heartfelt aspirations. When my youngest daughter moved in with me, we were looking for opportunities for her to build friendships. I suggested taking college classes. I noticed that the community colleges were offering bachelor's degrees. It piqued my interest, and by the end of the day, I had enrolled in South Mountain Community College and had an appointment with an advisor for my class schedule in the Behavioral Health Sciences program. Sometimes, things don’t always go as planned. As a foster/adoptive parent, I had many opportunities to experience the community mental health and social services element. I am deeply grateful for countless therapists, psychiatrists, case managers, and social workers who supported the children in my care as we navigated trauma recovery. I want to do this for other families. I want to be a resource for children who have lost the only family they’ve known and a resource for foster parents who are at their wit's end with the system and the children in their care. My lived experiences, in conjunction with this degree, can do just that. This scholarship will be pivotal in continuing my education. I have exhausted the FAFSA resources available to me. To help pay my tuition, I am a student worker in the Career Services department. I take great pride and accomplishment in being a non-traditional student, holding a 4.0 GPA at SMCC and a cumulative GPA of 3.97, president of the Mental Health and Well Being Club, a member of Phi Theta Kappa honor society, and a Career Peer Coach with Career Services. These are moments of humble gratitude, accomplishment, strength, and pride as I have realized that it’s a good thing that sometimes, things don’t always go as planned.

I didn’t plan on returning to school, but as with most things in life, things don’t always go as planned. I was married for over 2 decades. I was a foster mom and adopted 7 children from the foster care system during that time. As my kids grew up, moving away or returning to biological families, I realized that I had been living my life for everyone else. I had put myself on the back burner to be a wife and mother. I thought I’d always be a mom, and I thought I’d always be married. Sometimes, things don’t always go as planned. I thought that the life I created would always be enough, but as I looked back on my life with him, I asked myself if I could “do this” for another 20 years; it was a resounding NO! I had to figure out how to extricate myself without hurting my children and destroying my life. I began by returning to work at a middle school. I then went back to school at a local community college. In associating with other adults at work and in my night classes, I began to view myself more positively. I began to feel good about myself again. The negative messages that were communicated to me throughout the marriage began to unravel, and I saw myself not as I was told to view myself but as I believe I am: the vivacious, funny, helpful, kind, and nurturing woman I am. There has been grief, heartache, and disappointment throughout my journey to this point. I experienced the loss of both my mother and my grandmother. Following the deaths of these impactful women, I became even more determined to find my way and build a life for myself that would speak to the sacrifices that they made for me and their heartfelt aspirations. When my youngest daughter moved in with me, we were looking for opportunities for her to build friendships. I suggested taking college classes. I noticed that the community colleges were offering bachelor's degrees. It piqued my interest, and by the end of the day, I had enrolled in South Mountain Community College and had an appointment with an advisor for my class schedule in the Behavioral Health Sciences program. Sometimes, things don’t always go as planned. As a foster/adoptive parent, I had many opportunities to experience the community mental health and social services element. I am deeply grateful for countless therapists, psychiatrists, case managers, and social workers who supported the children in my care as we navigated trauma recovery. I want to do this for other families. I want to be a resource for children who have lost the only family they’ve known, a resource for foster parents who are at their wit's end with the system and the children in their care. My lived experiences, in conjunction with this degree, can do just that. This scholarship will be pivotal in continuing my education. I have exhausted the FAFSA resources available to me. To help pay my tuition, I am a student worker in the Career Services department. I take great pride and accomplishment in being a non-traditional student, holding a 4.0 GPA at SMCC and a cumulative GPA of 3.97, president of the Mental Health and Well Being Club, a member of Phi Theta Kappa honor society, and a Career Peer Coach with Career Services. These are moments of humble gratitude, accomplishment, strength, and pride as I have realized that it’s a good thing that sometimes, things don’t always go as planned.