Being a single mother in college means you have responsibilities that other students can disregard. School means more than just getting my degree. It means providing my son with a better life and teaching him that even if life knocks you down, you never stop getting back up. I’ve been a single mother for nearly eighteen years strong on my own. I have made every decision with him in mind. I sacrificed my dreams at times to ensure that he was taken care of, that he had support, and that he could always count on stability. I gave up time, opportunity, and even job that paid more because I could not bear to miss being there for him. They were sacrifices I made without complaint because he was my priority. However, I have also never wanted my story to be my son’s lesson. I want him to learn about strength, perseverance, and tenacity. I want him to know that even when life brings you down you never stop fighting for yourself. That is part of the reason I decided to pursue my master’s degree. I am showing him that while life can be difficult, you don’t let that stop you from reaching your goals. For us, higher education is about opportunity, stability, and hope. My master’s degree will allow me to provide my son with the life he deserves and stability we have been missing. It will allow me to show him that you never stop growing and learning because life became difficult. My son and I both deserve the opportunity to create a life filled with joy, hard work, and endless possibilities. What makes me deserve this scholarship is that I have faced many challenges over the past eighteen years, but I have continued to push forward through them all. I have put my son before me my entire life but never lost sight of the fact that I wanted more for myself. I am earning my degree for me and my son. I am earning my degree for the life we will have together. Receiving this scholarship would help my motherhood journey and continuing education by lessening the financial stress. More than that, this would be an investment in a mother who has done nothing but fight for her son and continue investing in a better life for us both. Life has not been easy, but that is what made me who I am today and I intend to finish what I started.

Applying to return to school later in life was a courageous and humbling experience for me. As a single, working mother, I have had to overcome many personal hardships and obstacles over the course of my life. My journey to return to school is a result of a long battle of perseverance, strength, hope, and hard work in order to build a better life for myself and my family, as well as to be a better mother and role model for my son. I hope that my life experiences have made me more resilient, more open-minded, more empathetic, and overall wiser. The hardships I have been faced with have only made me want to be a better person, to help and advocate for others, and to set a positive example for my son. I have learned to never give up on the second chance. There have been days where life has been anything but kind and I just had to keep pushing and remind myself of the light at the end of the tunnel. In life, there is always room to grow no matter your age or walk in life, and I have grown to value that each and every day. I would like to think that my life experiences and my hardships have allowed me to gain a sense of wisdom and a deep rooted sense of empathy. I believe my career goals are so closely aligned with my core values because I truly want to do work in a career field that will not only help support my own family but help others to be successful as well. Returning to school and obtaining a higher education at this point in my life is not only a chance for me to obtain a degree and begin a career. I want to make a difference, I want to be able to empower children to connect learning with the real world. My classroom has given me a great insight on where to begin. I hope to be able to use my education to continue to create that environment of acceptance and connection for the children I work with now and in the future. Outside of my classroom, I want to be able to show my own son and others in my community that there is always room to grow, learn, and develop a passion. Life is a journey and this scholarship could give me the opportunity to pay it forward in hopes of encouraging others to take the leap of faith to return to school and create the better life you deserve. The courage, humbleness, and kindness that I have learned about from reading Debra S. Jackson’s story has inspired me to want to change lives like Debra S. Jackson has changed many as well. This scholarship would allow me to return to school without the worry of a huge financial burden while being able to put more focus and time into my studies as well as my goals for the future. Most importantly, this award would give me the platform to continue to pay it forward and show others that no matter what stage of life you are in, education can change your life.