To understand my aspirations is to understand a bit about me and what has transpired over the last ten years of my life, where I faced poverty, abuse, head trauma, divorce. My life was hell, literally. A bit of my background. I graduated from high school in 1985. When I started community college, I struggled with my grades. I realized that I had learning disabilities. I received help from the Learning Disability Department and developed techniques to go from a struggling C to graduating with honors. I was in the flow of life, going to school and working full-time. Then I met my husband, got married, had four children, and started a family business. My bachelor's degree was put on hold. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict. My heart races every time I share my story, as it is racing now as I write this. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. He controlled our finances, depleted our savings. Without money, I could not afford legal counsel to obtain restraining and protective orders against him. It was a life-or-death situation for me. Since I had no money, I had no other choice than to learn how to appear in court on my own. I studied every law there was for civil and criminal protection orders, and when I had to face my ex-husband's high-priced attorneys (paid for by his parents), I went to court with pure guts and courage to protect myself and my children. I faced his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, they were brutal in their zeal to force him back into the home. While I did face his attorneys, I didn’t do it smoothly. The violence I had endured for years had taken a toll on my speech. I’d become a stutter and rambled words as I spoke. My voice was shaky and I lost my train of thought often. To say it was difficult is an understatement, but in the end, I triumphed. During the time in civil court, I was also being subpoenaed to criminal court as a witness regarding my ex-husband’s gun collection and violation, and civil order violations. In criminal court, the Judge allowed me to have my victim's statement. The Judge in criminal court gave my ex-husband multiple chances to disengage with me. But after he violated his protection orders, the Judge sent him to jail for six months. I remember the Judge saying to me “Perhaps you should consider moving. For I can only protect you when he is in jail.” I took the judge's words to heart and moved to a different state. Those six months allowed me to move and find a new place to live. Another issue I faced in criminal court was the limited number of advocates to appear with victims in court. The District Attorney was very helpful, but an advocate would have comforted and informed me. After all the court cases ended, I moved with the children to another state for safety. Today, I and my children live in safety and we are thriving. I am now back in school and finishing my bachelor's degree. I’ve learned to never give up, to persevere, and to fight for what is important. Thank you for making this scholarship available and allowing me the opportunity to apply.

I have taken my life experiences to heart, going to court alone to defend myself and my children against the scrouge of relationship violence, and learning the laws that will protect me and my children has propelled me to where I am now and where I am going. Come this summer, I will have completed my Bachelor's degree. More excitingly, I am studying for my LSAT, have interviewed at the local school of law in my city, and started my application process to law school. After my life experience in court, I am certain that being a lawyer, and being zealous in defending the rights and safety of others is my calling. I am not sure where my final destination will be as a lawyer. I do know that it is important for me to be an advocate. It has been suggested to me that I go into family law or work with the district attorney’s office. I am open to both. In my opinion, advocacy is the core of public service. Advocacy, be it in the criminal or civil courts is my primary objective. I have a strong belief in our legal systems, as well as gratitude for the court's systems that American and its founding fathers have afforded us. Being a recipient of this scholarship will ease my financial hardship and allow me to peruse going to law school and focus on my studies. I thank you and the committee for making this scholarship available and allowing me the opportunity to apply.

I have taken my life experiences to heart, going to court alone to defend myself and my children against the scrouge of relationship violence, and learning the laws that will protect me and my children has propelled me to where I am now and where I am going. Come this summer, I will have completed my Bachelor's degree. More excitingly, I am studying for my LSAT, have interviewed at the local school of law in my city, and started my application process to law school. After my life experience in court, I am certain that being a lawyer, and being zealous in defending the rights and safety of others is my calling. I am not sure where my final destination will be as a lawyer. I do know that it is important for me to be an advocate. It has been suggested to me that I go into family law or work with the district attorney’s office. I am open to both. In my opinion, advocacy is the core of public service. Advocacy, be it in the criminal or civil courts is my primary objective. I have a strong belief in our legal systems, as well as gratitude for the court's systems that American and its founding fathers have afforded us. Being a recipient of this scholarship will ease my financial hardship and allow me to peruse going to law school and focus on my studies. I thank you and the committee for making this scholarship available and allowing me the opportunity to apply.

I have taken my life experiences to heart, going to court alone to defend myself and my children against the scrouge of relationship violence, and learning the laws that will protect me and my children has propelled me to where I am now and where I am going. Come this summer, I will have completed my Bachelor's degree. More excitingly, I am studying for my LSAT, have interviewed at the local school of law in my city, and started my application process to law school. After my life experience in court, I am certain that being a lawyer, and being zealous in defending the rights and safety of others is my calling. I am not sure where my final destination will be as a lawyer. I do know that it is important for me to be an advocate. It has been suggested to me that I go into family law or work with the district attorney’s office. I am open to both. In my opinion, advocacy is the core of public service. Advocacy, be it in the criminal or civil courts is my primary objective. I have a strong belief in our legal systems, as well as gratitude for the court's systems that American and its founding fathers have afforded us. Being a recipient of this scholarship will ease my financial hardship and allow me to peruse going to law school and focus on my studies. I thank you and the committee for making this scholarship available and allowing me the opportunity to apply.

To understand my aspirations and my career goal is to understand a bit about me and what has transpired over the last ten years of my life where I faced poverty, abuse, head trauma, divorce, life was hell, literally. I graduated from high school in 1985. When I started community college, I struggled with my grades. I realized that I had learning disabilities. I received help from the Learning Disability Department and developed techniques to go from a struggling C to graduating with honors. I was in the flow of life, going to school and working full-time. Then I met my husband, got married, had four children, and started a family business. My bachelor's degree was put on hold. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict. My heart races every time I share my story, as it is racing now as I write this. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. I faced his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, they were brutal. While I faced the attorneys alone, I didn’t do it smoothly. The violence I had endured for years had taken a toll on my speech. I’d become a stutter and rambled words as I spoke. To say it was difficult is an understatement, but in the end, I triumphed. I moved with the children to another state for safety. I have re-enrolled in school after ten years to finish my bachelor’s degree. Since my university has no pre-law undergraduate degrees, I will be completing my degree in Journalism and Social Media. This bachelor's degree falls in line with the need to write and research about serious issues such as relationships and child abuse. Bringing public advocacy and awareness is vital to scrounge of terror victims face and protections that laws need to provide. I have taken my life experiences to heart, going to court, defending myself and my children, learning the laws, to propel me to where I am now and where I am going. Come this summer, I will have completed my Bachelor's degree. More excitingly, I am studying for my LSAT, have interviewed at the local school of law in my city, and started my application process to law school. After my life experience in court, I am certain that being a lawyer, and being zealous in defending the rights and safety of others is my calling. I am not sure where my final destination will be as a lawyer. I do know that it is important for me to be an advocate. It has been suggested to me that I go into family law or work with the district attorney’s office. I am open to both. In my opinion, advocacy is the core of public service. Advocacy, be it in the criminal or civil courts is my primary objective. I have a strong belief in our legal systems, as well as gratitude for the court's systems that American and its founding fathers have afforded us. Being a recipient of this scholarship will ease my financial hardship and allow me to peruse going to law school and focus on my studies. I thank you and the committee for making this scholarship available and allowing me the opportunity to apply.

To understand my aspirations is to understand a bit about me and what has transpired over the last ten years of my life where I faced poverty, abuse, head trauma, divorce, life was hell, literally. I graduated from high school in 1985. When I started community college, I struggled with my grades. I realized that I had learning disabilities. I received help from the Learning Disability Department and developed techniques to go from a struggling C to graduating with honors. I was in the flow of life, going to school and working full-time. Then I met my husband, got married, had four children, and started a family business. My bachelor's degree was put on hold. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict. My heart races every time I share my story, as it is racing now as I write this. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. I faced his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, they were brutal. While I faced the attorneys alone, I didn’t do it smoothly. The violence I had endured for years had taken a toll on my speech. I’d become a stutter and rambled words as I spoke. To say it was difficult is an understatement, but in the end, I triumphed. I moved with the children to another state for safety. I have re-enrolled in school after ten years to finish my bachelor’s degree. Since my university has no pre-law undergraduate degrees, I will be completing my degree in Journalism and Social Media. This bachelor's degree falls in line with the need to write and research about serious issues such as relationships and child abuse. Bringing public advocacy and awareness is vital to scrounge of terror victims face and protections that laws need to provide. I have taken my life experiences to heart, going to court, defending myself and my children, learning the laws, to propel me to where I am now and where I am going. Come this summer, I will have completed my Bachelor's degree. More excitingly, I am studying for my LSAT, have interviewed at the local school of law in my city, and started my application process to law school. After my life experience in court, I am certain that being a lawyer, and being zealous in defending the rights and safety of others is my calling. I am not sure where my final destination will be as a lawyer. I do know that it is important for me to be an advocate. It has been suggested to me that I go into family law or work with the district attorney’s office. I am open to both. In my opinion, advocacy is the core of public service. Advocacy, be it in the criminal or civil courts is my primary objective. I have a strong belief in our legal systems, as well as gratitude for the court's systems that American and its founding fathers have afforded us. Being a recipient of this scholarship will ease my financial hardship and allow me to peruse going to law school and focus on my studies. I thank you and the committee for making this scholarship available and allowing me the opportunity to apply.

To understand my aspirations is to understand a bit about me and what has transpired over the last ten years of my life where I faced poverty, abuse, head trauma, divorce, life was hell, literally. I graduated from high school in 1985. When I started community college, I struggled with my grades. I realized that I had learning disabilities. I received help from the Learning Disability Department and developed techniques to go from a struggling C to graduating with honors. I was in the flow of life, going to school and working full-time. Then I met my husband, got married, had four children, and started a family business. My bachelor's degree was put on hold. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict. My heart races every time I share my story, as it is racing now as I write this. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. I faced his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, they were brutal. While I faced the attorneys alone, I didn’t do it smoothly. The violence I had endured for years had taken a toll on my speech. I’d become a stutter and rambled words as I spoke. To say it was difficult is an understatement, but in the end, I triumphed. I moved with the children to another state for safety. I have re-enrolled in school after ten years to finish my bachelor’s degree. Since my university has no pre-law undergraduate degrees, I will be completing my degree in Journalism and Social Media. This bachelor's degree falls in line with the need to write and research about serious issues such as relationships and child abuse. Bringing public advocacy and awareness is vital to scrounge of terror victims face and protections that laws need to provide. I have taken my life experiences to heart, going to court, defending myself and my children, learning the laws, to propel me to where I am now and where I am going. Come this summer, I will have completed my Bachelor's degree. More excitingly, I am studying for my LSAT, have interviewed at the local school of law in my city, and started my application process to law school. After my life experience in court, I am certain that being a lawyer, and being zealous in defending the rights and safety of others is my calling. I am not sure where my final destination will be as a lawyer. I do know that it is important for me to be an advocate. It has been suggested to me that I go into family law or work with the district attorney’s office. I am open to both. In my opinion, advocacy is the core of public service. Advocacy, be it in the criminal or civil courts is my primary objective. I have a strong belief in our legal systems, as well as gratitude for the court's systems that American and its founding fathers have afforded us. Being a recipient of this scholarship will ease my financial hardship and allow me to peruse going to law school and focus on my studies. I thank you and the committee for making this scholarship available and allowing me the opportunity to apply.

All things are difficult before they are easy. -Thomas Fuller All things are difficult before they are easy is a quote about facing your challenges head-on and recognizing your inner strengths. To understand my career goal is to understand a bit about me and what has transpired over the last ten years of my life where I faced poverty, abuse, head trauma, divorce, life was hell, literally. Background: I graduated from high school in 1985. When I started community college, I struggled with my grades. I realized that I had learning disabilities. Thanks to a professor, I received help from the Learning Disability Department and developed techniques to go from a struggling C to graduating with honors. I was in the flow of life, going to school and working full-time. Then I met my husband, got married, had four children, and started a family business. My bachelor's degree was put on hold. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict. My heart races every time I share my story, as it is racing now as I write this. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. He controlled our finances, depleted our savings. Without money, I could not afford legal counsel to obtain restraining and protective orders against him. It was a life-or-death situation for me. Since I had no money, I had no other choice than to learn how to appear in court on my own. I read and studied every law there was for civil and criminal protection orders, and when I had to face my ex-husband's high-priced attorneys (paid for by his parents), I went to court with pure guts and courage to protect myself and my children. I faced his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, they were brutal in their zeal to force him back into our home. While I faced the Judges and attorneys on my own, I didn’t do it smoothly. The violence I had endured for years had taken a toll on my speech. I’d become a stutter and rambled words as I spoke. My voice was shaky and I lost my train of thought often. To say it was difficult is an understatement, but in the end, I triumphed. After all the court cases ended, I moved with the children to another state for safety, where I survived on welfare. I was unable to find work that would provide enough money for my large family and we survived on welfare and help from our community. These life experiences I had, going to court, defending myself and my children, learning the laws, has propelled me to where I am now, back in school and hitting it hard (I have a 3.8 GPA). I am in my last year of undergraduate school, preparing for the LSAT and applying to law school. I believe in being zealous in creating, mediating, and advocating safety and peace for children and families. After my life experience in court and life, I am certain that being a lawyer is my career path.

Some people are naturally bold and some never knew how bold they could be. I am the latter of the two, and I found my boldness where I never could imagine it would come from. My name is Diane and I am an adult, single mother of four, returning to school and I would like to share with you how life, my challenges, and family have made me who I am today and where I am going. A bit of background on myself. I graduated from high school in 1985 and entered into Community College. While in school, I learned I had several learning disabilities. After taking courses to help me overcome my disabilities. I went from a struggling C to A’s, putting me on the Dean’s List and graduating with honors. While in school, I met my husband, got married, had four children, and we started a family business. It took me ten years to complete my Associate of Arts degree, as I was raising a family and starting a business. All seemed great, and my bachelor’s degree was put on hold as there seemed to be no need for it. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict, and I, unfortunately, became his domestic violence victim. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. But he controlled our finances, depleted our savings, and without money, I could not afford legal counsel to obtain restraining and protective orders against him. Then I was blessed to meet an aggressive civil trial attorney who was known for helping people in the community, and he agreed to guide me. My children gave me the courage to represent myself in domestic violence court eight years ago. I read and studied every law there was for civil and criminal protection orders, and when I had to face my ex-husband's high-priced attorneys (paid for by his parents), I went to the court confident with knowledge, guidance, and pure courage to protect myself and my children. But even with the “I must succeed” attitude, the abuse from the domestic violence took a toll on my physical appearance and speech. I was, by all means, a scared woman, with a speech impairment, who had to defend herself and protect her children in multiple courts and face-off with Judges and attorneys. But it was all so worth it. I faced the Judges and his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, and I triumph. For the last ten years, I have raised all four of my children by myself. Today, two of my children are in college and the other two are in high school. The five of us have fought through poverty and reclaimed our safety and stability. I refer to my children as my team. They refer to me as their biggest cheerleader. While I am still on welfare and in college, our home is an oasis of calm. As a single parent, I am re-creating my life dream of going to a university to improve my children’s lives, getting off of welfare, being safe, and expand my love and desire to write, express myself, express social causes and legal opinions, edit and research, and prepare myself for going full throttle to law school to be an advocate for families and children of relationship violence.

All things are difficult before they are easy. -Thomas Fuller All things are difficult before they are easy is a quote about facing your challenges head-on and recognizing your inner strengths. To understand my career goal is to understand a bit about me and what has transpired over the last ten years of my life where I faced poverty, raising four children on my own, abuse, and head trauma for my ex-husband. Life was hell, literally. Background: I graduated from high school in 1985. When I started community college, I struggled with my grades. I realized that I had learning disabilities. Thanks to a professor, I received help from the Learning Disability Department and developed techniques to go from a struggling C to graduating with honors. I was in the flow of life, going to school and working full-time. Then I met my husband, got married, had four children, and started a family business. My bachelor's degree was put on hold. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict. My heart races every time I share my story, as it is racing now as I write this. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. He controlled our finances, depleted our savings. Without money, I could not afford legal counsel to obtain restraining and protective orders against him. It was a life-or-death situation for me. Since I had no money, I had no other choice than to learn how to appear in court on my own. I read and studied every law there was for civil and criminal protection orders, and when I had to face my ex-husband's high-priced attorneys (paid for by his parents), I went to court with pure guts and courage to protect myself and my children. I faced his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, they were brutal in their zeal to force him back into our home. While I faced the Judges and attorneys on my own, I didn’t do it smoothly. The violence I had endured for years had taken a toll on my speech. I’d become a stutter and rambled words as I spoke. My voice was shaky and I lost my train of thought often. To say it was difficult is an understatement, but in the end, I triumphed. After all the court cases ended, I moved with the children to another state for safety, where I survived on welfare. I was unable to find work that would provide enough money for my large family and we survived on welfare and help from our community. These life experiences I had, going to court, defending myself, learning the laws, propelled me to where I am now, back in school and hitting it hard (I have a 3.8 GPA). Come this summer, I will have completed my Bachelor's degree in Journalism, to make me marketable and improve the quality of writing, research, speaking, and my quality of life. More exciting is than that is the fact that I am applying for law school. For after my life experience in court, I am certain that being a lawyer, and being zealous in defending the rights and safety of others and children, is my calling. Your scholarship will allow assist me in my financial need during my schooling, which is my key to success.

All things are difficult before they are easy. -Thomas Fuller All things are difficult before they are easy is a quote about facing your challenges head-on and recognizing your inner strengths. To understand my career goal is to understand a bit about me and what has transpired over the last ten years of my life where I faced poverty, abuse, head trauma, divorce, life was hell, literally. Background: I graduated from high school in 1985. When I started community college, I struggled with my grades. I realized that I had learning disabilities. Thanks to a professor, I received help from the Learning Disability Department and developed techniques to go from a struggling C to graduating with honors. I was in the flow of life, going to school and working full-time. Then I met my husband, got married, had four children, and started a family business. My bachelor's degree was put on hold. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict. My heart races every time I share my story, as it is racing now as I write this. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. He controlled our finances, depleted our savings. Without money, I could not afford legal counsel to obtain restraining and protective orders against him. It was a life-or-death situation for me. Since I had no money, I had no other choice than to learn how to appear in court on my own. I read and studied every law there was for civil and criminal protection orders, and when I had to face my ex-husband's high-priced attorneys (paid for by his parents), I went to court with pure guts and courage to protect myself and my children. I faced his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, they were brutal in their zeal to force him back into our home. While I faced the Judges and attorneys on my own, I didn’t do it smoothly. The violence I had endured for years had taken a toll on my speech. I’d become a stutter and rambled words as I spoke. My voice was shaky and I lost my train of thought often. To say it was difficult is an understatement, but in the end, I triumphed. After all the court cases ended, I moved with the children to another state for safety, where I survived on welfare. I was unable to find work that would provide enough money for my large family and we survived on welfare and help from our community. These life experiences I had, going to court, defending myself, learning the laws, propelled me to where I am now, back in school and hitting it hard (I have a 3.8 GPA). Come this summer, I will have completed my Bachelor's degree in Journalism, to make me marketable and improve the quality of writing, research, speaking, and my quality of life. More exciting is than that is the fact that I am applying for law school. For after my life experience in court, I am certain that being a lawyer, and being zealous in defending the rights and safety of others is my calling. Your scholarship will allow assist me in my financial need during my schooling, which is my key to success.

All things are difficult before they are easy. -Thomas Fuller All things are difficult before they are easy is a quote about facing your challenges head-on and recognizing your inner abilities. To understand my career goal is to understand a bit about me and what has transpired over the last ten years of my life where I faced poverty, abuse, head trauma, divorce, life was hell, literally. Background: I graduated from high school in 1985. When I started community college, I struggled with my grades. I realized that I had learning disabilities. Thanks to a professor, I received help from the Learning Disability Department and developed techniques to go from a struggling C to graduating with honors. I was in the flow of life, going to school and working full-time. Then I met my husband, got married, had four children, and started a family business. My bachelor's degree was put on hold. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict. My heart races every time I share my story, as it is racing now as I write this. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. He controlled our finances, depleted our savings. Without money, I could not afford legal counsel to obtain restraining and protective orders against him. It was a life-or-death situation for me. Since I had no money, I had no other choice than to learn how to appear in court on my own. I read and studied every law there was for civil and criminal protection orders, and when I had to face my ex-husband's high-priced attorneys (paid for by his parents), I went to court with pure guts and courage to protect myself and my children. I faced his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, they were brutal in their zeal to force him back into our home. While I faced the Judges and attorneys on my own, I didn’t do it smoothly. The violence I had endured for years had taken a toll on my speech. I’d become a stutter and rambled words as I spoke. My voice was shaky and I lost my train of thought often. To say it was difficult is an understatement, but in the end, I triumphed. After all the court cases ended, I moved with the children to another state for safety, where I survived on welfare. I was unable to find work that would provide enough money for my large family and we survived on welfare and help from our community. These life experiences I had, going to court, defending myself, learning the laws, propelled me to where I am now, back in school and hitting it hard (I have a 3.8 GPA). Come this summer, I will have completed my Bachelor's degree in Journalism, to make me marketable and improve the quality of writing, research, speaking, and my quality of life. More exciting is than that is the fact that I am applying for law school. For after my life experience in court, I am certain that being a lawyer, and being zealous in defending the rights and safety of others. The Forward Focus Scholarship will allow assist me in my financial need during my schooling, my key to success.

The one thing that gives me hope that the future will be better is my children. As a single mother of four who has suffered domestic violence and financial devastation, my children have seen hardship and suffering. My children have dealt with real-life issues of poverty, safety, fear, homelessness, no food, and a host of other issues that go hand in hand with families who are suffering from loss, financial devastation, drug abuse, mental illness, and uncertainties. They understand that people go through all different forms of hardship and they strive to not just understand but to contribute to making this society a more sympathetic and helpful world. All my children are involved in the social, environmental, economic, and political world we live in. They are the future generation of humankind. My oldest son, who just turned 21 is in Law School and is focusing on social issues that involve women and family safety. My daughter who just graduated high school is involved in volunteer work for children with special needs and disabilities. She spends time with them in various social settings and comes to their homes to help them with their homework. My middle son demonstrates kindness and empathy to other children who have undergone hardships in their families. My youngest son wants to go major in science and engineering to find an alternative fuel source to protect our planet. Our children are our investment in making this world and the future a better place to live and thrive. Our children yearn for a better future than the one they have now. They are our investment; they are our hope. I believe that if you believe in them and foster good hope and direction, they will thrive and make the advancement in environment and humanities that will constantly evolve and need our attention. They will be proactive in keeping the air, water, and environment clean, and that hunger and lack of education will be no more. While science is always advancing, it is the next generation who will be behind future advancement, and it is to the younger generation that we should invest in with our emotional support and keep their focus on the important things. I have much hope for the future. I have faith in the next generation who will clean up the pollution and imbalances of food resources, injustice, and poverty from past generations to bring a new era of growth and wellbeing for all humanity.

In the last ten years, I have faced a plethora of changes and changes. I am writing this essay to share how I overcame disabilities and hardship and how resilience is a part of my inner core. I graduated from high school in 1985. When I started community college, I realized that I had learning disabilities. But thanks to a very special professor, I received help from the Learning Disability Department and developed techniques to enable me to go from a struggling C student to an A student. I have been diagnosed with: Cumulative head trauma, ADD, and PTSD (from Domestic Abuse, see below). I was in the flow of things, going to school and working full-time. But then I met my husband, got married, had four children, started a business. My bachelor's degree was put on hold. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict, and I, unfortunately, became his domestic violence victim. My heart races every time I share my story, as it is racing now as I write this. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. But he controlled our finances, depleted our savings, and without money, I could not afford legal counsel to obtain restraining and protective orders against him, so I had to learns the laws of the processes of court. I read and studied every law there was for civil and criminal protection orders, and when I had to face my ex-husband's high-priced attorneys (paid for by his parents), I went to the court with pure guts and courage to protect myself and my children. I faced his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, and I triumph. Because my ex-husband kept violating the civil and criminal restraining orders, getting arrested time and time again for violating the court’s stay-away orders, he was ultimately thrown in prison. At this point, I took the children and ran to Las Vegas for safety where I had come to a single mother of four on welfare since then, managing as best I can. I am doing well and doing what needs to be done. I am back in school, majoring in Journalism to improve and expand my love and desire to write, express myself, express social issues and prepare me for going full throttle to law school. Getting my degree will improve the quality of my life, the life of my children by being able to make a good living to raise my four beautiful children who are still in school. I am and will continue to improve the lives of many others by bringing public awareness to the scourge of domestic abuse. I have overcome learning disabilities, financial ruin, domestic violence, and raised four children on my own. For all those who feel alone and don't have a voice, I wish to hear their cries, validate them, and let them know they are not alone. The best way to do this is to be in advocate in the courts, in media releases, in volunteer work, and in writing about these issues. Whatever I experience in life, I am much bigger than that. I choose to show up in my life and honor the opportunities that I have been given. I have evolved into a strong person who reflects on her past difficulties to remind me that I can do anything.

In the last ten years, I have faced a plethora of changes and changes. I am writing this essay to share how I overcame disabilities and hardship and how resilience is a part of my inner core. I graduated from high school in 1985. When I started community college, I realized that I had learning disabilities. But thanks to a very special professor, I received help from the Learning Disability Department and developed techniques to enable me to go from a struggling C student to an A student. I have been diagnosed with: Cumulative head trauma, ADD, and PTSD (from Domestic Abuse, see below). I was in the flow of things, going to school and working full-time. But then I met my husband, got married, had four children, started a business. My bachelor's degree was put on hold. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict, and I, unfortunately, became his domestic violence victim. My heart races every time I share my story, as it is racing now as I write this. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. But he controlled our finances, depleted our savings, and without money, I could not afford legal counsel to obtain restraining and protective orders against him, so I had to learns the laws of the processes of court. I read and studied every law there was for civil and criminal protection orders, and when I had to face my ex-husband's high-priced attorneys (paid for by his parents), I went to the court with pure guts and courage to protect myself and my children. I faced his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, and I triumph. Because my ex-husband kept violating the civil and criminal restraining orders, getting arrested time and time again for violating the court’s stay-away orders, he was ultimately thrown in prison. At this point, I took the children and ran to Las Vegas for safety where I had come to a single mother of four on welfare since then, managing as best I can. I am doing well and doing what needs to be done. I am back in school, majoring in Journalism to improve and expand my love and desire to write, express myself, express social issues and prepare me for going full throttle to law school. Getting my Bachelor’s degree will improve the quality of my life, the life of my children by being able to make a good living to raise my four beautiful children who are still in school. I am and will continue to improve the lives of many others by bringing public awareness to the scourge of domestic abuse. I have overcome learning disabilities, financial ruin, domestic violence, and raised four children on my own. For all those who feel alone and don't have a voice, I wish to hear their cries, validate them, and let them know they are not alone. Whatever I experience in life, I am much bigger than that. I choose to show up in my life and honor the opportunities that I have been given. I have evolved into a strong person who reflects on her past difficulties to remind me that I can do anything.

Life gives us challenges to grow and make our life meaningful. Making my life meaningful means giving back and supporting others who need help by using my experience when it comes to domestic violence. I graduated from high school in 1985. I received my AA degree ten years ago. While in community college I was diagnosed with ADD and a language deficit. I received help and went from a struggling C to graduating with honors. After 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict, and I, unfortunately, became his domestic violence victim. My heart races every time I share my story, as it is racing now as I write this. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. With the help of a mentor, I faced his attorneys on my own in family court and civil court for years, and I triumph. But the only way I can accomplish my dreams of graduating college is with financial assistance. As a single mother of four on welfare, I would use the scholarship money to pay my rent and monthly expenses so I would have that covered while I concentrate on my schooling. Now, I am doing what needs to be done and will continue to do by bringing public awareness to stopping the scourge of domestic abuse, supporting victims, and being an advocate for legal aid. Giving back means I am a part of something much bigger than myself, having gratitude by making life better for victims and help them move forward with safety and success.

In the last ten years, I have faced a plethora of changes and changes. I am writing this essay to share how I overcame disabilities and hardship and how resilience is a part of my inner core. I graduated from high school in 1985. When I started community college, I realized that I had learning disabilities. But thanks to a very special professor, I received help from the Learning Disability Department and developed techniques to enable me to go from a struggling C student to an A student. I have been diagnosed with: Cumulative head trauma, ADD, and PTSD (from Domestic Abuse, see below). I was in the flow of things, going to school and working full-time. But then I met my husband, got married, had four children, started a business. My bachelor's degree was put on hold. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict, and I, unfortunately, became his domestic violence victim. My heart races every time I share my story, as it is racing now as I write this. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. But he controlled our finances, depleted our savings, and without money, I could not afford legal counsel to obtain restraining and protective orders against him, so I had to learns the laws of the processes of court. I read and studied every law there was for civil and criminal protection orders, and when I had to face my ex-husband's high-priced attorneys (paid for by his parents), I went to the court with pure guts and courage to protect myself and my children. I faced his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, and I triumph. Because my ex-husband kept violating the civil and criminal restraining orders, getting arrested time and time again for violating the court’s stay-away orders, he was ultimately thrown in prison. At this point, I took the children and ran to Las Vegas for safety where I had come to a single mother of four on welfare since then, managing as best I can. I am finally doing what needs to be done, and it starts with me going back to school, majoring in Journalism to improve and expand my love and desire to write, express myself, express social issues and prepare me for going full throttle to law school. Getting my Bachelor’s degree will improve the quality of my life, the life of my children by being able to make a good living to raise my four beautiful children who are still in school. I am and will continue to improve the lives of many others by bringing public awareness to the scourge of domestic abuse. I have overcome learning disabilities, financial ruin, domestic violence, and raised four children on my own. For all those who feel alone and don't have a voice, I wish to hear their cries, validate them, and let them know they are not alone. Because of my experience, I am clear about my direction in life. I plan on going to law school. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the career path for me. Being an advocate for victims of domestic violence and sex trafficking will help make this a better world. I am ready to battle with those adversaries and I am using my experience to make changes for the better.

Some people are naturally bold and some never knew how bold they could be. I am the latter of the two, and I found my boldness where I never could imagine it would come from. My name is Diane and I am an adult, single mother of four, returning to school and I would like to share with you how life, my challenges, and family have made me who I am, where I am today, and where I am going. A bit of background on myself. I graduated from high school in 1985 and entered into Community College. While in school, I learned I had several learning disabilities. After taking courses to help me overcome my disabilities. I went from a struggling C to A’s, putting me on the Dean’s List and graduating with honors. While in school, I met my husband, got married, had four children, and we started a family business. It took me ten years to complete my Associate of Arts degree, as I was raising a family and starting a business. All seemed great, and my bachelor’s degree was put on hold as there seemed to be no need for it. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict, and I, unfortunately, became his domestic violence victim. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. But he controlled our finances, depleted our savings, and without money, I could not afford legal counsel to obtain restraining and protective orders against him. Then I was blessed to meet an aggressive civil trial attorney who was known for helping people in the community, and he agreed to guide me. He took the time from his busy schedule to walk me through the restraining order paperwork, assemble evidence, how to address the court, how to file my papers, etc. His coaching and belief in me gave me the courage to represent myself in domestic violence court. I read and studied every law there was for civil and criminal protection orders, and when I had to face my ex-husband's high-priced attorneys (paid for by his parents), I went to the court confident with knowledge, guidance, and pure courage to protect myself and my children. But even with the “I must succeed” attitude, the abuse from the domestic violence took a toll on my physical appearance and speech. With my physical appearance, people would comment on how thin I was. I didn’t tell them about the domestic violence. But with the trembling of my hands and my mumbled speech, people knew there was something wrong. They just didn’t know what. At this point, I did not even realize how much the physical and psychological abuse had taken a toll on me and disabled me from speaking calmly and clearly. I was, by all means, a scared woman, with a speech impairment, who had to defend herself and protect her children in multiple courts and face-off with Judges and attorneys. I remembered, two days before having a court appearance, working on slowing down my speech, I bit my tongue so hard preparing for trial, that my tongue bled. But it was all so worth it. I faced the Judges and his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, and I triumph. Before my divorce and for over 20 years I had provided meals for the sick in my community. Since I was known for my food, I reinvented myself in my new state and city and started a catering company in January 2019. Slowly, my reputation for chef-quality food started resulting in business. I promoted myself heavily on social media showing my foods and dishes and my business was just taking off. But then COVID-19 hit, and there was no more business. Besides, I have applied for years for jobs from secretarial, paralegal, office manager, executive assistant, and I have been turned down over and over because I didn’t have the requirement of a Bachelor's Degree. From the very onset, jobs, where I have the experience but I do not have the educational requirements (i.e. Bachelor Degree). I am re-creating my life dream of going to a university to improve my children’s lives, getting off of welfare, being safe, and expand my love and desire to write, express myself, express social causes and legal opinions, edit and research, and prepare myself for going full throttle to law school. I have the experience, now I just need the academics.

A bit of background on myself. I am a third-generation American and single mother of four. I graduated from high school in 1985 who entered Community College and graduated with an Associate Degree in marketing. This year, I have reentered into school to complete a Bachelors's Degree in Journalism. A story I would like to share with you regarding our court systems, my experience with the court system, and why America has the best court system and the greatest country in the world. While in community college, I met my husband, got married, had four children, and we started a family business. It took me ten years to complete my Associate of Arts degree, as I was raising a family and starting a business. All seemed great, and my bachelor’s degree was put on hold as there seemed to be no need for it. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict, and I, unfortunately, became his domestic violence victim. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. But he controlled our finances, depleted our savings, and without money, I could not afford legal counsel to obtain restraining and protective orders against him. Then I was blessed to meet an aggressive civil trial attorney who was known for helping people in the community, and he agreed to guide me. He took the time from his busy schedule to walk me through the restraining order paperwork, how to complete it, assemble evidence, how to address the court, how to file my papers, etc. His coaching and belief in me gave me the courage to represent myself in domestic violence court eight years ago. I read and studied every law there was for civil and criminal protection orders, and when I had to face my ex-husband's high-priced attorneys (paid for by his parents), I went to the court confident with knowledge, guidance, and pure courage to protect myself and my children. I faced his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, and I triumph. Our American civil courts allowed me to represent myself in Pro Per (to represent themselves in court, without being an officer of the court or any attorney). It is America’s Constitutional rights laws that provide a way for individuals to fight back against abuse and abusive business practices. As for our criminal justice system, one is offered at no cost an attorney, to defend one in the courtroom, as criminal courts mandate that all American citizens are given due process. The rights and due process of our American courts based on our Constitutional rights guarantee our civil rights and liberties such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to bear arms, freedom of the press, and the right to petition the government. Our freedoms and the principles that encompass within them are what America is founded on, the “land of the free”. The United States Constitution values expressed in the Declaration of Independence are the core democratic values and fundamental beliefs of American society which unite all Americans. These civil values, protections, beliefs, and liberties allow Americans to the “Pursuit of Happiness.” America is great!

Being a single parent of four who has started up two business which ended with crazy circumstances, I must say that 2020 has brought me full circle to where I am today. But throughout this journey, the constant that has always been my motivation to bring success has been my children. A bit of background on myself. I graduated from high school in 1985 and entered Community College. While in school, I learned I had several learning disabilities. After taking courses to help me overcome my disabilities. I went from a struggling C to A’s, putting me on the Dean’s List and graduating with honors. While in school, I met my husband, got married, had four children, and we started a family business. It took me ten years to complete my Associate of Arts degree, as I was raising a family and starting a business. All seemed great, and my bachelor’s degree was put on hold as there seemed to be no need for it. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict, and I, unfortunately, became his domestic violence victim. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. But he controlled our finances, depleted our savings, and without money, I could not afford legal counsel to obtain restraining and protective orders against him. Then I was blessed to meet an aggressive civil trial attorney who was known for helping people in the community, and he agreed to guide me. He took the time from his busy schedule to walk me through the restraining order paperwork, how to complete it, assemble evidence, how to address the court, how to file my papers, etc. His coaching and belief in me gave me the courage to represent myself in domestic violence court eight years ago. I read and studied every law there was for civil and criminal protection orders, and when I had to face my ex-husband's high-priced attorneys (paid for by his parents), I went to the court confident with knowledge, guidance, and pure courage to protect myself and my children. I faced his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, and I triumph. Before my divorce and for over 20 years I had provided meals for the sick in my community. Since I was known for my food, I reinvented myself in my new state and city and started a catering company in January 2019. Slowly, my reputation for chef-quality food started resulting in business. I promoted myself heavily on social media showing my foods and dishes and my business was just taking off. But then COVID-19 hit, and there was no more business. So now, I am re-creating my life by fulfilling my dream of going to a university to pursue my Bachelor's Degree so I may do what I have always wanted to truly do, become a lawyer. Ever since I was in grade school when we did our pledge of allegiance which ends with “with liberty and justice for all”, I knew I found something that I honored and valued. These words are embedded in my hard drive and this is where I found my love of law. I am ready to tackle this big challenge of finishing my education and be the success story that life has in store for me.

In the last ten years, I have faced a plethora of changes and challenges from ethical, to financial, and even spiritual, and there has been one person who has been my strength and my rock, Mr. Baruch Cohen. A tall man with a commanding presence, who is the kindest and strongest soul I have ever met. A bit of background on myself. I graduated from high school in 1985 and entered Community College. While in school, I learned I had several learning disabilities. After taking courses to help me overcome my disabilities, I went from a struggling C student to straight A's, putting me on the Dean's List and graduating with honors. After 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict, and I, unfortunately, became his domestic violence victim. My heart races every time I share my story, as it is racing now as I write this. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. But, as time moved on, with my husband controlling our finances, he depleted our savings on his dreadful addictions, and I felt hopeless. Without money, I could not afford legal counsel to obtain restraining and protective orders against him. With my hands tied behind me, both figuratively and literally, I was a hostage, in my own home, in my religious community, with no money, with a violent man breathing down my neck and beating me, and four kids to take care of. My Rebbitzen (my personal Rabbi's wife) contacted a trial lawyer in our community who she knew to help others in similar situations to mine, who needed legal advice and guidance. I was blessed to meet this aggressive civil trial attorney named Baruch Cohen who agreed to guide me through the difficult vines of court and legal proceedings. Mr. Cohen (who is also an ordained Rabbi) told me that according to Torah principles, the saving of a life takes precedence over all other matters. Mr. Cohen’s clarity and vision for my safety offered me a glimmer of hope and a belief that I can get past my predicament and escape from being a battered spouse. For Mr. Cohen it was clear, I needed to be protected and I also needed to know how to protect myself. However, notwithstanding the civil and criminal restraining orders, my ex-husband continuously violating them and got himself arrested time and time again, and was ultimately thrown in prison. At this point, Mr. Cohen suggests I take my children and relocate to another state for safety, and I did. Under Mr. Cohen’s tutelage, we have been living in safety. Even today, he will call and check in on us to make sure we are okay. Mr. Baruch Cohen is a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and active member of our religious community. I am personally aware of his continued devotion to ensuring community member's safety. He saw me at my worst, mumbling my words, nervous, and scared and he had the clarity to believe me when I told him about the domestic violence, while others did not. He still believes in me and encourages me to go to law school and finish my education. I have never met anyone in my life who has altered my perception of a role model. He was and is my rock. I am forever thankful.

Some people are naturally bold and some never knew how bold they could be. I am the latter of the two, and I found my boldness where I never could imagine it would come from. My name is Diane and I am an adult, single mother of four, returning to school and I would like to share with you how life, my challenges, and family have made me who I am, where I am today, and where I am going. A bit of background on myself. I graduated from high school in 1985 and entered into Community College. While in school, I learned I had several learning disabilities. After taking courses to help me overcome my disabilities. I went from a struggling C to A’s, graduating with honors. While in school, I met my husband, got married, had four children, and we started a family business. It took me ten years to complete my Associate of Arts degree, as I was raising a family and starting a business. All seemed great, and my bachelor’s degree was put on hold as there seemed to be no need for it. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict, and I, unfortunately, became his domestic violence victim. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. But he controlled our finances, depleted our savings, and without money, I could not afford legal counsel to obtain restraining and protective orders against him. Then I was blessed to meet an aggressive civil trial attorney who was known for helping people in the community, and he agreed to guide me. He took the time from his busy schedule to walk me through the restraining order paperwork, how to complete it, assemble evidence, how to address the court, how to file my papers, etc. His coaching and belief in me gave me the courage to represent myself in the courtrooms. I read and studied every law there was for civil and criminal protection orders, and when I had to face my ex-husband's high-priced attorneys (paid for by his parents), I went to the court confident with knowledge, guidance, and pure courage to protect myself and my children. But even with the “I must succeed” attitude, the abuse from the domestic violence took a toll on my physical appearance and speech. With my physical appearance, people would comment on how thin I was. I didn’t tell them about the domestic violence. But with the trembling of my hands and my mumbled speech, people knew there was something wrong. They just didn’t know what. At this point, I did not even realize how much the physical and psychological abuse had taken a toll on me and disabled me from speaking calmly and clearly. I was, by all means, a scared woman, with a speech impairment, who had to defend herself and protect her children in multiple courts and face-off with Judges and attorneys. So, in addition to the trial attorney who mentored and taught me the ways of the courtroom, I also sought a speech pathologist. I remembered, two days before having a court appearance, working on slowing down my speech, I bit my tongue so hard preparing for trial, that my tongue literally bled. But it was all so worth it. I faced the Judges and his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, and I triumph. Before my divorce and for over 20 years I had provided meals for the sick in my community. Since I was known for my food, I reinvented myself in my new state and city and started a catering company in January 2019. Slowly, my reputation for chef-quality food started resulting in business. I promoted myself heavily on social media showing my foods and dishes and my business was just taking off. But then COVID-19 hit, and there was no more business. I have applied for years for jobs from secretarial, paralegal, office manager, executive assistant, and I have been turned down over and over because I didn’t have the requirement of a Bachelor's Degree. From the very onset, jobs, where I have the experience but not the educational requirements (i.e. Bachelor Degree), would not even consider me. So, I have decided to go back to school and finish my degree. With my ambition, degree, and diverse work background, I will marketable. Having a degree will advance my ability to get off of welfare and improve the quality of my life and the life of my children. Since there is no pre-law Bachelor's degree at my university, I am pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism. Having a degree in Journalism will help polish my love and desire to write, my writing skills, critical thinking, self-expression, write legal opinions, edit and research, and prepare myself for going full throttle to law school. It will also allow me the confidence and know-how to write a book on my experience to help other people and families cope, and give them strength. I am much greater than my experience, and I plan to improve the lives of many others by bringing public awareness to the scourge of domestic abuse through my writing, advocacy, public awareness, and in the courts. I have overcome many difficulties and have triumphed, and all this while raising four beautiful and healthy children on my own. This scholarship will help pay for my classes and school material, I will be able to fully focus on my schooling and have all the materials I need to succeed in school. I have the experience, now all I need is the academics. I am ready to tackle this big challenge of finishing my education and be the success story that life has in store for me.

Some people are naturally bold and some never knew how bold they could be. I am the latter of the two, and I found my boldness where I never could imagine it would come from. My name is Diane and I am an adult, single mother of four, returning to school and I would like to share with you how life, my challenges, and family have made me who I am, where I am today, and where I am going. A bit of background on myself. I graduated from high school in 1985 and entered into Community College. While in school, I learned I had several learning disabilities. After taking courses to help me overcome my disabilities. I went from a struggling C to A’s, putting me on the Dean’s List and graduating with honors. While in school, I met my husband, got married, had four children, and we started a family business. It took me ten years to complete my Associate of Arts degree, as I was raising a family and starting a business. All seemed great, and my bachelor’s degree was put on hold as there seemed to be no need for it. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict, and I, unfortunately, became his domestic violence victim. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. But he controlled our finances, depleted our savings, and without money, I could not afford legal counsel to obtain restraining and protective orders against him. Then I was blessed to meet an aggressive civil trial attorney who was known for helping people in the community, and he agreed to guide me. He took the time from his busy schedule to walk me through the restraining order paperwork, how to complete it, assemble evidence, how to address the court, how to file my papers, etc. His coaching and belief in me gave me the courage to represent myself in domestic violence court eight years ago. I read and studied every law there was for civil and criminal protection orders, and when I had to face my ex-husband's high-priced attorneys (paid for by his parents), I went to the court confident with knowledge, guidance, and pure courage to protect myself and my children. I faced his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, and I triumph. Before my divorce and for over 20 years I had provided meals for the sick in my community. Since I was known for my food, I reinvented myself in my new state and city and started a catering company in January 2019. Slowly, my reputation for chef-quality food started resulting in business. I promoted myself heavily on social media showing my foods and dishes and my business was just taking off. But then COVID-19 hit, and there was no more business. Besides, I have applied for years for jobs from secretarial, paralegal, office manager, executive assistant, and I have been turned down over and over because I didn’t have the requirement of a Bachelor's Degree. From the very onset, jobs, where I have the experience but I do not have the educational requirements (i.e. Bachelor Degree). Companies that I qualify for with my experience won’t even look at my application without a Bachelor’s degree. With my ambition, degree, and diverse work background, I will marketable. And, if there is one thing people know about me is that I am a survivor and I don’t give up. I am re-creating my life dream of going to a university to improve my children’s lives, getting off of welfare, being safe, and expand my love and desire to write, express myself, express social causes and legal opinions, edit and research, and prepare myself for going full throttle to law school if I can. I am ready to tackle this big challenge of finishing my education and be the success story that life has in store for me.

Some people are naturally bold and some never knew how bold they could be. I am the latter of the two, and I found my boldness where I never could imagine it would come from. My name is Diane and I am an adult, single mother of four, returning to school and I would like to share with you how life, my challenges, and family have made me who I am, where I am today, and where I am going. A bit of background on myself. I graduated from high school in 1985 and entered into Community College. While in school, I learned I had several learning disabilities. After taking courses to help me overcome my disabilities. I went from a struggling C to A’s, putting me on the Dean’s List and graduating with honors. While in school, I met my husband, got married, had four children, and we started a family business. It took me ten years to complete my Associate of Arts degree, as I was raising a family and starting a business. All seemed great, and my bachelor’s degree was put on hold as there seemed to be no need for it. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict, and I, unfortunately, became his domestic violence victim. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. But he controlled our finances, depleted our savings, and without money, I could not afford legal counsel to obtain restraining and protective orders against him. Then I was blessed to meet an aggressive civil trial attorney who was known for helping people in the community, and he agreed to guide me. He took the time from his busy schedule to walk me through the restraining order paperwork, how to complete it, assemble evidence, how to address the court, how to file my papers, etc. His coaching and belief in me gave me the courage to represent myself in domestic violence court eight years ago. I read and studied every law there was for civil and criminal protection orders, and when I had to face my ex-husband's high-priced attorneys (paid for by his parents), I went to the court confident with knowledge, guidance, and pure courage to protect myself and my children. I faced his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, and I triumph. Before my divorce and for over 20 years I had provided meals for the sick in my community. Since I was known for my food, I reinvented myself in my new state and city and started a catering company in January 2019. Slowly, my reputation for chef-quality food started resulting in business. I promoted myself heavily on social media showing my foods and dishes and my business was just taking off. But then COVID-19 hit, and there was no more business. Besides, I have applied for years for jobs from secretarial, paralegal, office manager, executive assistant, and I have been turned down over and over because I didn’t have the requirement of a Bachelor's Degree. From the very onset, jobs, where I have the experience but I do not have the educational requirements (i.e. Bachelor Degree). Companies that I qualify for with my experience won’t even look at my application without a Bachelor’s degree. With my ambition, degree, and diverse work background, I will marketable. And, if there is one thing people know about me is that I am a survivor and I don’t give up. I am re-creating my life dream of going to a university to improve my children’s lives, getting off of welfare, being safe, and expand my love and desire to write, express myself, express social causes and legal opinions, edit and research, and prepare myself for going full throttle to law school if I can. I am ready to tackle this big challenge of finishing my education and be the success story that life has in store for me.

Some people are naturally bold and some never knew how bold they could be. I am the latter of the two, and I found my boldness where I never could imagine it would come from. My name is Diane and I am an adult, single mother of four, returning to school and I would like to share with you how life, my challenges, and family have made me who I am, where I am today, and where I am going. A bit of background on myself. I graduated from high school in 1985 and entered into Community College. While in school, I learned I had several learning disabilities. After taking courses to help me overcome my disabilities. I went from a struggling C to A’s, putting me on the Dean’s List and graduating with honors. While in school, I met my husband, got married, had four children, and we started a family business. It took me ten years to complete my Associate of Arts degree, as I was raising a family and starting a business. All seemed great, and my bachelor’s degree was put on hold as there seemed to be no need for it. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict, and I, unfortunately, became his domestic violence victim. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. But he controlled our finances, depleted our savings, and without money, I could not afford legal counsel to obtain restraining and protective orders against him. Then I was blessed to meet an aggressive civil trial attorney who was known for helping people in the community, and he agreed to guide me. He took the time from his busy schedule to walk me through the restraining order paperwork, how to complete it, assemble evidence, how to address the court, how to file my papers, etc. His coaching and belief in me gave me the courage to represent myself in domestic violence court eight years ago. I read and studied every law there was for civil and criminal protection orders, and when I had to face my ex-husband's high-priced attorneys (paid for by his parents), I went to the court confident with knowledge, guidance, and pure courage to protect myself and my children. I faced his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, and I triumph. Before my divorce and for over 20 years I had provided meals for the sick in my community. Since I was known for my food, I reinvented myself in my new state and city and started a catering company in January 2019. Slowly, my reputation for chef-quality food started resulting in business. I promoted myself heavily on social media showing my foods and dishes and my business was just taking off. But then COVID-19 hit, and there was no more business. Besides, I have applied for years for jobs from secretarial, paralegal, office manager, executive assistant, and I have been turned down over and over because I didn’t have the requirement of a Bachelor's Degree. From the very onset, jobs, where I have the experience but I do not have the educational requirements (i.e. Bachelor Degree). Companies that I qualify for with my experience won’t even look at my application without a Bachelor’s degree. With my ambition, degree, and diverse work background, I will marketable. And, if there is one thing people know about me is that I am a survivor and I don’t give up. I am re-creating my life dream of going to a university to improve my children’s lives, and expand my love and desire to write, express myself, express social causes and legal opinions, edit and research, and prepare myself for going full throttle to law school if I can. I am ready to tackle this big challenge of finishing my education and be the success story that life has in store for me.

Some people are naturally bold and some never knew how bold they could be. I am the latter of the two, and I found my boldness where I never could imagine it would come from. My name is Diane and I am an adult, single mother of four, returning to school and I would like to share with you how life, my challenges, and family have made me who I am, where I am today, and where I am going. A bit of background on myself. I graduated from high school in 1985 and entered into Community College. While in school, I learned I had several learning disabilities. After taking courses to help me overcome my disabilities. I went from a struggling C to A’s, putting me on the Dean’s List and graduating with honors. While in school, I met my husband, got married, had four children, and we started a family business. It took me ten years to complete my Associate of Arts degree, as I was raising a family and starting a business. All seemed great, and my bachelor’s degree was put on hold as there seemed to be no need for it. However, after 25 years of marriage, my husband became a violent and dangerous drug addict, and I, unfortunately, became his domestic violence victim. His volatile behavior, physical and physiological abuse, along with his obsession with stockpiling guns, put me and my children in great danger. His physical and mental abuse of me, fueled by his uncontrollable rage, was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. But he controlled our finances, depleted our savings, and without money, I could not afford legal counsel to obtain restraining and protective orders against him. Then I was blessed to meet an aggressive civil trial attorney who was known for helping people in the community, and he agreed to guide me. He took the time from his busy schedule to walk me through the restraining order paperwork, how to complete it, assemble evidence, how to address the court, how to file my papers, etc. His coaching and belief in me gave me the courage to represent myself in domestic violence court eight years ago. I read and studied every law there was for civil and criminal protection orders, and when I had to face my ex-husband's high-priced attorneys (paid for by his parents), I went to the court confident with knowledge, guidance, and pure courage to protect myself and my children. I faced his attorneys in family court and civil court for years, and I triumph. Before my divorce and for over 20 years I had provided meals for the sick in my community. Since I was known for my food, I reinvented myself in my new state and city and started a catering company in January 2019. Slowly, my reputation for chef-quality food started resulting in business. I promoted myself heavily on social media showing my foods and dishes and my business was just taking off. But then COVID-19 hit, and there was no more business. Besides, I have applied for years for jobs from secretarial, paralegal, office manager, executive assistant, and I have been turned down over and over because I didn’t have the requirement of a Bachelor's Degree. From the very onset, jobs, where I have the experience but I do not have the educational requirements (i.e. Bachelor Degree). Companies that I qualify for with my experience won’t even look at my application without a Bachelor’s degree. With my ambition, degree, and diverse work background, I will marketable. And, if there is one thing people know about me is that I am a survivor and I don’t give up. I am re-creating my life dream of going to a university to improve my children’s lives, and expand my love and desire to write, express myself, express social causes and legal opinions, edit and research, and prepare myself for going full throttle to law school if I can. I am ready to tackle this big challenge of finishing my education and be the success story that life has in store for me.