Recovery means the potential for a better tomorrow. I was raised by alcoholics, married an alcoholic and was an alcoholic. Today, I’ve maintained my sobriety for 27 years. My last binge was a month after my daughter’s birth. That is when I realized I needed to be sober to care for her. For the first 16 years of my sobriety, I was married to an abusive alcoholic. This relationship required protecting both my children and me from his tirades and abuse. It wasn’t until January of 2015 when we needed to call the police into our home so that we were able to leave safely, that I knew he would never seek his own recovery, and we would never be safe if we went back to him. Our experiences with recovery programs, made it clear that there wasn’t enough support for the family members of the addict. The children and other family members need help dealing with their own traumas. In 2018, I became a leader in my local Celebrate Recovery where I have led small groups, delivered my testimony every year since then and led the teen recovery ministry. I currently attend graduate school and only have four more classes before graduation, at which time I can better serve this population. It’s difficult to afford my tuition; your scholarship would cover half of one class, and I would be beyond grateful for any help that gets me one step closer to my goal of being a family counselor.

After 35 years of working at a bank, in 2025 at age 61, I will complete my internships and then graduate with my Masters in Clinical Mental Health and begin a whole new career. My goal is to be a family counselor and be able to help families with their struggles, with an emphasis on families that are struggling with substance use disorders. My desire to help this population stems from the experiences my children and myself have survived during my marriage to an abusive alcoholic. It has been my experience that during addictions treatment very little help is given to the family members who often develop anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder or other issues caused by the stress of abuses that often accompany substance use disorders in the family structure. Every semester I struggle to find funding for my tuition costs because the cost of living does not allow for extra funds beyond housing, food and medical expenses. This scholarship would make a world of difference as it is almost enough for tuition for one full class. I would be so grateful for the assistance, it would alleviate a lot of stress, caused by my current financial situation. This new chapter in my life is a journey of faith, that encompasses my mind, body and soul. It wasn't until my faith was solidified that I heard the call to become a family counselor. I made the promise to God that if this is indeed what he wants me to be doing that I would put in the work if he found ways for me to fund my education. I currently have four classes to complete, and He has shown me scholarships and grants that have paid my tuition costs thus far. I believe that I can be the listening ear that many clients need and don't have within their own support system. I will be able to combine my empathy skills and the various techniques that I have learned in my classes as a way to help them calm their symptoms and learn how to overcome them while learning to reach the goals they set for themselves. I am excited to utilize mindfulness techniques and art therapy techniques in order to help my clients express themselves and better understand what is causing their pain. Thank you for considering my application for the Steven Penn Bryan Scholarship. I hope you have a blessed day and thank you for sharing this scholarship to help others reach their goals through education.

I am currently studying for my master's in clinical psychology, with a goal of becoming a family counselor. This is not a career path that I feel I “chose”, more like I feel it is a calling. I have encounter mental health issues from a wide array of people in my life and at times within myself. Even with all the experiences I have had throughout my life, it wasn’t until three people (who didn’t know each other) each told me that I should be a counselor. Each of these people either came to me regularly when they needed to talk, or still come to me on a daily basis. Each of these encounters stayed in the back of my mind until, while surfing the Internet, I saw a scholarship for women who had escaped abusive relationships. I applied and won it; this scholarship enabled me to receive my Bachelor's of Science degree in Psychology. My path continued on this route as I worked on my undergrad degree, and several of my professors strongly encouraged me to continue on and achieve my master's degree, because I “needed” to be a counselor and utilize my skills. Currently, I am over halfway done with my degree and continue to hear the same encouragements from my professors who have told me that I handle counseling situations in ways that would only be expected with several years of counseling experience. For me, I feel that it comes naturally from my many life experiences. I grew up in an emotionally abusive and alcoholic family. Throughout my childhood my mother told me I was stupid and would never amount to anything, and I believed her. When I was 20, I married my first husband, as a way to escape my mother. After seven years he decided that he “had wild oats to sow” and dissolved our marriage. I already had low self-esteem, so this escalated my feelings because I couldn’t even hold on to my husband. My second marriage brought another alcoholic into my life as well as physical and emotional abuse. This 20-year marriage blessed me with two children and taught me about the effects that addictions have on the family structure, more than just on the person with the addiction. The biggest influences on my career path were these experiences. I have seen addiction treatment, both outpatient and residential, through my relationship with my husband and saw the lack of help for the other family members who struggle with issues like anxiety, depression, PTSD and low self-esteem. My children and I have suffered each of these issues. These experiences will help me understand and relate to my clients. The goal is to work with families, and hopefully focus on families of people suffering from substance abuse disorder. It is time that the families stop being overlooked and left to try and figure it out on their own. This is why I feel that it is a “calling” because I believe that each of the life experiences that I have survived have taught me how to help others. I want to thank you for considering me for the Ethan To scholarship. This scholarship would enable me to pay for one of my last nine classes. Currently, I am a single mother of an autistic son and constantly struggle to find ways to pay my tuition. Words would be inadequate to express how appreciative I would be of your help along this path.

The Morgan Levine Dolan Community Services Scholarship sounds like it was made for me. I live in Lebanon Pennsylvania and have volunteered as a leader with Celebrate Recovery (and until the pandemic, with the teen version of Celebrate Recovery – which is called “the Landing”) since 2015. As well as being on the Celebrate Recovery leadership team, I am known as a team player at the bank I have been employed for the last 34 years. Every year I receive numerous accolades for being a team player and always being there to help when it is needed. I am currently a student at Lebanon Valley College in graduate school, working to earn my master’s degree in clinical psychology. My life took a roundabout path to get me here, but, I now know that this is exactly where I am meant to be. By earning the Morgan Levine Dolan Community Service Scholarship, I would be able to pay tuition for two of the eight remaining classes I need to take before I can graduate. After graduation, my goal is to become a family counselor who focuses on families who are dealing with the issues caused by the struggles of living with a family member who has a substance abuse issue. The experiences my family and I have survived throughout my life will allow me to understand and relate to the issues my clients are currently struggling with. These past experiences, together with the knowledge and experience I am gaining in the graduate program will make it possible for me to help clients. It is common for family members of people with a substance use disorder to deal with issues such as post traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem among other issues. I feel called to help these families find their worth and their peace. To do that I believe it is imperative to blend mindfulness, and spirituality with cognitive behavioral therapy and to be a safe place for clients to share their fears, and build their confidence. My past has provided me with a self-knowledge that makes it possible for me to relate to what they are going through and help them work on their own recovery. I am over halfway to my graduation and am struggling to find the money to pay for my tuition so I can continue on this journey. Your help with meeting my needs for tuition will enable me to reach my goal of helping these families recover from the traumas they have endured. Thank you for considering my application.

For me, the journey to becoming a family counselor started at age 53 and will culminate with my graduation in May of 2025 when I am 60. I am only able to take one seven-week class at a time because I also work a full-time job at a bank (I have been there for 34 years.), a part-time job at my church (I have been there for 8 years.) and I am also raising my autistic son while helping my daughter with my grandson. Ultimately my goal is to become a family counselor who focuses on families that are dealing with a member who is suffering from a substance use disorder. This is a topic that is truly near and dear to my heart because we lived that abuse for the 20 years I was married. I have seen the effects the abuses we survived have caused both my children and myself. It is common for family members to deal with issues such as post traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem among other issues. I feel called to help these families find their worth and their peace. To do that I believe it is imperative to blend mindfulness, and spirituality with cognitive behavioral therapy and to be a safe place for clients to share their fears, and build their confidence. My past has provided me with a self-knowledge that makes it possible for me to relate to what they are going through. The journey I have traveled in my last 59 years has led me to attend college. The fact that I believe it is a calling, and that each trauma I have survived was a lesson preparing me to help clients, is what has enabled me to graduate with my bachelor in science Cumma Sum Laude with a 3.986 GPA and now to have maintained my 4.0 GPA with only eight more classes until I receive my masters in clinical psychology. You asked what receiving this scholarship would mean to me. It would pay for two of my last eight classes and enable me to focus on my studies and the needs of my family instead of trying to find a way to pay my tuition. I don’t make a lot of money working at the bank (and less at my part-time job), but I am able to keep a roof over our heads and usually food on the table; there just isn’t anything left over for tuition and books. So far, I have been blessed with grants and a few scholarships to help me along the way. To say I “need” this scholarship, would be an understatement, to say I would be exuberantly grateful doesn’t even touch the extent of my gratitude. I just want to be able to help people who are struggling with life and to further this journey, I need financial help.

The challenge that first came to mind for me was surviving my marriage and getting my children and myself out safely. I spent 20 years married to an abusive alcoholic, until the day that I needed to call the police into my own home so that we could leave safely. That was January 2015 and since then, through self-examination and a lot of work, I have come to realize that I did not deserve the abuses that I endured during my marriage. When I finally began to realize my worth, I started working on my Bachelor’s degree in psychology. I accomplished this task while raising my two children on my own, working two jobs and fighting various court cases because my abuser continued to harass us for years after we left. In December of 2021, I graduated from Valley Forge University in Phoenixville Pennsylvania with a Cumma Sum Laude designation; my GPA was 3.986. In January of 2022, I started my journey toward earning my Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, so that I will be able to become a family counselor and halfway through the program I have been able to maintain my 4.0 GPA. It has been my experience that substance use disorder treatment plans normally support the addict; however, many of the family members suffer from depression, anxiety, PTSD, low self-esteem, etc. and are left to find their way to their recovery. As a family counselor, I want to work with these families and help them heal from their traumas and find their pathway to living their best life. Many of these family members have lived with a victim mentality and I want to be equipped to help them see past that and find their passions. As I progress through each class of my graduate program, I can see how the techniques and theories I am learning will benefit the families that I work with in the future. I hope to help these family members be able to either reconcile with their family member who is in recovery, if that is possible in a safe way, or to help them find the strength to move forward with their lives toward their passions and goals. Thank you for considering me for the Dounya Discala Scholarship. Your support will help me continue to move closer to my goal of helping these families survive and thrive through the traumas of their lives.

Thank you for considering my application for the Darclei V. McGregor Memorial Scholarship. As I read the background information that was provided with the scholarship description, it seems as though I am working to follow in her footsteps. I am currently in the Clinical Psychology Masters Program at Lebanon Valley College in Annville Pennsylvania. My goal is to become a family counselor so I can help families of people struggling with substance use disorders. This is a passion for me because my family has personally experienced the void in services that could have greatly helped my children and myself deal with the mental health issues that developed due to abuses that were caused by my husband’s addictive behaviors and narcissistic characteristics. I agree that the COVID-19 pandemic escalated the mental health needs in our country. This mental health crisis, coupled with the opioid epidemic has caused a “perfect storm” of extensive need as well as a shortage of helping professionals in the mental health field. Recently, I heard that even before the pandemic, only about one-third of Americans who needed mental health treatment received it. This is a storm that I believe I will be able to help battle. I will be able to help family members learn coping skills, and that will help them take care of themselves when the stress of dealing with the substance use disorder and everything that is attached to it seems overwhelming. When you asked “what inspired my journey” of becoming a family counselor, I would say it was my many life experiences. Before 2017 I had never considered being a counselor; however, within a few months of each other three people adamantly expressed their opinions that I should be a counselor because I was able to help them through different situations. Shortly after I was given this advice, I earned a scholarship that paid for my undergraduate degree. During my undergrad work, several of my professors expressed that my counseling skill was beyond what they would expect from a student and said that I must continue for my Master’s degree. Each of these incidents, when put together, have been vessels that have moved me down the road on my journey to becoming a family counselor. My life journey has been a very winding road, You see, I am a child of alcoholics, I was an alcoholic (I have 26 years of sobriety at this point), and I married a narcissistic alcoholic with anger issues. Each of the experiences that I survived has provided me with a basic understanding of many issues my clients may be dealing with. They will allow me to be empathetic towards future clients who are dealing with various substance use disorders or who love someone who is. I was married to an abusive alcoholic for 20 years, during which time I was blessed with two children. My husband’s anger instilled terror in each of us, so while he received rehab and counseling several times for his addictions during the marriage, my children and I were not included in this healing process. My studies have taught me that children of parents with substance use disorders are extremely likely to have experiences like emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, and they may witness things like domestic violence, criminal activities, mental illness in family members and suicidal individuals in their home. Any, or all of these things make their home life “unsafe”; they need an advocate to ensure their safety as well as help them heal from their traumas. I will be that advocate. There is a lot of research that shows that children of parents with substance use disorders are also at an increased risk of having emotional, behavioral and social problems that will affect every aspect of their lives. I plan to help these children process whatever issues they need to deal with so that they can live their best lives. I am sorry to say that both of my children have suffered from issues that could be attributed to both genetics and/or the things they experienced living in my home. My son deals with severe attention deficit hyperactive disorder, autism spectrum disorder and Internet gaming disorder; while my daughter deals with issues of her own which include, anxiety, depression and understanding her self-worth. When I was still in the chaos of my marriage, living with my husband, I didn’t know that the things my children saw and dealt with at their father’s hands would scar them far into their future. Like them, this lifestyle left deep scars on me; I dealt with post-traumatic stress disorder as well as bouts of depression and self-worth issues (although some of my self-worth issues are accredited to my childhood and emotionally abusive mother). If I had known then, what the stress of our household would do to each of us, and had known that counseling would help the healing process, we could have learned coping mechanisms to help with each of our issues long before they escalated to the point of the police needing to be called to our home so that the children and I could leave our home safely. As I look back at that stage of my life, I realize that each of the lessons I learned, at each turn in the road, provided me with knowledge that will be helpful to others who are still walking the path I have already traveled. Since 2015, I have been a leader in the Celebrate Recovery program at my church. Through this program, I was able to understand many of the issues in my own life, and have met many different types of people who are each fighting for their recovery. But, most importantly my leadership has brought me in contact with the children who are also learning to deal with their parent’s substance use disorders. I started by working in the nursery and later ran “the Landing” which is Celebrate Recovery for teens. I was amazed at the struggles both age groups shared which could all be linked back to their parents’ issues. This experience became one of the greatest inspirations for my journey. One thing my classes have taught me is that having access to protective factors such as talking with a caring adult, education, opportunities to express their feelings, and techniques for building life skills can promote resilience in these children, even when they have been subjected to mistreatment at the hands of a parent with a substance use disorder. It is common for children of parents with substance use disorders to struggle with disorders like anxiety, depression, oppositional behavior, conduct problems, and aggressive behavior as well as lower rates of self-esteem and social competence. My heart goes out to these children who are the youngest victims of the current opioid epidemic. I have a passion for helping these children overcome their struggles and helping their parents to set safe boundaries and learn to understand and deal with their issues and when feasible guide them in building a strong foundation for their family unit. It is common knowledge that families whose children are in the foster system because a parent has a substance use disorder, are rarely able to achieve reunification. I want to work to determine effective interventions that will be able to assist parents in bringing their families back together when it can be done safely. Family counseling will meet each client “where they are” and help them decide on the path they want to follow in their life. This may include teaching them coping skills, teaching them how to set safe boundaries and helping them improve their communication skills as a starting point. My goal will include developing treatment plans that look at the needs of each family member, not just the parent with the substance use disorder. If the entire family is not included in the counseling, then there is a much higher risk of relapse for the person with the substance use disorder. By including everyone, the family will have a safe place to heal from their traumas. One of the statistics you provided in the scholarship information stated that there is a need for 70,000 mental health providers by 2025 just to meet the need for mental health care in the United States. I am currently halfway through my Master’s program and will graduate in the Spring of 2025. At this point, I will be able to provide supervised counseling for many of these hurting families. At this point, I am in dire need of any help I can get toward paying for my tuition. Being a single mom who needs to work a full-time job as well as a part-time job just to afford monthly expenses, does not allow many funds for extras like tuition. Being awarded the $1,000 Darclei V. McGregor Memorial Scholarship would pay for half of one of my classes and would be greatly appreciated, I need all the help I can get as I travel this road toward becoming a family counselor with a focus on working with families who are dealing with addictions. Thank you for taking the time to read my entry.

The first way I have always painted a good example for my children is by the way I live my life; this includes being dependable, kind and supportive to anyone who needs it. I have two children who I have raised on my own since 2015; when with the help of the police, we escaped my abusive alcoholic husband (their father). Throughout my marriage, the responsibility of protecting my children and being there for them when they needed anything has always fallen on me. These duties included helping with homework and being a cheering squad at volleyball or soccer games and when they were sick and need to be nurtured, I have always been the one they turned to. Another challenge we deal with is that my son is on the autism spectrum and deals with severe ADHD. Sometimes this in itself seems like a full-time job. There are constant struggles to maintain the services that he is eligible for but I never give up fighting for what is best for him. While my children come first in my life, I also have worked for the same company for 34 years and have also maintained a part-time job at our church to be able to pay the bills and now attempt to pay for my tuition and books. In 2017, I talked with my children about what life would look like if I started working on my bachelor’s degree. I wanted to set a good example for them by overcoming the beliefs my mother had instilled in me – that I was stupid and would never amount to anything. They both agreed that I should take the challenge of attending college half-time in addition to our already busy lives. Then in 2021, I received my bachelor’s degree in psychology and was Summa Cum Laude at graduation with a GPA of 3.986. Earlier last year is when I decided that I would continue on and earn my master’s degree in clinical psychology so that I could become a licensed counselor, and be able to better support my son. That is where I am today, working two jobs, taking two classes per semester, helping my autistic son to fulfill all of his potential and helping my daughter with my now one-year-old grandson. So even though a college degree was a dream that had long ago died, I started this journey because I wanted my kids to know that they can accomplish anything that they set their minds on. They also know that no matter how difficult the struggle might be I will be standing beside them helping them up if they fall. Both of my children are now my cheering squad and have both told me that can’t wait to see me graduate in the Spring of 2025.

The mental health of the people around me has shaped every aspect of my life. As a child, I lived with a mother who struggled with mental health issues as well as alcohol use and I had an alcoholic father. Substance use disorder ran in my family; my father, my brother and later myself all struggled with this. By the age of 12, I was being served in bars and drinking daily. Later in life, I met my husband in a bar, yes, he too was an alcoholic. We were married three years later. After two years of marriage, I gave birth to my first child; this is when I knew I needed to stop drinking so that my daughter would have at least one parent who could care for her and keep her safe. My life experiences have given me firsthand experience with every side of substance use disorder; I was raised by alcoholics; I was an alcoholic and I married an alcoholic and have raised two children of alcoholics. I have maintained my sobriety for 26 years now and have used the knowledge I gained from my experiences to help adults and teens in the local Celebrate Recovery program where I am a leader. My husband was in several rehabilitation programs throughout our marriage. What I noticed through this experience is that while the programs did a good job working with the clients, there was no support for the family members who had suffered various traumas due to the abuses that were fueled by the addictions. I saw firsthand the struggles my children have had due to PTSD, low self-esteem, depression and anxiety. This lesson taught me that the family members needed someone to advocate for them and to guide their healing process. That is where my goals come in. I am currently a graduate student in the clinical psychology program at Lebanon Valley College where I will get my master's degree and then work to become a licensed family counselor who works with families whose loved one is dealing with substance use disorder. My experience working with Celebrate Recovery as well as my experience through life lessons makes it easy for me to build rapport with people because I truly understand what they are trying to survive. This makes it possible for me to walk beside them on their journey to recovery.

My dream self will be a licensed counselor who is supporting the healing of families of people dealing with substance abuse.

Recovery means the potential for a better tomorrow. I grew up with alcoholics, married an alcoholic and was an alcoholic. Today, I’ve maintained my sobriety for 26 years. My last binge was a month after my daughter’s birth. This is when I realized I needed to be sober to care for her. For the first 16 years of my sobriety, I was married to an abusive alcoholic. This relationship required protecting both my children and myself from his tirades and abuse. It wasn’t until January of 2015 when we needed to call the police into our home so that we were able to leave safely, that I knew he would never seek his own recovery, and we would never be safe if we went back with him. Our experiences with recovery programs, made it apparent that there wasn’t support for the family members of the addict. The children and other family members need help dealing with their own traumas. In 2018, I became a leader in my local Celebrate Recovery where I have led small groups, delivered my testimony several times and led the teen ministry called the Landing. I am currently in graduate school studying psychology so that I can become a licensed counselor who focuses on members of the addicts’ families. As a single mom, it’s difficult to afford my tuition; your scholarship would cover almost one class and I would be beyond grateful for any help that gets me one step closer to my goal.

My experience with mental health started as a child with a mother who displayed signs of what I now know was bipolar disorder (I had a grandmother who was diagnosed as bipolar). As a child, it just seemed like most of the time she hated me and was verbally abusive. She told me I was worthless and would never amount to anything and that I was trash. She and my father both had drinking problems and by the age of 12 I had begun drinking. Between the ages of 12-19 I had attempted suicide four times; it is by the grace of God that I am even here to apply for this scholarship. Move ahead to age 19 and I married a man I had only known a few months in order to get out of my mother's house and away from her abuses. This marriage only lasted seven years before he decided he had "wild oats to sow". During the separation, I again used alcohol to cope with the stresses of my failed marriage and thus began my second stint of alcoholism which would last for the next seven years. During this period in my life, I met the man who would become my second husband. He too was an alcoholic, one who could not go more than a few hours without a drink. During the next twenty years, he turned violent when he was drinking, and the police were called several times to our home in order to allow my children and I to get out of the house safely. Because of my mother's abuse of me in my early life, I didn't see that I did not deserve to be treated this way. I never expected anything good to happen to me in my life. February of 2015 was the last time that the police were called to the house so that the kids and I could leave. We have never gone back to him. I left that relationship with PTSD and no self-esteem. It was a year before I could walk outside without automatically being scared. Most of that first year, I sat in the house with all the first-floor curtains closed and the doors locked. I was a single mom of a daughter who had ADD and a son who had ADHD and was high functioning on the ASD spectrum. Also in 2015, I became a member of the leadership team for Celebrate Recovery at my church. This is a Christian 12-step program that is offered all over the world. This was the first step in learning that I do have worth and that I do deserve to be treated with kindness. Prior to the pandemic we were offering the Landing, which is Celebrate Recovery for teens. Through this experience, I learned that this is my calling, to work with teen that are suffering either through bullying, addictions, or the recovery of a parent. This and my personal experience are where my career goal was born. Now, seven years later, my 25-year-old daughter is a mom and dealing with depression on top of her issues with ADD, and my son who is on the spectrum is working a part-time job. We still have the daily issues of him not following through on anything that he is asked to do and fighting about taking care of his personal hygiene issues, however, I guess that will be the rest of my life. As you can see, I have been surrounded by mental health issues most of my life. My children and my experiences in my second marriage have led me to start the process of becoming a licensed family therapist who works with families who are dealing with addictions and all the mental health issues that come from surviving a relationship that includes addictions. In 2021, I graduated from the University of Valley Forge (Summa Cum Laude) with my bachelor's degree in psychology, I am now a fourth of the way done with my master's degree in clinical psychology and am still carrying a GPA of 4.0. This is the reason I am writing today; I am hoping that you can help me with the cost of tuition. Thank you for considering me for the Elevate Mental Health Awareness Scholarship.

To me, recovery means reaching my true potential and living a life that is a worthy role model for my children. I was raised by alcoholics, became an alcoholic and married an alcoholic. When I gave up alcohol my life began to change. My recovery was the beginning of my journey to reaching my potential. So far on this journey I have obtained my bachelor's degree in psychology and currently I am one-fourth of the way through my master's program in clinical psychology. This will allow me to become a licensed family therapist who works with the families of alcoholics and addicts. It is my goal that my recovery will help others find their way to their recovery.

For many their responses to life's challenges are the rudder that guides their life's path. For me personally, the challenges I faced started at a young age. I had two parents that were both drinkers and mother who was emotionally abusive. Throughout my life she told me that I was trash, I was stupid and would never accomplish anything worthwhile. I believed her when she said that I would never amount to anything and that I was worthless. Because of my childhood challenges, I became a young person who had extremely low self-esteem. I have survived two failed marriages where I believed that I deserved everything that happened to me and didn't expect anything good in my life. The first marriage failed when my husband decided he had "wild oats to sow" and said he wanted a divorce. After my divorce I began to use alcohol in as a coping mechanism. I met my second husband in a bar and a year later we were married. When my first child was born, I gave up alcohol so I could properly care for her, however my husband decided to maintain his addictions to alcohol and drugs. My second marriage was to an alcoholic who was both physically and emotionally abusive, to the extent that the police needed to be called to our home several times. Because I had such low expectations of what I deserved in life, I wasn't disappointed. The final time that the police were called to home was because he was out of control and threatening to break down the door that my two children, dog and I were barricaded behind. When the police came, they helped my kids and I leave the home so that we could be safe. After living in my husband's childhood bedroom with my two children for a month the court awarded me the house. This all occurred in the beginning of 2015. This is the point where my challenges became my rudder. Soon after we returned to our home, I was asked to become a leader at the Celebrate Recovery program. Through my training for leadership in the program I learned that the things my mother said about me and that I had believed for my entire life--were false. I learned that I have great worth. Since then, I have started working on my college degree and in 2021, I received my bachelor's degree (Cumma Sum Laude) and have completed one-fourth of my master's program. My goal is to obtain my master's degree and obtain licensure as a family therapist who works with families who are struggling through the same issues I have survived. The challenges I have survived will enable me to help other families survive; so yes, I do believe that our challenges shape most aspects of our lives.

Higher education is important to me because my life goal is to become a licensed family counselor, so I am able to help families (especially families of addicts and alcoholics) overcome the mental health issues that plague them due to their relationship with an addict and alcoholic. I learned of this lack of service when my family personally went through trying to get my now ex-husband into rehab while handling the issues that my children and I were dealing with due to the abuse from my alcoholic husband. My children both suffer from low self-esteem and my daughter continues to struggle with depression, while I have dealt with both depression and PTSD. While we were able to get him into Teen Challenge Training Center, I needed to help my kids to understand their value and that they are not the worthless pieces of trash that their father repeatedly told them they were. They have so much to offer this world and yet they are still very slowly just starting to open up to what their capabilities are and to see any type of potential in themselves. As a family counselor I want to be able to help other families who are dealing with these types of issues, so they understand their worth and I want to help them find their joy in life again. That is why becoming a family counselor is so important to me; mainly because I wish someone would have been there for us -- so now in return I will be there for someone else. For me continuing my higher education will also allow me to support myself when I retire, in two years, from my current position. In two years, I will be 60 and will be able to collect a small pension to help with costs, however I will need to continue working long into the future because my divorce will cost me half of my retirement savings. Because of my higher education I will be given the opportunity to fulfill my destiny of becoming a family counselor and help many families survive and thrive through the struggles of dealing with addictions. Thank you for the opportunity to be heard and to apply for the Learner Higher Education Scholarship. For me higher education has helped me be a good example for my kids, will help me support myself and my kids, and most important it will allow me to help many families in the future. This scholarship would be a great blessing on my journey toward becoming a family counselor.

In the past year, I have learned more about myself and my abilities than I have ever thought possible. Within the past year I have graduated with my bachelor's degree in Psychology from Valley Forge University ranked Cumma Sum Laude with a GPA of 3.9867. What makes this a true sign on personal growth is a couple things. First, when I was younger, I was never a great student; I always passed however, sometimes barely. Now that I am older, (I am 58) I have two children who I decided to set a good example for by completing what I started right out of high school. That is what I did, and I did it while supporting two children and working 40+ hours a week at two jobs. The struggle has been real when trying to find financing for my tuition throughout my bachelor's degree, now while working on my master's degree everything is so much more expensive that I am barely able to gather enough funds for my tuition. The second way I have seen personal growth through this adventure is that I never even thought about attempting to get a master's degree previously. However, as I worked through my classes for my bachelor's, I had several professors tell me that I was very skilled in counseling and that I absolutely needed to continue my schooling so that I could become a licensed counselor. As I write this, I am finishing my 5th class of the 20 classes that are required for my master's degree and my savings account is dry. Even the fact that I am asking for assistance is a sign of growth - in the past if the road got rocky, I would have taken another route. Now I know my goal, which is to be a family counselor for families who are dealing with all the struggles associated with having addictions in the family. Most counseling services and/or rehabs focus on their client, the addict, however I truly believe that the services need to reach out to the addict's family members. I have seen first-hand that this isn't happening. I want to help the family members find their voices. Many families deal with depression, low self-esteem, PTSD and many other mental health issues that were either caused by or exacerbated by dealing with the addict on a daily basis. When I reach my goal of graduating and becoming licensed, I will be able to help these families grow to their full potential and hopefully help to break the cycle of addictions in my community.

Today is a GREAT day to talk about my new found healthy eating habits. You see, today is Day 100 since I have started living a vegan lifestyle. Now I have not mastered this eating plan 100% (yet) I do however manage it at least 90% of the time. The first physical difference I noticed in myself is that I have lost 32 pounds. It blows my mind that by committing to myself to improving my health, I feel better, my arthritis is all but gone, and my knees don't hurt all the time. I started this eating plan because I never wanted to have to go on insulin, and I wanted to feel better in my own body. The biggest perk of this healthy diet is that after only three weeks’ time, my A1c dropped to below diabetic levels. Another benefit to a healthy diet for students like me is that it helps with focus and enables me to maintain my 4.0 GPA. This is not to say that the only healthy diet is a vegan diet, but when a person decides to eat a variety of healthy foods on a regular basis, their body will receive all the nutrients that it needs to function efficiently. This will provide the person with more energy; help to counteract the effects of stress and they will enjoy better health overall. A good place for someone to start a healthy eating plan is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s initiative that is called MyPlate. This initiative+ helps people focus on a healthy eating routine and reminds them that big changes come with each small step that we take. With each good food choice, we make our bodies get the nutrients they need in order to flourish. The human brain functions best when it is properly nourished. Mental health and nutrition are so closely linked that there is a field of psychiatry called "Nutritional Psychiatry" which focuses on treating mental health issues through a healthy eating plan and lifestyle changes. It needs to be more than a "diet" because "diets" are difficult to maintain because you are deprived of certain foods. However, with a healthy eating plan you can have a large variety of foods and flavors and your choices don't have to be "perfect". By maintaining the healthy eating plan for at least 80% of the time, your body will benefit from the nutrients that it needs. The bottom line is that by maintaining a healthy eating plan, my life has changed. I am more mobile that I was previously, and my energy level is doubled. I am healthier now and hopefully will soon be able to lower the medications I take for prediabetes and high cholesterol.

The study stategy that is most beneficial to me is taking extensive notes when I read the textbook; and use higlighters and different colors of ink in order to keep my mind engaged. The practice of writing the information down reinforces the knowledge I have read. Before tests, I then reread my notes and especially focus on the areas I highlighted when I initially wrote them. The second thing that is really important for me is to study in a quiet area where there are few if any interruptions. This allows me to completely focus on the content I am studying. On occassion, I will play a soft instrumental music in the background when I am studying if I am stressed or having anxiety because this will help me relax and concentrate. These methods seem to be working for me. I graduated from my undergraduate with a GPA of 3.9862 and after my firstclass in grad school, I have a 4.0.

My goals for the future include graduation from my master's program in 2025 and then licensure as a family counselor. The first step of this goal was achieved in December 2021 when I graduated with my bachelor's in Psychology, with a GPA of 3.9862. My hard work will continue through this master's program and licensure process. I believe there is a niche that is not being supported in the mental health field and that is families of addicts. I want to be able to help them deal with the effects that often occur when they have had to deal with the stresses involved with addictions. Many family members deal with mental health disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. Each of these disorders could be helped with counseling which will hopefully help the next generation to move out of the addictions cycle that continues to cause stress for these families. I look forward to helping these family members see their worth and flourish through their struggles and to reach their full potential.

I thank God for each breath he blesses me with, and every person that he has put in my life. It is humbling to think of all that he has blessed me with. The people he has brought into my life either give me the opportunity to be a blessing to them, and/or they are a blessing to me an provide me opportunities to show my gratitude. There are so many ways to show my gratitude, sometimes it is a heartfelt note, or a hug, or time spent with someone who is lonely. It may be helping someone with errands or chores that they can't do for themselves. I am grateful for everything that I am able to do for someone else. One of the things I am most grateful for is my recovery from alcoholism. I have maintained my sobriety for 25 years and now have the opportunity to work with others who are working their recovery, through the Celebrate Recovery ministry at my church. This ministry has given me the opportunity to share my recovery journey in order to give hope to others who are not as far along on their road to recovery.

Recovery to me is all encompassing. I grew up with alcoholics that never recovered, I was an alcoholic who did recover, and I married an alcoholic who prefers to stay in his addiction. Now I am on the leadership team of the local Celebrate Recovery and have the opportunity to help others on their road to recovery. This year I will celebrate 25 years of sobriety. I am currently attending graduate school in order to get my master's degree in clinical psychology so I can become a licensed psychologist. My goal is to become a family counselor who works with the families of addicts, in an attempt to stop the cycle of addiction that I have survived. I am currently paying my tuition class by class because my salary does not allow for many extras besides living expenses and grad school is expensive; your scholarship would make the difference of me being able to afford one more class. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship.

My dreams for my future career include helping family members of addicts, to maintain their own mental health. It has been my experience that the treatment plan normally surrounds the addict, however, many of the family members suffer from depression, anxiety, PTSD, low self-esteem, etc. I want to fill this niche and help them survive their struggles and maintain or acquire their own mental health. My dream is to complete my master's degree in clinical psychology and then complete the process for licensure. When my dream is reached, I will be a licensed counselor in a small practice where I will be able to help these families and possibly help the healing process for recovered addicts to reconnect with family members. I can also see myself doing training seminars for families, whose loved ones are in rehab, so they understand that the feelings they are experiencing are normal and they are not alone. Often, they struggle, because they think they are the only ones that feel that way, and because of that they do not seek out the help they need to find their way.

My life started out in an abusive home that was fueled with alcoholism and a narcissistic parent. This was the foundation for a long journey, where I became an alcoholic, married an alcoholic and then when I learned my worth, divorced an alcoholic. This journey has led me to understand the need for families, who have dealt with issues like mine, to have mental health support. I started my educational journey in the Fall of 2017 and completed my bachelor's degree in Psychology in October 2021. I have started my master's program so that I will be able to become a licensed family counselor with an emphasis in addictions. My hopes for the future include graduation in 2025, and then working toward getting my licensure. I want to help families survive the stresses that come with dealing with addictions. Family members often deal with anxiety, PTSD, low self-esteem and other mental health disorders, which can be treated in counseling. My goal is to help families stop the "addiction cycle" that I grew up in, so that the next generation will have a better foundation than I did.

As a counselor in training I demonstrate empathy on a daily basis. You might say that it is my super power. Anyone who knows me will confirm that. I am the person people seek out when they need someone to talk with; someone who will help them see all sides of the issue they are struggling with. The empathy I show, together with commonsense and the ability to look at the big picture in life make me a powerful resource for people looking for guidance. My strongest personality trait is empathy; this makes it my "go to" when talking to or working with people. I will do anything within my power to either help the people around me or when possible help them visualize how they can help themselves. Often when they are presented with the opposite side of their dilemma they are better able to make a logical and effective decision.

The most important thing I have learned throughout my life is that I have value. I am not stupid, worthless, or any of the other things my mom called me when I was growing up. I have learned that when I follow the path that God lays before me, I can accomplish anything. Last year I finished my Bachelor's degree in psychology (with a 3.986 GPA) and I have now started my Master's program in Clinical Psychology. Before I learned my worth, I would not have believed it was possible to accomplish even a Bachelor's degree, now I know differently. This degree will give me the opportunity to become a liscensed family counselor so I can help others see their potential. As a family counselor I want to help families see their worth and heal from the hurts this world can deal out to people. I am asking you to consider me for the Bold Know Yourself Scholarship, not just because I do know myself and my capabilities, but because ultimately I want to help others know themselves and fulfill their potential. Thank you for considering my application.

I am happiest when I am spending time with me kids, and now my grandson. For me happiness comes from being in the moment, enjoying the here and now. It may be as simple as sitting around a campfire roasting hot dogs and making smores; while we talk about life, expectations and hopes. Or, happiness for me comes when I realize that I understood a topic in school well enough to get an A on a project or a test. In 2021, happiness came when my son graduated high school and I graduated from University of Valley Forge. Now I have started my master's work, and I am finding great joy in the classes and the people I am working with. In all honesty, I don't think anything "makes" you happy; I believe happiness is a choice we each make every day when we wake up. We can be "cup half empty, or cup half full" people. I choose half full and because of that each day gets better than the last.

Being a parent to my two children has given my life more meaning than I ever imagined. Our family broke up seven years ago when the police had to be called so that my children and I could escape my abusive husband. Since then I have struggled to make sure my kids had everything they needed, and some things they wanted. My son is on the ASD spectrum, so there have always been struggles to keep him focused on schoolwork and anything that needed to be done. Three years ago I went back to college because I wanted to be a good example for my kids. I wanted to prove to them that you can accomplish anything if you set your mind to it. Last October I graduated from University of Valley Forge with a Bachelor's degree in psychology and now I have started my Master's program at Lebanon Valley College. My Master's degree will allow me to help other families who are dealing with the same type of issues we needed to be rescued from. Being a counselor will allow me to continue to support my son and myself after I retire from my current job in 2025. I have "made ends meet" in the past and graduated with no debt, however graduate school is a lot more expensive than undergraduate school was. Now I need help so I am able to continue my studies and receive my degree. I don't want to be rich, I just need to be able to support my son and help struggling families. If you award me the REVIVAL Scholarship you will not only helping my son and I, but you will be helping all the other families that I will be able to help when I become a counselor. Thank you for considering me as a recipient for your scholarship.

I keep a growth mindset by accepting new challenges when they come my way. The latest new challenge for me is that I am starting the journey to earn my masters degree in counseling. This will allow me to use the lessons I have earned through life experiences in order to help people overcome their struggles. School was always a struggle for me. As a kid I was told I was stupid and would never amount to anything. I left my parents home and ended up in an abusive marriage. After leaving this relationship and learning that I do have worth, which took some self contemplation, I have accepted challenges that continue to help me grow. Last year I completed my Bachelor's degree with a GPA of 3.986. I have found that as long as the challebge was given to me by God, I will succeed. Because of this I am always open to new challenges. Thank you for considering me for the Bold Growth Mindset Scholarship.

Being patient is just another way to trust. I trust that God is in control and that all good things will come in His time. Life experiences never gave me a choice about being patient. My children and I survived my abusive marriage, which caused my daughter and I to struggle with PTSD and other issues that we grown from. My son who is on the autism spectrum has taught me that staying calm and continuing to work toward a goal is the only way to achieve anything of value. Living by his example has helped to set me on the career path I am on. Last year I completed my Bachelor's degree at age 57, and now I am starting my Masters degree program. This degree is of value because it will allow me to become a counselor who helps families in need. Patience is providing me with steady progress toward the goal of being able to help others. I am asking you to help me achieve this goal. Thank you for considering me.

The biggest lesson I have learned about myself is that I have worth and am not stupid. I was brought up being told I was stupid and would never amount to anything. A few years ago I completed a step study and I learned how the experiences and abuses I had survived were only stepping stones to teach me the lessons I will later use to help others who are struggling. When I started my current life path, I had no faith in my own abilities. Last year I finished my bachelors degree with a GPA of 3.986, and now this month I will begin the journey to get my masters degree so I am able to become a family counselor and from there I will be able to help struggling families. In the past four years I have learned that I can accomplish anything that I set my mind to, as long as it is God's will.

The simple things in life make me happy. Sitting quietly in the woods and listening to a babbling brook while the birds in the trees call to each other. Another way happiness fills my soul is holding my grandson and imaging what this world has in store for him; and spending time with my kids and watching them develop into the people God made them to be. I believe my happiness comes from the inner peace I have from knowing my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He has shown me my worth and that He has plans for me for a future I could never have even dreamed of for myself. Happiness comes from knowing and liking the person I am and am becoming. I learned to listen to and follow God's plan, trusting that he has a purpose for my life, and knowing that he is giving me the ability to make the world a better place.

The most inspiring book I have read, and I have read it in its entirety four times, is the Holy Bible. In the books of Proverbs and James I find basic rules to live by, and in Psalms I find comfort in the hard times. My studies of Scripture have guided my path and helped me develop my life saving relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This relationship brought me through a 20 year abusive marraige and has set me on my current life path. I have been called to be a family counselor for families who are struggling with addictions and all the issues that plague the family members because of the addict's treatment of the people who love them. This scholarship would help me obtain the master's degree that I need to reach my goal of being a family counselor and will bring me one step closer to help the struggling families. I hope you will help me so I can continue on and help others.

I make a point of emphasizing what people do well. So many people now-a-days want to point out errors or differences of opinion; while I find it better to look at the glass as half full rather than half empty. Currently I work with participants at Celebrate Recovery where I help them see how far they have come rather than focusing on the struggles they are having. I am always there to listen to their concerns and help them brainstorm ideas to get them through the rough spots. I am the person in my friend group that people come to when they feel like they need to be heard; and often I am the one that can point out options for them to try so that they receive the outcome they are ultimately hoping for. My children grew up hearing "you can do anything that you set your mind to", and I truly believe that is true for anyone. I am proving this to myself as I pursue my master's degree. A few years ago, I would have never believed that I would get my bachelor's degree, I accomplished that in 2021 with a GPA of 3.986 and will start my master's degree this month. I have a calling to be there for people who are struggling with life's hurts, habits and hang-ups.

Recovery means one day at a time - while taking one step after another always moving towards my goal. I have been sober 24 years and in the last seven years have started to move toward those goals. I was raised by alcoholics and as an alcoholic, I married another alcoholic who ended up being an abusive drunk. It took me 20 years to realize that I had any potential. In the last five years I have worked my recovery in the Celebrate Recovery program volunteering first as a leader, then running the teen program. In the last three years I have completed my bachelor's degree; and next month I will begin working on my master's degree. The first goal I am working toward is to obtain my master's in clinical psychology in counseling. This will allow me to be a family counselor who works with families that are dealing with the issues surrounding addictions. My own experience and information I have gained from other recovering addicts, has shown me that there are gaps in the system; families with members who are dealing with addictions are just left to figure it all out for themselves. Many families struggle with codependency, self-worth, PTSD or other issues caused by their hyper focus on the issues that are attacking their family. I want to be there to help them work through their recovery process with the hopes of helping them find their sound footing so they do not repeat the cycle of addictions.

After 15 years of marriage to an abusive alcoholic, I was able to remove my children and myself from the sometimes dangerous situation. The experiences my life and marriage provided showed me that there are gaps in the services available for families in need. After witnessing these gaps in services firsthand, I realized that there is a need for family counselors who are educated in the struggles of families of addicts and who are able to help the family members understand situations that occur with their addicted family members, as well as issues like codependence and PTSD. My goal is to become one of those counselors. As a child of two alcoholics, an alcoholic myself (clean 24 years now), and someone who married an alcoholic; I will be able to use many of my life experiences to teach and empathize with counselees. My past experiences will help me relate to counselees who are dealing with similar situations. I am already using these experiences to help with the Celebrate Recovery ministry at my church, where I was leading the teen program to help them learn to deal with life's hurts habits and hang-ups. My children and I struggled with many of these issues in the past. As I worked to establish a stable home environment for our children, my children and I wondered what we had done wrong to deserve our situation. My husband had successfully convinced our children that they were stupid and not worth anything and had convinced me that I couldn't survive without him and that I was stupid. For the last three years I have worked and achieved my bachelor's degree and proven to myself that I do have worth and am not stupid. I graduated with a 3.986 GPA. I have enrolled in a master's program for Clinical Psychology and Counseling in order to reach my educational goal. My education goal is to receive my master's degree and then become a licensed counselor for families who are dealing with the issues involved with having a family member who has addiction issues. Children of addicts often struggle with self-worth; children and other family members may also deal with PTSD. Codependency is a common issue for families of addicts. I want to be able to help with the healing process in these families, so that hopefully future generations will be better equipped and able to deal with life's struggles and not revert to addictions to self-medicate.