As a hardworking, dedicated student who consistently exceeds expectations despite challenges, I am a strong candidate for this scholarship because I have been able to successfully balance school, work, and significant family responsibilities but struggle to make ends meet financially. This scholarship would help me overcome the financial burdens of graduate school. While pursuing my associate's and bachelor's degrees at Georgia State University, I was a straight A student and participated in extracurricular activities. I completed both degrees summa cum laude with a GPA above 4.0. One of my essays for an English Literature class was published in The Polishing Cloth, an annual literary anthology that serves as a textbook for classes in following years. I also received awards for several pieces of artwork that were published in two issues of the Georgia State University Perimeter College magazine. I was named to the President's List every semester that I attended. I completed an honors thesis and won the Dean's Award and a Sustainability Award for my environmental research on Elkhorn Coral in 2019. I served as President of the Alpha Beta Gamma chapter of Phi Theta Kappa honor society, where I facilitated the "Aim High Seminar for Girls," which provided workshops and resources to help girls and young women who recently immigrated to the United States pursue higher education or enter the workforce. I was president of the Decatur Campus Art Club and collaborated on an art installation for the Atlanta Botanical Garden. During my undergraduate studies, I also worked for Georgia State University at the Perimeter College Native Plant Botanical Garden and as a teaching assistant for several semesters. I also served as an ATLAS student (another form of teaching assistant) for study abroad courses in both Guatemala and the Virgin Islands. All of these academic achievements were accomplished while also raising a young daughter as a single mother. While balancing school, work, and parenting presented many challenges, the toughest challenge I faced during school was a lengthy out-of-state custody battle with an abusive ex. It was extremely expensive and time consuming, but also took an emotional toll as I had to recount traumatic events in depositions and in court. This made it hard to focus on my school work. I overcame this by being very open and honest with my professors about what I was going through. Fortunately, they were all very accommodating and even granted me extensions on a few assignments when their due dates conflicted with important court dates or other legal proceedings. But I believe being enrolled in school during that time also gave me a healthy distraction so I was not consumed by the fear and anxiety of the custody battle. The outcome of the custody battle presented another set of challenges. The court order required me to drive from Georgia to Maryland once a month to pick up my daughter from visitation with her father. This required me to be on the road several days in a row. The timing of the visits was at the discretion of her father and they always fell on school days. Some of my professors had very strict attendance policies, especially for lab classes. For several classes, I knew that I was going to miss more than the maximum number of allowed absences. I would always meet with the professors and explain my situation and ask for allowances for my unique circumstances. Many professors were able to make accommodations, but some were initially less accommodating and suggested I drop the class. These instances required persistence and perseverance. I wrote letters, provided letters from past teachers attesting to my dedication as a student, and attended office hours to plead my case. Ultimately, even the more resistant professors allowed me to remain in their class. Through all these obstacles, I continued to get straight A's. That visitation arrangement continued for years, until my daughter started Kindergarten and visitation had to be arranged around her school schedule. Another noteworthy aspect of my story is that I am in substance abuse recovery and have been clean for 14 years. During this time, I have served as a recovery sponsor and mentor for women in twelve-step recovery. Through this experience, I have learned to accept people where they are with compassion and empathy, and have honed my gift for helping women believe in themselves and achieve lasting change. This is noteworthy for two reasons. First, I have have remained committed to serving women in this way throughout my academic journey, despite the demands of school, work, and family life. Second, it inspired me to pursue a master's degree in social work with a concentration in clinical mental health so that I can expand the ways I serve others professionally. I am enrolled in Georgia State University's MSW program which starts this August (2026). While I am no longer a single mom (I've remarried and had a second child), my family still relies on my income. I will continue working full time while completing my coursework, but will likely need to reduce my hours once I begin my required clinical field placement. For a family already struggling to make ends meet in today's economy, the added expense of tuition will be hard to absorb into our budget. This scholarship would help reduce the financial burden of graduate school, allowing me to focus on becoming a clinician while continuing to support my family. I have spent the last 14 years helping women rebuild their lives through recovery mentorship, and I plan to build on that experience by becoming a licensed clinical social worker. If I receive this scholarship, that investment in my education will become an investment in the countless individuals I hope to serve in my career.

One of the greatest lessons I have learned is that meaningful change rarely happens by accident. It happens through intentional decisions, consistent effort, and the willingness to keep moving forward even when progress feels slow. My long-term goal is to become a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) specializing in addiction, mental health, and trauma so that I can help individuals and families achieve the kind of freedom and transformation that I have experienced in my own life. This August, I will begin a master's degree in social work at Georgia State University with a concentration in clinical mental health. Completing my degree is the first step in a larger plan. After graduation, I intend to complete the required supervised clinical hours, obtain licensure, and continue my education through specialized training in areas such as addiction treatment, trauma-informed care, and art therapy. I hope to incorporate my background in art, environmental science, and fourteen years of recovery into creative and evidence-based approaches that meet clients where they are. I have intentionally sought experiences that prepare me for this career. For the past fourteen years, I have served as a recovery sponsor and mentor to women in twelve-step recovery. Through this volunteer work, I have supported women as they completed treatment, returned to school, entered the workforce, regained custody of their children, and learned to believe in themselves again. These experiences have strengthened my empathy, communication, and mentorship skills while reinforcing my desire to pursue social work professionally. Financial planning is an important part of achieving my goals. I will continue working full-time while completing my graduate program to provide financial stability for my family. My tuition and educational expenses include tuition and fees ($8,568 per year), textbooks and supplies ($2066 per year), licensing preparation materials($360), and transportation to field placements ($3088 per year). Scholarships such as this one are essential because they reduce my reliance on student loans and allow me to focus more fully on my education while continuing to support my family. As a working parent of two children, I also budget carefully for childcare, household expenses, and the unexpected costs that often accompany graduate school. While my immediate goal is to earn my master's degree and clinical license, my long-term vision extends beyond licensure. I hope to provide therapy to individuals and families affected by addiction, trauma, mental illness, and major life transitions, particularly people in recovery, women, single parents, and families with limited access to quality mental health care. I also hope to incorporate creative approaches to healing by drawing on my background in art and my interest in art therapy. My educational journey has not followed a traditional timeline, but every experience has strengthened my commitment to this path. I have learned that a good plan is not one without obstacles—it is one that anticipates them, adapts to them, and keeps moving forward. With a clear plan, a strong support system, and the opportunity to continue my education, I am confident that I can build a career dedicated to helping others create meaningful and lasting change in their own lives.

Throughout my career, I have been motivated more by purpose than by prestige. I have experienced firsthand the impact that compassionate professionals and community organizations can have on someone's life, and I want to spend my career providing that same support to others. That ambition is what led me to pursue a master's degree in social work with a concentration in clinical mental health. My own life has been transformed by service-driven people. During my recovery from addiction and mental health challenges, I encountered counselors, therapists, social workers, and volunteers who invested their time, knowledge, and compassion in helping me rebuild my life. They believed in my potential long before I believed in myself. Their work changed the trajectory of my life, and it inspired me to dedicate my own career to helping others experience the same kind of transformation. For the past fourteen years, I have also had the privilege of serving as a recovery sponsor and mentor to women in twelve-step recovery. Through this volunteer role, I have supported women as they completed treatment programs, returned to school, entered the workforce, regained custody of their children, and learned to believe in themselves again. Those experiences have shown me that meaningful change happens through relationships, consistency, and meeting people where they are. They have also confirmed that I have a gift for helping others navigate difficult challenges and create meaningful change in their lives. I am drawn to nonprofit and community-based mental health work because it often serves individuals and families who face the greatest barriers to accessing care. I hope to work with people affected by addiction, trauma, mental illness, and major life transitions, particularly women, people in recovery, single parents, people of color, and low-income families. Too often, quality mental health care is unavailable or unaffordable for the people who need it most. I want to be part of organizations that work to close those gaps and ensure that compassionate, evidence-based care is accessible regardless of a person's circumstances. As a therapist, I also hope to incorporate the diverse experiences that have shaped my own life. My background in art has shown me the healing power of creativity, while my education in environmental science has strengthened my critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Combined with my lived experience in recovery and years of mentoring others, I believe these perspectives will allow me to connect with clients in meaningful and authentic ways. The communities I care most deeply about are those whose potential is often overlooked because of addiction, mental illness, trauma, or poverty. My goal is not only to help people manage their challenges but to help them discover that lasting change is possible. If I can help someone feel seen, understood, and empowered to build a life they once believed was out of reach, I will know I have honored the many people and organizations whose service made that same transformation possible for me.

I believe selflessness is demonstrated through a lifetime of dedication to serving others, rather than by a single act. It is about giving and showing up, even when no one is watching. Selflessness did not always come naturally to me. In fact, I spent a significant portion of my late teens and early twenties living a very self-centered life consumed by addiction. Through the selfless acts of others, however, I received the help and support that made lasting recovery possible. Today, selfless service is a cornerstone of my recovery, and i have spent the last fourteen years serving as a recovery sponsor and mentor to women in twelve-step recovery. In this role, I guide women through the recovery process, but the relationship often extends far beyond that. Recovery is about much more than simply not using drugs. It requires changes in thought patterns, behavior, emotional intelligence, and self-worth. It also requires someone willing to invest time and energy to help another person believe that recovery is possible. Many of the women I have worked with have been rebuilding every aspect of their lives. I have had the honor and privilege of supporting women as they returned to school, entered the work force, completed treatment programs, navigated the legal system in the aftermath of their addiction, regained custody of their children, began believing them in themselves again, and eventually became recovery sponsors themselves, providing the same support to others. I have brought recovery meetings into jails and hospitals, facilitated meetings, shared my experience, and given rides to and from meetings to people without transportation. I have answered late night phone calls, met women for coffee, been there to offer guidance and encouragement and have attended recovery celebrations and court dates. While I hope these acts have made a difference in the lives of others, I have learned just as much from the people I've helped as thy have from me. Their courage, perseverance, and willingness to keep going despite setbacks is a constant reminder of why I do this. One of the greatest lessons that I learned in recovery is that no one heals alone; we all need support. When I first entered recovery, someone else invested her time and energy in me long before I believed I was worth it. My sponsor answered my phone calls, challenged me to take accountability for my choices, told me the truth even when it wasn't what I wanted to hear, and showed me what healthy relationships looked like. Her selfless service changed the trajectory of my life. Becoming a sponsor myself has allowed me to pass that gift on to others. My commitment to serving others also extends beyond recovery. Supporting my daughter through significant mental health challenges has strengthened my passion for advocacy and reinforced my desire to become a therapist. Navigating the mental health system as both a parent and someone with lived experience has shown me how important compassionate, knowledgeable support can be during times of crisis. These experiences are what led me to pursue a master's degree in social work with a concentration in clinical mental health. I hope to build on the empathy, mentorship, and interpersonal skills I have developed through recovery and years of supporting others. My goal is to help individuals and families affected by addiction, trauma, and mental illness feel seen, understood, and empowered to create meaningful change in their lives. If there is one way I hope to honor Michael Rudometkin's legacy, it is by continuing to invest in people.

If you asked my family to describe me, I think one word would come up over and over again: curious. My brain has always been a little different. I was diagnosed with ADHD later in life, and looking back, so many things suddenly made sense. I have a habit of becoming completely fascinated by a new topic and diving in headfirst. One month I might be teaching myself digital illustration, the next I'm learning transcendental meditation, experimenting with crockpot meals, researching water quality regulations for work, or figuring out how to turn my artwork into products for an Etsy shop. My interests don't always seem connected, but they make perfect sense to me. Growing up, I often thought this meant I lacked focus because I was always interested in something new. It wasn't until much later that I realized I wasn't lacking focus at all—I was simply wired to learn differently. When something captures my interest, I don't just learn enough to get by. I want to understand how it works, why it works, and how it connects to everything else I know. That curiosity has shaped every stage of my life. It helped me earn an associate's degree in art, followed by a bachelor's degree in environmental science. Today, I work as an environmental scientist while preparing to begin a master's degree in social work with a concentration in clinical mental health. At first glance, those fields seem unrelated, but I see them as different ways of solving problems and improving people's lives. My interest in art has taught me that creativity can be a powerful tool for healing and self-expression. My environmental science education taught me how to think critically, analyze complex problems, and search for evidence-based solutions. My own recovery journey showed me the importance of compassion, connection, and community. Rather than seeing these experiences as separate parts of my life, I see them as pieces of a larger picture that will allow me to become a more well-rounded therapist. For a long time, I viewed my tendency to jump between interests as something I should fix. Now I see it as one of my greatest strengths. It allows me to connect with people from many different backgrounds, think creatively when solving problems, and remain genuinely excited about learning throughout my life. If there is one thing that makes me stand out, it isn't that I fit neatly into one category. It's that I don't. I am an artist, a scientist, a person in long-term recovery, a mentor, a mother, and a future therapist. Those experiences may seem unrelated, but together they have shaped the person I am becoming. My curiosity has never led me in just one direction. Instead, it has given me the confidence to keep growing, keep learning, and keep finding new ways to serve others.

Mental health is important to me as a student because I know how greatly it influences a person's ability to learn, grow, and reach their potential. For a large portion of my life, I did not think pursuing higher education was possible for me. During my late teens and early twenties, I struggled with depression, anxiety, addiction, and undiagnosed ADHD. I spent years cycling through psychiatric hospitals, treatment centers, halfway houses, and homelessness, unable to imagine a future that looked any different from the life I was living. After many unsuccessful attempts, I was finally able to achieve lasting recovery in 2011. Recovery gave me hope for my future and eventually the confidence to return to school. I completed a bachelor's degree while working and raising my daughter as a single mother. More recently, being diagnosed with ADHD helped me better understand many of the challenges I had experienced throughout my education. Instead of viewing those struggles as personal shortcomings, I learned to advocate for myself, recognize my strengths, and seek the support I needed to succeed. Those experiences taught me that mental health is not separate from education—it is fundamental to it. For the past fourteen years, I have advocated for mental health in my community by mentoring women in twelve-step recovery. Recovery is about much more than just not using drugs. It requires changes in thought patterns, behavior, emotional intelligence, and self-worth. Through these relationships, I encourage women to seek therapy, access community resources, and understand that asking for help is a sign of strength rather than weakness. I openly share my own experiences with mental health treatment because I believe honest conversations reduce stigma and remind people that healing is possible. Advocating for mental health has also become deeply personal in my role as a parent. Supporting my daughter through significant mental health challenges has given me a greater appreciation for the importance of early intervention, compassionate providers, and appropriate accommodations. Watching her receive support that I did not have growing up has reinforced my belief that every person deserves access to quality mental health care and the opportunity to thrive. This fall, I will begin a master's degree in social work with a concentration in clinical mental health. My goal is to build on the empathy, mentorship, and interpersonal skills I have developed through recovery and years of supporting others. As a therapist, I hope to continue advocating for mental health by helping individuals and families affected by addiction, trauma, and mental illness feel seen, understood, and empowered. I want to help people access the same kinds of support that transformed my life and to create spaces where hope, healing, and growth are possible.

I was twenty-one years old when I met Cathy. I was living in a halfway house after leaving another treatment center and attending twelve-step meetings because they were required. I was in a new town, surrounded by people I didn't know, and I had no idea how to rebuild my life. Cathy agreed to be my sponsor, a decision that changed the trajectory of my life. Before I met Cathy, I was lost and aimless. A low sense of self-worth kept me from believing that my life could be any different than it had been. Cathy believed in me when I couldn't believe in myself. She told me she used to be exactly where I was and that people had believed in her in the same way. The role of a sponsor is to guide someone through the recovery process, but Cathy did much more than that. She answered my phone calls, met me for coffee, gave me rides to meetings, and listened without judgment. She shared details of her story that made me feel less alone. She wasn't afraid to tell me the truth, even when it wasn't what I wanted to hear. She taught me accountability, vulnerability, and unconditional love. Most importantly, she showed me that the shame I carried did not define me. It wasn't a single conversation or piece of advice that changed my life; it was the consistency of someone showing up. Recovery taught me that healing happens through connection, community, and self-reflection. Cathy helped me understand that lasting transformation requires more than simply stopping the use of drugs. It requires learning new ways of thinking, responding to difficult emotions, building healthy relationships, and believing that you are worthy of a better life. Today, fourteen years into my recovery, I have had the privilege of serving as a recovery sponsor for other women. Through those relationships, I have witnessed people repair relationships with their families, return to school, find employment, regain custody of their children, and begin believing in themselves again. Every time I watch someone discover hope where there was once despair, I think about the hope Cathy instilled in me. Because of those experiences, I have also become aware of a problem that many people walk past without noticing. Many visible symptoms of addiction and mental illness are easily recognizable, but the accompanying loneliness, hopelessness, trauma, and lack of connection are often overlooked. It is easy to judge someone who is struggling. It is much harder to ask what happened to them, what support they are missing, or what barriers prevent them from accessing quality mental health care. Too many people die in active addiction without ever receiving the support they need. If I had the resources, I would invest in making compassionate, accessible mental health care available to the people who are least likely to receive it. I hope to create a place where individuals recovering from addiction, women, single parents, and low-income families can access therapy without overwhelming financial or logistical barriers. I also hope to incorporate creative approaches to healing, drawing on my background in art, because people often need different pathways to express thoughts and emotions that are difficult to put into words. Cathy changed my life because she saw my potential before I could see it myself. She taught me that one person, consistently showing up with compassion and honesty, can change the trajectory of another person's life. As I pursue a master's degree in social work, my goal is to become that person for someone else.

I did not always know that I wanted to be a therapist. My undiagnosed mental health conditions and poor decision making skills led me to derail my life at an early age through substance abuse. I spent my late teens and early twenties aimlessly cycling through treatment centers, halfway houses, and homelessness, estranged from my family and with no hope for my future. Addiction took away my identity, and repeated relapses took away my ability to imagine a different life for myself. I was stuck in what felt like an endless cycle of shame about my past, using to cover up the shame, getting clean, and feeling overwhelmed again by the shame of my addiction. I can't say exactly when things shifted, when I began taking accountability for my life and my circumstances, but eventually something clicked. In 2011, I was finally able to get clean and stay clean. My life began to change and I started to have hope for my future. I reconnected with my family and our relationship was improving. I developed a network of other recovering people and my life began to feel less aimless. I had a daughter in 2013. I began taking classes at a community college in Maryland. Then, my daughter's father returned to active addiction and our relationship became toxic and abusive. My world began to feel small and hopeless again. I might have stayed in that shrinking existence if it hadn't been for my daughter. I didn't know if I deserved better, but I knew that she did. Shortly after her first birthday I had a moment of clarity in which I saw two paths unfolding before me. The first path involved me staying, probably returning to active addiction, and fast forwarding into a future in which my daughter, raised by addicts, grew up with generational trauma and a similarly bleak future. The second, more daunting path involved two actions that I was wholly unfamiliar with: asking for help, and acting on faith. I am eternally grateful that I chose the second path. I called my mom and asked if my daughter and I could come live with her in Georgia. I left behind everything I knew in Maryland with no idea how things would work out. I was able to develop a new network of people in recovery and, fortunately, things worked out better than I could have imagined. I returned to school and completed a bachelors degree in 2019. I learned how to love myself and eventually found a healthy relationship. We got married in 2022 and had a son in 2023. Recovery, family support, and self-worth transformed my life and inspired me to help others achieve similar change. My role as a mentor in twelve-step recovery over the last 14 years has taught me that I have a gift for helping recovering addicts transform their lives. Recovery is about more than just not using drugs. It requires changes in thought patterns, behavior, and emotional intelligence to be able to respond differently to stressful situations. That is why I decided to pursue a master's degree in social work to become a therapist. One of the most important insights I’ve gained from my recovery is that I can’t do it alone. None of us can do it alone. I hope to help people achieve the life long transformation that is necessary to achieve freedom from active addiction.

For a large portion of my life, I did not think pursuing higher education was possible for me. The experiences that led me to return to school have been challenging, but in hindsight I also recognize them as deeply formative. Returning to school as a parent has required perseverance, self-advocacy, and a willingness to pursue long-term goals despite obstacles and uncertainty. My educational journey has not followed a traditional path. During my late teens and early twenties, I struggled with addiction, mental health challenges, and poor decision-making that derailed my life at an early age. I spent years feeling isolated, ashamed, and disconnected from both my family and myself. In 2011, I was finally able to get clean and stay clean. Recovery taught me that healing happens through connection, community, and self-reflection, and it gave me hope for a future that I had once believed was out of reach. My daughter was born in 2013, and becoming a mother changed the way I viewed my future. Shortly after her first birthday, I left an unhealthy and abusive relationship and moved from Maryland to Georgia with the support of my family. I arrived with very little certainty about what would happen next, but I knew I wanted to create a better life for my daughter and myself. As a single mother, returning to school often felt overwhelming. I balanced parenting responsibilities, work, financial concerns, and coursework while trying to build stability for our future. There were many times when completing a degree felt impossible, but I continued moving forward one class at a time. In 2019, I completed my bachelor's degree in environmental science. More recently, I was diagnosed with ADHD, which helped me better understand many of the challenges I had experienced throughout my life. Instead of viewing those challenges as personal shortcomings, I learned to advocate for myself, develop effective strategies, and recognize my strengths. That experience reinforced my belief that growth and transformation are possible at any stage of life. Today, I am married, raising two children, working full-time, and preparing to begin a master's program in social work at Georgia State University. Returning to school again at this stage of my life presents new challenges, including balancing graduate studies with work, parenting, and financial responsibilities. However, my past experiences have taught me that meaningful change often requires stepping outside of my comfort zone and acting on faith even when the path forward is uncertain. The challenges I have faced while returning to school have strengthened my resilience, determination, and sense of purpose. They have also inspired my commitment to helping others. Through my graduate education, I hope to build on the empathy, mentorship, and interpersonal skills I have developed through recovery and years of supporting other women. My goal is to become a therapist who helps individuals and families navigate mental health challenges, addiction, trauma, and major life transitions. By returning to school, I am not only creating new opportunities for myself, but also showing my children that it is never too late to learn new things about yourself and pursue new goals.

My undiagnosed mental health conditions and lack of life direction led me to derail my life at an early age through substance abuse. I spent my late teens and early twenties in an aimless cycle of treatment centers, halfway houses, and periods of homelessness, estranged from my family and devoid of hope for my future. Addiction took away my identity, and repeated relapses took away my ability to imagine a different life for myself. I was stuck in what felt like an endless cycle of shame about my past, using to cover up the shame, getting clean, and feeling overwhelmed again with the shame of my addiction. I can't say exactly when things shifted, when I began taking accountability for my life and my circumstances, but eventually something clicked. In 2011 I was finally able to get clean and stay clean. My life began to change and I started to have hope for my future. My journey through addiction and recovery fundamentally changed what I believe about people and their capacity for growth. Addiction taught me how quickly shame, hopelessness, and isolation can take hold, but recovery taught me that healing happens through connection, community, and self-reflection. I learned the importance of asking for help, advocating for my own needs, and building a network of support. All these experiences strengthened my belief that people are more than their struggles - their struggles make them stronger. Substance abuse also transformed my relationships. During active addiction, I often felt the most disconnected from the people that cared about me the most. Recovery required me to rebuild trust, develop honesty, and learn to be vulnerable. The transformation I have experienced as a result of twelve-step recovery has enabled me to reconnect with my family members, who are an invaluable part of my life today. I have also gained some amazing relationships with people I met through recovery. I helped and received help from people from all walks of life, from all different backgrounds. For the past fourteen years, I have served as a mentor to women in recovery. Through these relationships, I have seen how powerful it can be when people feel heard, understood, and supported instead of judged. I have also witnessed the barriers people face when seeking help for addiction and mental health, especially single mothers, low-income families, and others with limited access to services. These experiences have shown me the importance of meeting people where they are and recognizing the strengths they already possess. My experiences with substances ultimately inspired my career aspirations. Through my master's program, I hope to build on the empathy, mentorship, and interpersonal skills I have developed through lived experience and service to others. As a future therapist, I hope to help people feel seen, understood, and empowered to change and grow. What once felt like the most painful chapter of my life has become the foundation for a career dedicated to helping others find recovery, connection, and resilience.

I am currently pursuing a master's in social work with a concentration in clinical mental health. Art has been a meaningful healing modality and creative outlet for me my whole life and I am interested in incorporating art therapy into my future work as a social worker and therapist. I earned an associate's degree in art in 2016 and have always been drawn to various forms of creative expression, both as a way to process my own experiences and as a way to connect with others. The experiences that led me to pursue a career in art therapy have been extremely challenging, but I also now recognize them as opportunities for growth and maturity. During my late teens and early twenties, I struggled with addiction and spent years feeling isolated, ashamed, and disconnected from both my family and myself. Recovery taught me that healing happens through connection, community, and self-reflection. It also taught me that people often need different pathways to express thoughts and emotions that are difficult to put into words. Art has provided that outlet for me in different mediums during different stages in my life. I have spent countless hours processing thoughts and feelings through drawing, painting, photography, mosaics, sculpting, digital art, and other creative pursuits. As someone who was diagnosed with ADHD later in life, I have also experienced how creative outlets can promote focus, self-awareness, and emotional regulation. I am drawn to art therapy's ability to help people communicate confusing, overwhelming, and traumatic experiences. I am especially interested in ways in which creative expression can support individuals recovering from addiction, processing trauma, navigating mental health challenges, and rebuilding their confidence and sense of identity. These are the populations I hope to serve as a therapist. I was especially drawn to this scholarship when I learned that the woman it honors, Marsha Cottrell, raised her first child as a single mother, later remarried, and expanded her family. Her story is extremely relatable as I also raised my daughter as a single mother for many years after leaving an abusive relationship. I spent years in therapy learning to love and value myself and eventually built a healthy relationship, married in 2022, and welcomed my son in 2023. My journey has taught me that life does not always follow a traditional path, sand that growth and transformation are possible even after significant challenges. Through my master's program in social work, I intend to build on the empathy, mentorship, and interpersonal skills I have developed through recovery and years of serving as a recovery mentor for other women. I plan to pursue additional training in art therapy so that I can combine clinical skills with creative approaches to healing. My goal is to help people feel seen, understood, and empowered to tell their stories, whether through words, art, or both.

I was 21 years old when I met Cathy. I was attending a 12-step meeting that was required by the halfway house I lived in. I was in a new town, surrounded by strangers. Twelve-step recovery instructs participants to find a sponsor - someone with a solid foundation in recovery and a working knowledge of the twelve steps. I found Cathy. She was a strong, confident woman with a bold personality and I was drawn to the matter-of-fact way she talked about her life and her past struggles. She agreed to be my sponsor, a decision that changed the trajectory of my life. Before I met Cathy, I was lost and aimless. Although my family was supportive during some of my earlier attempts at recovery, I had lost touch with them and felt like I had no one in my corner. I had just moved to a new city into a halfway house (my fourth) after getting out of rehab (my third). I had no idea how to rebuild my life. Cathy showed up in my life at a critical moment. I did not yet understand what healthy connection looked like, and Cathy was happy to show me. The role of a sponsor in twelve-step recovery is to guide someone through the twelve step process. This requires trust in the sponsor. Cathy gained my trust by showing up consistently, answering my phone calls, and taking time out of her day to meet me for coffee or give me a ride to a meeting. She listened without judgement and I began to open up to her in ways I hadn't been able to before. Her actions and attention showed me that she had my best interest in mind. She also wasn't afraid to tell me the truth, even when its not what I wanted to hear. She taught me accountability and I began to understand how most of my problems were the result of my own actions. I had spent my life blaming everyone else for my circumstances, unaware that I was creating them myself. Cathy shared a lot of personal details of her life, things that I would have been embarrassed to tell another person. I know now that she was teaching me vulnerability. She was also teaching me unconditional love, and that I didn't have to be perfect to be worthy of love. I realized I could share my fears, shortcomings, and darkest secrets with her. This relationship taught me that connection could exist without judgement, punishment, or shame. My relationship with Cathy is my longest consistent relationship. She has seen me through highs and lows and has helped me realize things about myself that I didn't know. I have learned to recognize and then change harmful behavior patterns. I looked up to Cathy and admired her honesty, courage, and perseverance. Several years into our relationship, I began to realize that I possessed those qualities too, and that they were starting to come naturally to me. When the day came that I was asked to be a sponsor, Cathy excitedly told me that I was ready and that I would make a great sponsor. I told her I had no idea how to be a sponsor or how I could help other people. Her response was "neither did I when you asked me." This shocked me because I viewed her as infallible and as someone who could write the instruction manual on helping women change their lives. I learned that our relationship was more reciprocal than I had realized. As I began to take on the role of sponsor for more women, I realized that while they viewed the relationship as me helping them, I was actually gaining more. Having a close relationship with Cathy has allowed me to develop close relationships with others as well. Recovery is not something anyone can do on their own and I owe my recovery as well as my life to the relationships I have built as a result of learning from Cathy how to have healthy connections based in presence and compassion. I want to continue building relationships that help people believe in their capacity to change. I am pursuing a aster's degree in social work to become a therapist and expand my ability to support others professionally. I can't imagine what my life would have been like without that first pivotal connection, and I hope to help other people find meaningful and healing connections and support systems through my work.

I am a recovering addict with 14 years clean in twelve-step recovery, pursuing a masters degree in social work to become a therapist. To me, recovery means freedom and possibility. I tried to get clean for years before I finally got clean and stayed clean in 2011. Prior to that, my life was a hopeless cycle of active addiction, treatment centers, halfway houses, and homelessness. Repeated relapses made it difficult to imagine a different life for myself. When I was at my lowest, I believed recovery wasn't in the cards for me and I was just one of those people that would never get it. One day while lamenting about my hopeless case, a long time member of a twelve step fellowship restored my belief that recovery was still possible when she told me "as long as you're still breathing, there is hope." This really made an impact on me because I had survived multiple overdoses and realized how lucky I was to still be here, to still be breathing. When I finally began taking accountability for my life and circumstances and embraced recovery, my life became much freer. No longer shackled by my addiction, I am free to pursue lost dreams. I had no idea what I wanted for my life when I first got clean, but my recovery has opened up endless possibilities. I have experienced so much life as a result of my recovery, and pursuing a masters degree is the next step of my journey.

My undiagnosed mental health conditions and poor decision-making lead me to derail my life at an early age through substance abuse. I spent my late teens and early twenties aimlessly cycling through treatment centers, halfway houses, and periods of homelessness, estranged from my family and devoid of hope for my future. Addiction took away my identity, and repeated relapses made it difficult to imagine a different life for myself. I became stuck in an exhausting cycle of shame, using to cope with that shame, getting clean, and feeling overwhelmed again by the shame. I can't say exactly when things shifted, when I began taking accountability for my life and my circumstances, but eventually something clicked. In 2011, I was finally able to get clean and stay clean. My life began to change and I started to have hope for my future. I reconnected with my family and our relationship was improving. I began building relationships with a recovery community that helped me feel less alone and less aimless. In 2013, I hadf my daughter and began taking classes at a community college in Maryland. When, my daughter's father returned to active addiction and our relationship became toxic and abusive, my world began to feel small and hopeless again. I might have stayed in that shrinking existence if it hadn't been for my daughter. I didn't know if I deserved better, but I knew that she did. Shortly after her first birthday I had a moment of clarity in which I saw two paths unfolding before me. The first path involved me staying, probably returning to active addiction, and fast forwarding into a future in which my daughter, raised by addicts, grew up with generational trauma and a similarly bleak future. The second, more daunting path involved two actions that I was wholly unfamiliar with: asking for help, and acting on faith. I am eternally grateful that I chose the second path. I called my mom and asked if my daughter and I could come live with her in Georgia. leaving behind everything I knew in Maryland without knowing how things would work out. I rebuilt my life in a new environment ad, through recovery support, found stability again. I returned to school and completed a bachelors degree in 2019. Recovery also allowed me to learn how to value myself and eventually build a healthy, supportive relationship. We got married in 2022 and had a son in 2023. I learned that lasting recovery is not just about abstaining from drug use - it requires changes in thinking, behavior, and emotional responses to life's challenges. My role as a mentor in twelve-step recovery over the last 14 years has taught me that I have a gift for helping people in recovery rebuild their lives.It has also deepened my understanding that support is an essential part of recovery - no one can do it alone. That is why I decided to pursue a master's degree in social work to become a therapist. I hope to help others find the same freedom I have been given - the ability to break cycles of addiction, heal from shame, and build a life rooted in stability and hope.

I did not always know I would want to pursue a graduate degree, and for a large portion of my life, did not think it was possible for me. The experiences that lead me to this point in my life have been challenging, but in hindsight I also recognize them as deeply formative. I am enrolled in a social work masters program at Georgia State University beginning this August, and reaching this point in my life has been the result of growth through recovery, motherhood, self-understanding, and a desire to turn my lived experience into a career in service of others facing challenges similar to mine. My undiagnosed mental health conditions and poor decision making skills lead me to derail my life at an early age through substance abuse. I spent my late teens and early twenties aimlessly revolving through treatment centers, halfway houses, and homelessness, estranged from my family and devoid of hope for my future. I can't say exactly when things shifted, when I began taking accountability for my life and my circumstances, but eventually something clicked. In 2011, I was finally able to get clean and stay clean. My life began to change and I started to have hope for my future. I reconnected with my family and our relationship was improving. My daughter was born in 2013 and my life began to feel less aimless. I began taking classes at a community college in Maryland. Then, my daughter's father returned to active addiction and our relationship became toxic and abusive. My world began to feel small and hopeless again. I might have stayed in that shrinking existence if it hadn't been for my daughter. I didn't know if I deserved better, but I knew that she did. Shortly after her first birthday I had a moment of clarity in which I saw two paths unfolding before me. The first path involved me staying, probably returning to active addiction, and fast forwarding into a future in which my daughter, raised by addicts, grew up with generational trauma and a similarly bleak future. The second, more daunting path involved two actions that I was wholly unfamiliar with: asking for help, and acting on faith. I am eternally grateful that I chose the second path. I called my mom and asked if my daughter and I could come live with her in Georgia. I left behind everything I knew in Maryland with no idea how things would work out. Fortunately, things worked out better than I could have imagined. I completed a bachelors degree in environmental science in 2019 and have been working as an environmental scientist for state government. I learned how to love myself and eventually found a healthy relationship. We got married in 2022 and had a son in 2023. Recovery, family support, and self-worth transformed my life and inspired me to help others achieve similar change. My role as a mentor in twelve-step recovery over the last 14 years has taught me that I have a gift for helping women transform their lives. My past experience with starting over and multiple career changes has taught me that its never too late to learn something new. That is why I decided to pursue a master's degree in social work to become a therapist. As a full time working mother supporting a family while pursuing graduate school, this scholarship would ease financial strain and help me continue my education with less debt. More than financial assistance, it would represent an investment in my goal of helping women rebuild their lives and recognize their own potential for transformation.

As a woman who was not diagnosed with ADHD until later in life, and as the mother of a child with ADHD, I have learned that every person experiences the world differently. I have first hand experience with how challenging life can be without appropriate compassion, support, and understanding, and how life changing the proper support and accommodations can be. These experiences have contributed to my desire to pursue a career in social work and ultimately become a therapist. My goal is to provide meaningful support to individuals and families dealing with challenges related to mental health, trauma, developmental differences, and other special needs. One of the reasons I am drawn to this field is because I understand the isolation associated with being misunderstood, dismissed, and unsupported. I believe that my undiagnosed ADHD was a contributing factor to my substance abuse as a teenager and young adult. ADHD was often overlooked in girls of my generation and I knew my mind worked differently than that of my peers but I didn't understand why. Fortunately, today there is a lot more awareness about the ways ADHD symptoms can present differently in girls and my daughter was diagnosed with ADHD at age 12. Her diagnosis has enabled her to receive the support and accommodations she needs in school, and witnessing the positive impact of early understanding and intervention has strengthened my motivation to help others access that same kind of support and advocacy. Pursuing a degree in social work will move me toward my goal of building a career based in connection, empathy, and authenticity. As a future therapist, I hope to make a positive impact by helping people build confidence, develop coping skills, and feel empowered in their daily lives. I will draw from both my personal experience and continued education to help individuals with mental health challenges and special needs to feel less alone and more supported. I am especially passionate about supporting children, parents, and families struggling to navigate emotional, behavioral, and/or developmental challenges. Finding the right support system can make an enormous difference, not only for the individual receiving care, but for entire families. I aim to assist families and individuals in finding support systems appropriate to their individual needs. I want to be a therapist who creates safe spaces where people feel respected, heard, and valued. Ultimately, I want my work to reflect the belief that everyone deserves dignity, understanding, and the opportunity to thrive.