I find the most challenging aspect to be the lack of parental resources on campus and in the community for victims of domestic violence. I went back to school after a 10 year gap after escaping the horrors of domestic violence. I had to decide between financial luxury and comfort but putting both of us at risk of physical harm. Or I could decide to rough it on my own with no education,no money and no housing. This may appear at face value like an easy decision because most people want to be safe, but it was incredibly difficult. It has now been multiple years, but the repercussions of that decision are something I deal with every day. Unfortunately, life is not as if it were a movie, and instead of everyone supporting me and being able to move on, I instead experienced bullying, stalking, lawsuits, and blackmail. Friends who I thought were supportive of me,decided money was more important than our friendship and took bribes to tell my abuser my location. I was kicked out of my family's home for supposedly making the family look bad, and I began to start our life over. When I looked for resources,I didn't have internet or a path to resources and while some things are more accessible, they still aren't easy to find.   While,I can't say that I've healed due to emotional and physical wounds still present, I can say that I have proven to myself that I can do absolutely anything. I can get into an Ivy League, I can get a stable job, and I can be a pillar for change. I plan to go to law school because, in order to be the best mom I can be, I need to do what I love. I have learned that not a lot of things matter in life, such as titles. A law degree does not matter if I don't use it. Friendships don't matter if they are shallow or inauthentic. Family is not what makes a family if it is not non-judgmental and kind. Instead, time is important, creating a value system and following it is important, and becoming a lifelong learner is essential. By prioritizing these things in my life, I am modeling for my daughter what a healthy life is. With this scholarship, I can prioritize school and focus on my studies instead of working the 40-50 hours per week I have been doing. I hope to reduce my hours and be there for those small moments with my toddler daughter.  My family's future has been written by me and I write a new page in this future every day by being authentic. I have tried to combat the challenge of being a full time student with 19 units this semester,working and raising a daughter by looking for resources. However,there is a huge gap in this community of this type of resource. Often the few resources available have hoops to jump through like age requirements or police reports of DV and this is just not possible for most abused victims. I hope that this changes and that more empathy is used to create future organizations and resources. The time I have spent searching for help is not something I can gain back. With this scholarship,I will be gifted the aspect of time which is huge. We cannot get back or earn back time as we can with other resources and so this is a gift I would be very grateful for.  In conclusion, I paint an example for my daughter's future by showing her the true value of life and never, ever giving up. I show her that just because the situation looks bleak,there is always something better out there. I teach her to be strong and to never let somebody put their hands on you. I teach her that housing is something to be grateful for and that food sustains us. I teach her not to compare to others and to instead compare ourselves to who we want to be. I teach compassion, kindness, and change. While my words are fierce,my actions are stronger, and every day I put in the work to model these behaviors for her. With the help of the scholarship,I see myself giving our relationship the gift of time and focusing on what really matters: family.