I wanted to show my daughters that anything is possible. I am a first generation college student in my family. My mother didn’t even finish high school. I wanted my daughters to look up to me & be proud of me. I already have my Associates in Arts and it took me 10 years to get it. Now I am working on my Associates in Science in Paralegal studies but my ultimate goal is to get a bachelors degree in legal studies or paralegal studies. I want to make my family proud that someone was able to achieve higher education in our family. Going back to school was hard as a single mother. I had to take a 5 year break because I had no one to watch my daughters for me to go to school at night. They are now older & can take care of themselves so in 2023 I went back for the summer term & was able to graduate with my Associates in Arts in December of 2024. It hasn’t always been easy & there were days I wanted to give up, days were I cried but in the end it was worth it to be proud of my self but also to make my family proud. I think a higher education as a woman is important and not all of us have a support system and sometimes we have to make sacrifices to make things happen. But as mothers and woman we figure it out. As the saying goes where there is a Will there is a way. I will never give up on my dreams or allow my daughters to give up on theirs. I don’t know if I’ll win this scholarship but I know I will continue working hard to achieve my goal and receiving my bachelors degree. As long as I have my mind set on it I can achieve it. Things are only impossible when we give up or do not try. We have to be our own motivation and our own cheerleader. It was hard being in a class with people out of high school or early 20’s as I am almost entering my 40’s and at first I was embarrassed but I am no longer feeling like I don’t belong. I have something to look prove to my self & those who said I couldn’t do it or I wouldn’t make it till the end.

I wanted to show my daughters that anything is possible. I am a first generation college student in my family. My mother didn’t even finish high school. I wanted my daughters to look up to me & be proud of me. I already have my Associates in Arts and it took me 10 years to get it. Now I am working on my Associates in Science in Paralegal studies but my ultimate goal is to get a bachelors degree in legal studies or paralegal studies. I want to make my family proud that someone was able to achieve higher education in our family. Going back to school was hard as a single mother. I had to take a 5 year break because I had no one to watch my daughters for me to go to school at night. They are now older & can take care of themselves so in 2023 I went back for the summer term & was able to graduate with my Associates in Arts in December of 2024. It hasn’t always been easy & there were days I wanted to give up, days were I cried but in the end it was worth it to be proud of my self but also to make my family proud. I think a higher education as a woman is important and not all of us have a support system and sometimes we have to make sacrifices to make things happen. But as mothers and woman we figure it out. As the saying goes where there is a Will there is a way. I will never give up on my dreams or allow my daughters to give up on theirs. I don’t know if I’ll win this scholarship but I know I will continue working hard to achieve my goal and receiving my bachelors degree. As long as I have my mind set on it I can achieve it. Things are only impossible when we give up or do not try. We have to be our own motivation and our own cheerleader. It was hard being in a class with people out of high school or early 20’s as I am almost entering my 40’s and at first I was embarrassed but I am no longer feeling like I don’t belong. I have something to look prove to my self & those who said I couldn’t do it or I wouldn’t make it till the end.