Some of my earliest and fondest memories are of sitting at the kitchen table with my dad as he helped me with my math homework. My dad, who holds a master’s degree in mathematics, had a way of making even the most intimidating problems feel approachable and fun. He would patiently guide me through each equation, showing me how every number and variable fit together like pieces of a puzzle. Those evenings weren’t just about learning math—they were about learning how to think, reason, and find joy in solving problems. I come from a long line of bankers—three generations, in fact—and numbers have always been a part of my family’s story. But while banking runs in my blood, it was those evenings with my dad that truly sparked my love for math. He taught me that math isn’t just about formulas; it’s about discovery. Every problem presents a mystery waiting to be solved, and the satisfaction of finding the answer is deeply rewarding. Growing up, my generation often heard that girls weren’t as good at math as boys. That message created unnecessary fear and doubt among many girls, and I think it’s one of the reasons so many shy away from it. I never believed that stereotype, and I made it a personal goal to change that mindset—especially for my own daughters. My youngest daughter once resisted math with all her might. She saw it as something frustrating and confusing. But I remembered my dad’s lessons and decided to approach it the same way—with patience, encouragement, and creativity. Together, we started treating math like a game, especially algebra and word problems. We’d figure out what the variables stood for, almost like detectives solving a mystery. Slowly, her fear turned into curiosity, and now she loves math too. That transformation—both mine and hers—inspired me to pursue a career in accounting. To me, accounting is an extension of the same joy I found at the kitchen table all those years ago: solving problems, finding patterns, and making sense of numbers. Math has always been a part of who I am, and now it’s guiding me toward a future I truly love.

My life has been a journey of resilience, balance, and purpose. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Economics in just three years and began my career in commercial finance at age 21. By 2003, I was managing a $70 million portfolio of commercial loans and on track for continued success. But when I became a mother, my priorities shifted. I chose to step away from my corporate career to raise my two daughters full-time. Those years at home were both challenging and deeply meaningful. I was both mom and dad for many years, guiding my girls through life’s ups and downs while navigating my own. To provide for us financially, I created opportunities — first by opening a children’s boutique specializing in dance apparel, and later by running a garden design company. Both ventures required creativity, adaptability, and an entrepreneurial spirit. They gave me the flexibility to be present for my daughters while trying to maintain financial stability. Beyond business, I poured my heart into community service centered around my girls. I volunteered as Room Mom for nine consecutive years, assisted the Girl Scout troop leader, and worked with the PTA to improve our school. I helped restart the school’s long-abandoned garden program and led a fundraising effort that raised $25,000 for a new electronic sign. To sustain the project, I developed a Birthday Shout Out Program that celebrated students while covering the sign’s upkeep — a small idea that blossomed into a cherished school tradition. These experiences strengthened my belief that service and community connection create lasting impact. My path was far from easy. I survived years of spousal and financial abuse, which left me rebuilding my life from the ground up. On top of that, my first business partner committed fraud and stole from our company, forcing me to start over once again. Those painful experiences could have broken me, but instead, they became the foundation of my resilience. I learned how to rebuild with integrity, protect my independence, and lead with compassion. Later, being diagnosed with a rare white blood cell disorder, Cyclic Neutropenia, reminded me just how fragile — and valuable — life truly is. Through every setback, I refused to give up. Now, with both of my daughters in college, I’m beginning a new chapter of my own. I am pursuing an MBA with a concentration in accounting, as well as a master’s degree in accounting, with the goal of earning my CPA license. Balancing work, school, and motherhood is not easy, but it’s a challenge I embrace. I continue to help support all three of us through college while remaining present whenever my daughters need me. My experiences have taught me that success is not defined by a single career path, but by how we use our skills to serve others. I plan to use my education to help families and small businesses achieve financial stability, particularly those rebuilding their lives as I once did. This scholarship would help relieve the financial strain of returning to school and allow me to focus more on my studies and career goals. More than financial assistance, it would represent belief — belief in perseverance, in lifelong learning, and in the idea that it is never too late to rebuild, give back, and thrive.

My life has been a journey of balancing love, responsibility, and perseverance. Over the years, I have faced more challenges than I could have imagined — family trauma, unexpected hardships, and a diagnosis of a rare white blood cell disease that forced me to confront my own limits. For many years, I was both mom and dad to my two daughters, trying to give them the stability, encouragement, and love that every child deserves. Through every obstacle, I learned that strength isn’t about having an easy path — it’s about continuing forward with faith and purpose. When my daughters were young, I chose to pause my corporate finance career to raise them. To support our little family, I started two businesses — a children’s boutique specializing in dance apparel and later a garden design company. Both required long hours, resourcefulness, and creativity, but they gave me the flexibility to be present for my girls. I was there for homework, recitals, first dates and every moment they needed a steady hand. That time taught me that success is measured by more than income, but by presence, love, teamwork and resilience. I also poured my energy into their schools and our community. I volunteered as Room Mom for nine consecutive years, assisted with Girl Scouts, helped restart the school’s abandoned garden program and played a key role in raising $25,000 for a new electronic sign. To sustain it, I created a Birthday Shout Out Program that celebrated each child while covering the sign’s maintenance costs. Those experiences reminded me how small acts of service can bring joy and unity to others. Now, both of my daughters are in college — and so am I. We are all working toward our degrees, supporting and inspiring each other. Balancing work, school, and motherhood is challenging, but it fills me with pride. I continue to work to help support all three of us financially while staying present whenever my girls need me. This scholarship would help ease the financial pressure of this chapter, allowing me to focus on completing my MBA and master’s in accounting and, eventually, earning my CPA license. More than financial help, it would represent belief — belief in a mother who has fought hard to rebuild, who still shows up every day with hope and a smile, and who is determined to prove that it’s never too late to grow, to learn, and to thrive.

It’s a tale as old as time. A woman is ambitious and starts out her young career strong. She meets a man and they fall in love. His income surpasses hers. They have children, so she becomes a stay at home mom. The children are grown, the man is gone and the woman is no longer regarded in her field. In this particular story, that woman is me. After a twenty year corporate experience gap, I’m finding it difficult to step back into commercial finance. Although I spent 15 years owning and operating two successful small businesses while raising my daughters, my resume does not reflect the career focused, intelligent, ambitious person it did twenty years ago. After a year of analysis and reflection wondering what the difference was between the 21 year old college graduate who had no problem being hired by America’s largest bank, I decided to go back to the beginning and go back to school. Adding fresh college experience to my 25 years of professional and adult life experience will properly portray that I am still focused, competent and driven, with strong computer and communication skills. I was recently accepted into the Texas A&M - Corpus Christi MBA with a concentration in Accounting program. Once I complete the MBA program I plan to continue my education to earn a Masters in Accounting while preparing to sit for the CPA exams. I have 20-30 more years of strong work potential left in me and I am going to take advantage of every moment. There is a common idea suggesting that one year of work experience is lost for every year in a career gap. Under that misnomer, corporate hiring managers were looking at my resume as having a negative number of years of experience. As if I am a liability to a large company, not an asset. That’s not me. I am a stronger, smarter and more resilient person who will make a much better employee than I was 25 years ago. I am excited to bring my education and experience, even the knowledge gained during my career gap, to the table. My goal is to be a successful business woman that proudly returned to work after raising her kids. I want to prove that it can be done because every time a woman succeeds in business, she places a pebble in the path of a future woman in the business world. I will figure this out. I will be successful again for me, for my daughters and for future business women.

It’s a tale as old as time. A woman is ambitious and starts out her young career strong. She meets a man and they fall in love. His income surpasses hers. They have children, so she becomes a stay at home mom. The children are grown, the man is gone and the woman is no longer regarded in her field. In this particular story, that woman is me. After a twenty year corporate experience gap, I’m finding it difficult to step back into commercial finance. Although I spent 15 years owning and operating two successful small businesses while raising my girls, my resume does not reflect the career focused, intelligent, ambitious person it once did. After a year of analysis and reflection wondering what the difference was between the 21 year old college graduate who had no problem being hired by America’s largest bank, I decided to go back to the beginning. Adding fresh college experience to my 25 years of professional and life experience will convey that I am still focused, competent and driven with strong computer and communication skills. I was recently accepted into Texas A&M - Corpus Christi MBA with a concentration in Accounting program. Once I complete the MBA program I will continue my education to earn a Masters in Accounting while preparing to sit for the CPA exams. I have 20-30 more years of strong work potential left in me and I am going to take advantage of every moment. There is a common idea suggesting that one year of work experience is lost for every year in a career gap. Under that misnomer, corporate hiring managers were looking at my resume as having a negative number of years of experience. As if I am a liability to a large company, not an asset. That’s not me. I am a stronger, smarter and more resilient person who will make a much better employee than I was 25 years ago. I am excited to bring my education and experience, even the knowledge gained during my career gap, to the table. My goal is to be a successful business woman that proudly returned to work after raising her kids. I want to prove that it can be done because every time a woman succeeds in business, she places a pebble in the path of a future woman in the business world. I will figure this out. I will be successful again for me, for my daughters and for future business women.

It’s a tale as old as time. A woman is ambitious and starts out her young career strong. She meets a man and they fall in love. His income surpasses hers. They have children, so she becomes a stay at home mom. The children are grown, the man is gone and the woman is no longer regarded in her field. In this particular story, that woman is me. After a twenty year corporate experience gap, I’m finding it difficult to step back into commercial finance. Although I spent 15 years owning and operating two successful small businesses while raising my girls, my resume does not reflect the career focused, intelligent, ambitious person it once did. After a year of analysis and reflection wondering what the difference was between the 21 year old college graduate who had no problem being hired by America’s largest bank, I decided to go back to the beginning. Adding fresh college experience to my 25 years of professional and life experience will convey that I am still focused, competent and driven with strong computer and communication skills. I was recently accepted into Texas A&M - Corpus Christi MBA with a concentration in Accounting program. Once I complete the MBA program I will continue my education to earn a Masters in Accounting while preparing to sit for the CPA exams. I have 20-30 more years of strong work potential left in me and I am going to take advantage of every moment. There is a common idea suggesting that one year of work experience is lost for every year in a career gap. Under that misnomer, corporate hiring managers were looking at my resume as having a negative number of years of experience. As if I am a liability to a large company, not an asset. That’s not me. I am a stronger, smarter and more resilient person who will make a much better employee than I was 25 years ago. I am excited to bring my education and experience, even the knowledge gained during my career gap, to the table. My goal is to be a successful business woman that proudly returned to work after raising her kids. I want to prove that it can be done because every time a woman succeeds in business, she places a pebble in the path of a future woman in the business world. I will figure this out. I will be successful again for me, for my daughters and for future business women.