Society can empower women by only giving women the right to make decisions regarding their body. Men that are in positions to make laws and decisions should not have the power to make abortion, birth control, or any decisions regarding the female body. Men are not qualigied to understand what women go thru when making decisions regarding their choices of what they want to do with there body. To ensure these demands are met there needs to be seperate legislatures that are women that are designated to make the laws and decisitons regarding womens bodies and what right they have for certain decisions. Just as there are religious waivers you can sign to not vaccinate your children, there should be exceptions to the laws regarding womens bodies. Such exceptions could be religious reasons and health reasons. ANother problem that needs addressed is the expectation that all women want or need to have children. After I had my second child I requested to have my tubes tied but was told I wasnt old enough and didnt have enough children. Doctors should not have the right to make that decision, because we have the right to refuse treatment but not the right to decide if we are done having children. Many women are becoming more involved in the work force and are choosing their career over a family, or dont personally want children. The level of children that live at or below the poverty level is unacceptable yet they continue to tell women if you dont have 3 children or are over the age of 30 you can not be sterilized. If women were able to decide whether to have children or to stop having children after 1 or 2 because they know thats all they can financially afford the level of children in poverty could decrease. Birth controls are not 100% percent effective so even if women are using all protective measures against having children unexpected pregnancies can still happen. Women have come a long way with our rights and our freedom to be involved in many areas except our own bodies. I believe the changes I proposed above such as, women in legislature to make laws concerning womens bodies, certain exceptions for those laws be put in place, and giving women the freedom to decide how many if any children they desire and the choice to have permanent birth control such as a tubal ligation.

I have been a single mother since I had my first child at age 18, since then I have had two more children and continue to be a single mother. My kids are 9,7, and 2. Going to school and caring for my children and getting the older two to and from their activities is in complete honesty a job in its own that I don't even know how I manage some days. The main thing that keeps me going is the drive for a better life for them. There are many nights after bathes are taken, dinner served, homework done, and bedtime stories read that I am up until 2 in the morning finishing up homework or doing that load of laundry with the football jersey that's needed for the game tomorrow. Sometimes I feel as though I manage it all because I am strong, other times I feel as though I'm in survival mode with adrenaline. Through all of it though knowing that the outcome is going to be beneficial for not only myself but more importantly my children is what keeps me going. Finances had been a very large reason why I had not gone back to school earlier in life. I always planned to go back when the oldest two were in school but then I had the baby and felt like that was the end of my career goals. Looking back and reflecting on my past I realize it wasn't the kids or the need to work it was my pride. I never have been one to ask for help I always felt as though they were my kids and my responsibility and even though their fathers do not pay child support or engage in their life that was my fault as well for not being pickier with who I had children with. With the pandemic of 2020 and having to take a leave of absence when the kids were unable to go to school I had to put my pride to the side and find a way to keep a roof over my children's head and food on the table. I began to reach out to every government and private resource I could find to help me make ends meet as I didn't have a savings because of living paycheck to paycheck. I found enough assistance to financially be ok and finally decided to take that leap of faith and enroll back in school. I am not working currently as 3 kids and being in college full time takes up all of my time so I rely on assistance through the government which as my dad reminds me weekly, "that's what its there for kid, people that need it like you not people that take advantage of it." Even though my pride is to the side and i still struggle with having to use assistance I feel better when i remember why I need it and that it will give my children the future they deserve. My first semester I got very overwhelmed with school, family, and personal issues and had what some would consider a mental breakdown. I failed one class and dropped one and was put on financial aide probation. I felt as though all hope was lost because without my financial aide I would not be able to continue with my education. After talking to my dad, who is my best friend and biggest supporter, I started seeing a therapist weekly, who then referred me to a psychiatrist. I was diagnosed with bipolar 2 with manic and depressive episodes along with 4 other mental health conditions. I have since gotten the right medication regimen figured out and passed my classes this last semester with D's or higher which was the requirement to keep my financial aide. Before I went to the therapist I considered dropping out because I felt as though I failed, not only with school but as a mother, daughter, and as a person in general. I will forever be grateful for the people that stuck by my side and the medical professionals that helped me realize my strength and that I can still achieve my goals as well as engraving in my mind that quitting is not an option. My motivation and greatest challenges are 2 in 1, my children. Every morning that i wake up and they get up with the tired look in their eyes and come cuddle with me it motivates me to get dressed, be productive, and take on as much of the world as I can for that day. They didn't choose or ask to live a low income life style based off the choices me and their fathers made, one of my my biggest motivators is to give them the life they deserve and set them up to be successful, contributing members of society. All I strive for in life is to teach them to do better than I did. The greatest challenge with my children is finding time to equally balance school, household duties, motherly duties and quality bonding time. I feel as though sometimes they get put to the side with everything else that is required of me as a single mother. I have now found a routine that seems to be working well for time management and that was one of the biggest challenges I have ever had to accomplish was being involved in so many things at once and exceling at them. The most rewarding part of furthering my education is showing my kids that no matter what life throws at you, you can always accomplish your dreams. With my oldest part of our bonding time is doing homework together and talking about our day and if I can get him to sit still the youngest loves to color while we do homework. My 7 year old girl is a horror movie fanatic like I am so popcorn and a good scary movie completes both of our days.

My experience with mental health has personally effected me and has effected a loved one. Last year during my first semester in college I had what some would call a mental breakdown. I felt like I was losing myself inside my head but didn't know where to turn. Being a single mother to 3 young children I knew I needed to find someone to talk to so I researched therapist in my area, found one who appeared to be a good match and scheduled an appointment. My first meeting with her I found myself very nervous to open up and admit that I needed help but by the end I had a referral to a psychiatrist and weekly therapy scheduled. Knowing that someone understood when I explained how I was feeling and was willing to help me through it took a huge weight off my chest. Within the next week or two I had my first appointment with my psychiatrist and was diagnosed with bipolar 2, along with 6 other diagnosis's. It felt good to know there was a medical reason for the way I was feeling after trial and error we found a medication regimen that has been a life changer. At my first therapy appointment she told me we needed to come up with a plan to help me or else I would be in jail or committed to a psychiatric facility. Looking back on it now I appreciate her honesty and helping me change the path I was going down. My youngest Childs father is an addict. Alcoholism runs in his family and everyone's feeling on addiction differ but I am a firm believer that addiction is a mental health issue. For 16 years he has been an addict and even though most of the time he can still maintain a functional lifestyle he is an angry and violent person when he is intoxicated. I have been there through psychiatric ward stays, crisis center stays, and 3 suicide attempts. Watching someone I loved struggle with demons so powerful that I couldn't understand them was one of the hardest things I have done in my life. I tried multiple times to get him to sober up, want better for himself, and see the potential in himself that I saw in him but all that taught me was you cannot help someone that doesn't want to help themselves. His addiction and my untreated mental health issues ultimately tore our family apart. The love we have for each other never changed but the toxicity of our relationship caused my our mental issues were starting to land him in legal trouble and that was not fair to him so I choose to love him and myself enough separately to go on my own way. We both needed the time apart to work on our personal issues because no matter how much we loved each other our relationship was always going to be toxic unless we both changed and grew as people separately before trying to grow together. The challenges he has faced in the past when trying to get help has directly influenced my career goals. One of my long term goals is to own an inpatient rehabilitation treatment center where the ability to pay wont affect the availability of treatment. After seeing my childs father get turned down for having insurance and then months later when he no longer had insurance get turned down for not having insurance at the same facility opened my eyes to changes that need to be made. I never want another family member of an addict or and addict themselves to feel or see the look of defeat that I saw on his face when he got denied. Every person with an addiction who is willing to ask for and receive help should be able to have access to it. Asking for help and admitting you have a problem is a hard enough challenge on its own without having to worry about if you meet all the requirements to get accepted. When you go to the hospital they don't turn you away because of your ability to pay or because you don't match the requirements they are looking for and mental health should be treated the same. Mental and physical health are directly related to each other but physical health is widely accepted as being important whereas mental health has a stigma around it. My short term goal is to finish my Associates degree RN in August of 2022 then take a year off to work and build up a savings before returning to get my Bachelors degree. My other long term goal, which I am still researching the legal aspects and degrees needed, is to open a "one stop shop." Essentially I want to own my own clinic where I am my patients psychiatrist, therapist, addiction specialist if needed, and general family doctor. I feel as though it would improve patient care to have one doctor that knows you head to toe and inside and out. When you are referred out to multiple different doctors communication can be misinterpreted or overlooked resulting in potentially fatal errors. Owning my own clinic that addresses all my patients need would help them trust me as their provider and provide the opportunity for errors to be avoided. If I can have a positive impact on the healthcare field that would be a dream come true but if I can change one persons life, let one person know someone cares, or give someone the second chance at life that I have gotten to experience then everything I have been through and the years of schooling are all worth it. My childs father has voluntarily started intensive outpatient treatment, anger management, addiction therapy, mental health therapy, and alcoholics anonymous and has almost 3 months sober. We are working on putting our family back together and learning about each other now that we both are still actively working on ourselves.

My experience with mental health has personally effected me and has effected a loved one. Last year during my first semester in college I had what some would call a mental breakdown. I felt like I was losing myself inside my head but didn't know where to turn. Being a single mother to 3 young children I knew I needed to find someone to talk to so I researched therapist in my area, found one who appeared to be a good match and scheduled an appointment. My first meeting with her I found myself very nervous to open up and admit that I needed help but by the end I had a referall to a psyciatrist and weekly therapy scheduled. Knowing that someone understood when I explained how I was feeling and was willing to help me through it took a huge weight off my chest. Within the next week or two I had my first appointment with my psychiatrist and was diagnosed with bipolar 2, along with 6 other diagnosisis It felt good to know there was a medical reason for the way I was feeling after trial and error we found a medication regimen that has been a life changer. At my first therapy appointment she told me we needed to come up with a plan to help me or else I would be in jail or committed to a psychiatric facility. Looking back on it now I appreciate her honesty and helping me change the path I was going down. My youngest Childs father is an addict. Alcoholism runs in his family and everyone's feeling on addiction differ but I am a firm believer that addiction is a mental health issue. For 16 years he has been an addict and even though most of the time he can still maintain a functional lifestyle he is an angry and violent person when he is intoxicated. I have been there through psychiatric ward stays, crisis center stays, and 3 suicide attempts. Watching someone I loved struggle with demons so powerful that I couldn't understand them was one of the hardest things I have done in my life. I tried multiple times to get him to sober up, want better for himself, and see the potential in himself that I saw in him but all that taught me was you cannot help someone that doesn't want to help themselves. His addiction and my untreated mental health issues ultimately tore our family apart. The love we have for each other never changed but the toxicity of our relationship caused my our mental issues were starting to land him in legal trouble and that was not fair to him so I choose to love him and myself enough separately to go on my own way. We both needed the time apart to work on our personal issues because no matter how much we loved each other our relationship was always going to be toxic unless we both changed and grew as people separately before trying to grow together. The challenges he has faced in the past when trying to get help has directly influenced my career goals. One of my long term goals is to own an inpatient rehabilitation treatment center where the ability to pay wont affect the availability of treatment. After seeing my childs father get turned down for having insurance and then months later when he no longer had insurance get turned down for not having insurance at the same facility opened my eyes to changes that need to be made. I never want another family member of an addict or and addict themselves to feel or see the look of defeat that I saw on his face when he got denied. Every person with an addiction who is willing to ask for and receive help should be able to have access to it. Asking for help and admitting you have a problem is a hard enough challenge on its own without having to worry about if you meet all the requirements to get accepted. When you go to the hospital they don't turn you away because of your ability to pay or because you don't match the requirements they are looking for and mental health should be treated the same. Mental and physical health are directly related to each other but physical health is widely accepted as being important whereas mental health has a stigma around it. My short term goal is to finish my Associates degree RN in August of 2022 then take a year off to work and build up a savings before returning to get my Bachelors degree. My other long term goal, which I am still researching the legal aspects and degrees needed, is to open a "one stop shop." Essentially I want to own my own clinic where I am my patients psychiatrist, therapist, addiction specialist if needed, and general family doctor. I feel as though it would improve patient care to have one doctor that knows you head to toe and inside and out. When you are referred out to multiple different doctors communication can be misinterpreted or overlooked resulting in potentially fatal errors. Owning my own clinic that addresses all my patients need would help them trust me as their provider and provide the opportunity for errors to be avoided. If I can have a positive impact on the healthcare field that would be a dream come true but if I can change one persons life, let one person know someone cares, or give someone the second chance at life that I have gotten to experience then everything I have been through and the years of schooling are all worth it. My childs father has voluntarily started intensive outpatient treatment, anger management, addiction therapy, mental health therapy, and alcoholics anonymous and has almost 3 months sober. We are working on putting our family back together and learning about each other now that we both are still actively working on ourselves.

I am a 27 year old single mother to 3 amazing children, my oldest is 9, my middle is 7, and the youngest is 2. I grew up in Houston Texas but after having the older two children I moved to Lincoln Nebraska for more family support. Unfortunately the support was not what I expected and the excitement of helping with the children soon wore off, so as of now I have no family support. My older two go to Trinity Lutheran School for elementary, which I am extremely grateful has a scholarship program otherwise I wouldn't be able to afford to send them to a private school. The biggest factor for me putting them in private school was that I grew u in the church and although I try I do not make it to church service as often as I would like. My children knowing God was still a very important core value I wanted instilled in them. Hearing them tell me about what they have learned, seeing the way they treat others because they have learned to love thy neighbor, and the small class sizes that have turned into extended family have exceeded my expectations. My short term goal career wise is to get my RN Associates degree, take off a year to work and save up money, then complete my Bachelors degree. My long term goal, which I am still researching the degrees needed and if it is legally able to be achieved, is to open a "one stop shop." Essentially what it would be would a clinic where I am the psychiatrist, therapist, general doctor, and if needed addiction specialist for my patients. I have always aspired and dreamed of being in the health care field, but as I have aged and started doing my appointments on my own I don't like being referred out to different doctors for everything. When you are referred out and you begin to have different doctors on your plan of care notes may be miscommunicated or not communicated at all or something could be overlooked and missed. I have battled with my own mental health issues and just recently have found a medication regimen that works for me. I am a firm believer that mental health is just as important as physical health because they go hand in hand. I want my patients to feel confident in the care they are receiving and to personally know my patients head to toe and inside out. My future plan to give back to the community and others is to own a inpatient rehab center. With my other goals I would not have the time to personally work there full time but I want a place where the ability to pay doesn't dictate if you receive help. I have been personally affected my alcoholism and watched my loved one try to get into treatment centers and be denied for multiple different reasons. Admitting you need help and willing to get the help is a big first step, I want a place where the first step is always approved when they come to my facility. Addiction issues not only affect the individual but their families and children as well. Every child deserves to have sober parents that can adequately care for them and even if I cant help every addict even helping one person capture their potential and change their life it will all be worth it. The most exciting thing about this world to me is the endless possibilities. In the past I was a Debbie downer who had every excuse to why I couldn't be as successful, skinny, smart as the next person. I have since realized the only person holding me back from achieving everything I want and desire in life is myself. I feel like realizing that and getting my mental health stabilized has given me a second chance at life and to be the daughter, mother, and friend I always knew I could be. I am excited every semester when school starts to not only be one step closer to having my degree but to learn something new or some interesting fact I can share with my children.

The most challenging problem I have faced being a single mother and a full time student is finances and time management. Between the everyday activities of taking kids to school, extracurricular activities for the kids in the evening, motherly duties and homework I feel as though quality time with my children are limited. We see each other every day but quality bonding time to talk about our days and things they are going thru is severely limited. My oldest son is 9 and the closest to quality time we achieve is doing our homework together. My second oldest is my 7 year old daughter and we get our quality time driving to and from her gymnastics practice. My youngest is 2 and our only bonding time is bedtime during bath and reading a bedtime story. Financial hardship comes from living on my own since I was 17 and having my oldest child at 18. I originally was a waitress working overnights to support my oldest and then after having my daughter I moved from Houston Texas to Lincoln Nebraska to be closer to family and have more support. The added support did help me achieve my Certificate of a Certified Nursing Assistant but the excitement of having me and my children around soon wore off. As of now I have no family support and have had to put my pride to the side as I found government assistance to help me through the pandemic when I had to take a leave of absence from my job due to kids not having school. It was during that time that I got to be home with them more and make memories that will last a lifetime I decided I was done living the way we were. They deserved so much more and with the assistance I am receiving along with loans from financial aide I am able to go to school and not work. Working and going to school was unrealistic for me because of the amount of kids I had and having no family to help watch them and not being able to afford a babysitter. This scholarship would help me finish my dream of being a RN and then continuing on in the medical field. With the assistance and loans I have now we are able to keep a roof over our head and food on the table, but money is extremely tight. I have to budget every gallon of gas and hope I have enough diapers to make it through the month. I know the struggles I am going through now, even though the kids don't understand why they cant do certain things their friends are, will provide the future they deserve and I desire to give them. My short term goals are my Associates degree RN which I will complete August of 2022 and then after a year of working and trying to save money, going back to get my Bachelors. My long term goal, which I am still trying to figure out how to accomplish it degree wise and legally if its possible, is to open a "one stop shop." What that would entail is i want my patients to be able to come to me for psychiatric needs, therapy, addiction issues, as well as their primary doctor. I believe knowing my patients from their mental to physical health and giving them one trusted provider instead of being referred out to a different place for each problem would improve healthcare. Mental and physical health is tied together and my main goal with my career is to make a difference, show my patients I care and be an advocate for them all while giving them the best care that is possible.

The biggest role model in my life is my dad. He is marine veteran and a project manager for an oil company who has had many obstacles but has always overcome then. Much like myself my dad had his first two children young. He worked two jobs to support them, as well as going to night school for welding, so their mother could be home with them. He is a very strong willed, good hearted, honest man. When he went through his first divorce he never spoke poorly of his ex wife to their children and continued to support his kids. When him and my mother had me he married her when I was 7 to set a good example for me as to how a family is. When I was in 5th grade he sacrificed being home every night to travel for work as it paid better and he always wanted the best life for me. Even with him not being home every night he called me every day and sometimes multiple times a day just to check and see how I was. He came home on average one weekend a month and that whole weekend took me and my mom to do family things, something as little as going to get ice cream after dinner, or going out and about shopping and lunch. My favorite memory of our bonding time was when we would go get ice cream just the two of us and drive down back roads just talking about life. My dad has been my biggest supporter and best friend as far back as I can remember. He has always taught me to work hard, never give up, and no matter what else is going on your family and your children always come first. Even to this day when I have a problem and I need advice that isn't going to be sugar coated I call my dad. He may not always tell me what I want to hear but I know everything he tells me is out of love and wanting the best for me. Even when it comes to my children he treats them as if they were his own since they have fathers that aren't involved in their lives. I heard a song called "half the man" and it was about if the woman singing finds a man that's half the man that her daddy is she will be a lucky girl because her dad set the bar high. Every time I listen to that song I think of my dad, he has shown me that I deserve the best and to be treated with respect. He has also taught me that no one is going to just give you hand outs and whatever you want in this life you have to work hard for and put in the time and effort to achieve it. One thing he has always told me is " no one is holding you back from your dreams and the life you want to live except yourself." It took me a while to understand exactly what he meant but now that I'm older and understand I realize he is exactly right. I have used the lessons my dad taught me to never give up even when times get hard and you feel like theres no hope, you just have to keep pushing. He used to tell me, when I would call him crying because I felt like I was failing at life, that if you fail at life it means your dead and your still breathing so you havent failed. My dad has taught me how to be a good person and even though I may fall short sometimes I try every day to use the honesty, respect, love, and being a good human being to everyone I encounter. All these lessons he has taught me have made it possible to have the mindset to further my education and be as great as I know I can. I know that I can accomplish my life's goals and dreams and will make it through all the hard times because of the lessons he has instilled in me. Paying it forward has different areas as far as how I feel it would be best paid forward. To pay it forward to my dad my main goal is to show him I succeeded and to make him proud, because of my struggles being a single mother of 3, starting at age 18 one of his biggest fears is him passing away without knowing I'm ok and that I accomplished what I needed to to give me and my kids the best life. With my career goals I want to pay it forward by being a medical professional that actually cares. I have encountered to many nurses, doctors, and other medical personal that seem to only do it for the check, I want to me in the medical field to make a difference the same way my dad made a difference in my life. My children are one of my biggest motivators, between giving them the life they deserve and showing them no matter what obstacles come your way you can still accomplish your dreams, and for them being my motivation I want to pay it forward by being financially stable enough to help them through college and in a dream world buy their first car and pay for their college so they can begin their future debt free. As far as the community I want to set up a scholarship fund for children's of the military and for single mothers and the children of single mothers. Both of those are areas which I have personal experience and to help others that are in the same situation would make me feel as though i had succeeded in life.

I have been a single mother since I had my first child at age 18, since then I have had two more children and continue to be a single mother. My kids are 9,7, and 2. Going to school and caring for my children and getting the older two to and from their activities is in complete honesty a job in its own that I don't even know how I manage some days. The main thing that keeps me going is the drive for a better life for them. There are many nights after bathes are taken, dinner served, homework done, and bedtime stories read that I am up until 2 in the morning finishing up homework or doing that load of laundry with the football jersey that's needed for the game tomorrow. Sometimes I feel as though I manage it all because I am strong, other times I feel as though I'm in survival mode with adrenaline. Through all of it though knowing that the outcome is going to be beneficial for not only myself but more importantly my children is what keeps me going. Finances had been a very large reason why I had not gone back to school earlier in life. I always planned to go back when the oldest two were in school but then I had the baby and felt like that was the end of my career goals. Looking back and reflecting on my past I realize it wasn't the kids or the need to work it was my pride. I never have been one to ask for help I always felt as though they were my kids and my responsibility and even though their fathers do not pay child support or engage in their life that was my fault as well for not being pickier with who I had children with. With the pandemic of 2020 and having to take a leave of absence when the kids were unable to go to school I had to put my pride to the side and find a way to keep a roof over my children's head and food on the table. I began to reach out to every government and private resource I could find to help me make ends meet as I didn't have a savings because of living paycheck to paycheck. I found enough assistance to financially be ok and finally decided to take that leap of faith and enroll back in school. I am not working currently as 3 kids and being in college full time takes up all of my time so I rely on assistance through the government which as my dad reminds me weekly, "that's what its there for kid, people that need it like you not people that take advantage of it." Even though my pride is to the side and i still struggle with having to use assistance I feel better when i remember why I need it and that it will give my children the future they deserve. My first semester I got very overwhelmed with school, family, and personal issues and had what some would consider a mental breakdown. I failed one class and dropped one and was put on financial aide probation. I felt as though all hope was lost because without my financial aide I would not be able to continue with my education. After talking to my dad, who is my best friend and biggest supporter, I started seeing a therapist weekly, who then referred me to a psychiatrist. I was diagnosed with bipolar 2 with manic and depressive episodes along with 4 other mental health conditions. I have since gotten the right medication regimen figured out and passed my classes this last semester with D's or higher which was the requirement to keep my financial aide. Before I went to the therapist I considered dropping out because I felt as though I failed, not only with school but as a mother, daughter, and as a person in general. I will forever be grateful for the people that stuck by my side and the medical professionals that helped me realize my strength and that I can still achieve my goals as well as engraving in my mind that quitting is not an option. My motivation and greatest challenges are 2 in 1, my children. Every morning that i wake up and they get up with the tired look in their eyes and come cuddle with me it motivates me to get dressed, be productive, and take on as much of the world as I can for that day. They didn't choose or ask to live a low income life style based off the choices me and their fathers made, one of my my biggest motivators is to give them the life they deserve and set them up to be successful, contributing members of society. All I strive for in life is to teach them to do better than I did. The greatest challenge with my children is finding time to equally balance school, household duties, motherly duties and quality bonding time. I feel as though sometimes they get put to the side with everything else that is required of me as a single mother. I have now found a routine that seems to be working well for time management and that was one of the biggest challenges I have ever had to accomplish was being involved in so many things at once and exceling at them. The most rewarding part of furthering my education is showing my kids that no matter what life throws at you, you can always accomplish your dreams. With my oldest part of our bonding time is doing homework together and talking about our day and if I can get him to sit still the youngest loves to color while we do homework. My 7 year old girl is a horror movie fanatic like I am so popcorn and a good scary movie completes both of our days.

My experience with smartphones has changed over the years as I have grown and matured and aged. When they first came out I always wanted the newest one or the most popular one almost as a status symbol. I had all the social medias that were so easily accessible through the phones. Looking back though the smartphone and the capabilities it had were not entirely beneficial and began to consume my life. About a year ago I began to have family and relationship issues and found myself turning to social media to vent or get opinions instead of a trusted friend because I knew someone out their would agree with me. Looking back though it doesn't matter if a stranger on the internet agrees with me or not, their not personally involved with my life and could care less with what I'm going through. All the social media post did was contribute to more arguments and more issues in my personal life. I believe if social media wasn't so easily accessible I would have not made so many post and had my personal life out on the internet for the world to judge. Since then I have deleted all social media and put all the effort I was putting into making post into my relationships, my children, and my education. There are benefits to smart phones though, the GPS really helps directionally challenged people like myself, as well as being able to check the weather, or having google accessible at your fingertips for a question you may not know the answer to. The pros and cons though can be different depending on who is using the smartphone. Some people are notorious for texting and driving and that can be dangerous if not fatal. The smartphone I have has a setting that when you are driving and it is hooked up to your car it will not alert you of text or calls or allow you to call or text anyone. I feel as though since using that setting I have became a safer driver. Before finding that setting I was one that texted and drove and have even totaled a car because of it, luckily no one was injured. It was a huge wake up call to me about the dangers of not only texting and driving but and type of distraction while driving. Not only is it your life and safety at hand but the other drivers that are on the road as well. I believe smartphones were a beneficial invention that if used properly and with the right settings are safe and effective.

In 2020 I learned about the importance of family and taking time to smell the roses. With being a 27 year old single mother of 3 working and providing financially for my family was my main priority. I took a leave of absence from work when the pandemic started since my children had to be at home and they are only9,7, and 2. At first all my worries were how to keep a roof over my kids heads and food on the table. Along with the worries though came determination. I reached out to every possible government assistance I could find and found the assistance I needed to make sure my kids were taken care of. With being out of work and having the assistance I needed I decided it was finally time to further my education after making excuses as to why I couldn't afford to go back. Instead of looking for resources in the past I let my pride get the best of me and continued to live paycheck to paycheck. Looking back though my kids and myself deserve better than that and it made me realize the only thing stopping me from my dreams is myself. Also, being home with my kids without the everyday task of going to work brought us closer through much needed quality time. I learned things about my children I hadn't thought to ask before and what their likes and dislikes were. The bond that was created through being home with them and the effect seeing me reach for my goals in school has had an effect on me and my family that would never have happened without 2020. I'll remember going to the park, the popcorn and movie nights, and cuddling at night reading bedtime stories instead of the auto pilot bathe, dinner, homework, cleaning routine we were in. You don't realize the things your missing out on until their are right in your face or how strong you are until being strong is your only choice. I will forever be thankful for 2020 for blessing me with the time I would have not had with my children without 2020, for helping me realize my potential, how strong I am, and how successful I can be when my back is against the wall. My future goals and ambitions are the light at the end of the tunnel and I can finally see the light.

My greatest achievement to date is going back to school despite all the obstacles. I am a single mother of 3 who had her first child at 18. I am 27 with a 9,7, and 2 year old. I always figured I would start college when the older two went to school but then I had the baby and for the longest time I figured that was the end of my dreams. I didn't see how I could work and go to school full time. Eventually though thru a ton of research on government assistance and financial aide I now go to school full time and do not work. With me not working though we have to stick to a very tight budget and sometimes my children have to understand or accept that they cant go do all the things their friends can or go to every birthday party they are invited too. My experience as a young single mother who is going back to school as a older than typical college student has taught me that I'm stronger than I think. It has been harder then I could explain to anyone to get to where I am now, even though it's not where I want to be there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel. I also suffered a mental breakdown my first semester of college and got diagnosed with bipolar 2 along with other mental issues. When that happened I felt as though it was a sign that I was not going to be able to do it. I failed one class my first semester and dropped another an felt hopeless. That in turn put me on financial aide probation and this semester that just finished I was required to pass all my classes with a D to keep my financial aide which was a struggle for me in two of my classes but I did it. Keeping my financial aide and succeeding in passing my classes made me realize that I am smart enough to finish school and to provide the future my kids deserve. My short term future goal is to finish my Associates degree in nursing as a RN and then work for a year to get the year experience I need for travel nursing before going back and getting my Bachelors in nursing. My long term goal which I am still researching which degrees I will need and how to accomplish it is to open a "one stop shop" clinic. I want to be my patients psychiatrist, therapist, addiction specialist, and general doctor. I feel as though it would be beneficial to my patients if I knew and treated them from their mental to physical health without having to refer them out. I was to raise awareness and normalize mental health as being just as important as physical health since they go hand in hand.

The pandemic required my to spend more time with my children and required me to take time off from work to be home with them. Originally I looked at being out of work as a negative since I was a CNA and was missing out on overtime and bonuses, which, as a single mother of 3 is crucial to our living situation. Looking back at it though the months I got to spend with my children no amount of money could compare. I learned so much about who they are and their interest. With them getting older and the crazy hours I was working we existed in the same household but never got quality time. They are 9,7, and 2 and are growing into such amazing people. By the time I got off work and they got home from school it was like auto pilot, cook dinner, bathes, homework, bedtime. Being home with them we got to go to the park, watch movies, learn about the video games my son likes, and do my daughters nails. It opened my eyes to how quickly we can get stuck in auto pilot and lose track of what's important. The time I spent with them has changed our relationship as well, they opened up to me about struggles they were having and things they were going thru and now we are closer than ever. The two year old has bonded with me ways he hadn't before because of all the extra snuggles and books read to him that we either didn't have time for before or wasn't a priority, which has since changed even with things opening back up The pandemic changed my priorates and showed me making sure I picked up every available shift and that my house was spotless isn't what's important. My job would replace me within a week if I quite and my house is never going to be perfect, but the moments with my children are something I will never get back. Now instead of vacuuming every night or having all the laundry done before I go to bed we take that time to read a book, go play outside, or have a popcorn and movie night.

My composition 1 teacher, Eric Sack, made learning to write essays and understand literature almost enjoyable. English class has never been my strong area and I dreaded having to take composition 1 and 2 for my degree but with his leadership I looked forward to composition 2 class and even had him as my professor again. Any time I had a question or didn't understand something he was always more than willing to help without making me feel stupid or as though it was a dumb question. I also had some family issues I was dealing with during my first semester in his class and he was always very flexible and there for me if something came up. He showed that he is human too and just because he is a professor he is not better than his students and can relate to real life issues. The other thing I enjoyed about his classes was the group discussions. Any topic that his students wanted to discuss each week we had a pair of topic leaders, their job was to find an article and the rest of the class was to write a journal entry on it and then at the end of the week we would have a class discussion. That really helped me get over my social anxiety of speaking up in class and by the end of composition 2 I was fully comfortable speaking up. Eric Sack made me realize that even though a subject is not my strong suite I can still excel in it and am smart enough to learn the material. He also taught me it's ok not to know something and to ask a question or speak up in class and be involved. He showed me I'm not in college merely to pass and graduate unnoticed I'm their to learn and be an actively involved student, and that no question is a dumb question.

My greatest drive in life can be summed up in two words, my children. They have pushed me to not only go back to school to create the life they deserve but also to change and become a better person. Being a single mom is an obstacle I have faced for almost 9 years, as my oldest child is 9, but I wouldnt change it for the world. I have 3 children, 2 boys ages 9 and 2, and a 7 year old girl. They are my biggest headache and blessing, but even after a hard day of life not going how I need it to or being frustrated because I just can't fully grasp a concept in one of my classes, their hugs and telling me I am going to be amazing at helping people makes all the frustration and worries fade away. My oldest sons biggest dream is to play in the NFL and he told me seeing me go back to school at 27 encourages him to shoot for the moon. One of my sayings I have told them since I was little was shoot for the moon and even if you don't make it youll still land in the stars My inspiration in life though would have to be my dad. He has traveled for work since I was in 5th grade so I only saw him one weekend a month if that, but he always made sure I was taken care of and knew he was there if I needed him. To this day my dad is my best friend and the one I turn to for advice. I have let him down more times that I can count in the past and want to show him that I am gonna be ok without him one day when his time comes and to make him proud. His biggest fear with me that he has expressed is his worry that I wont be financially ok when he passes as he is getting older. I want to show him that I noticed how hard he worked to take care of me and his other children and that I can do the same for my kids. He drives me to be half the parent he was because in my eyes he was the poster man for a dad.

I could benefit greatly from this scholarship as I am a single mother of 3 who is currently getting by from government assistance because being a full time mother with 2 children in school and a toddler and going to college with no family support takes up all my time so I am unable to work. I also have a few mental health diagnosis that I am currently trying to find the right medication combination for which requires frequent doctors appoitments incuding therapy. My personal reason for wanting to finish college is to provide a better life for me and my children and show them no matter how old you are, as I am 27 years old, or your circumstances you can achieve whatever you desire. My career wise reason for finishing college is to be that one person who makes a difference and can show a patient that someone cares about them even if they feel like no one does.

I knew I have wanted to be a nurse and help others since about middle school, only recently though have I figured exactly how I want to do that and am still researching exactly what degrees I will need. I am currently in the Associate RN program at Southeast Community College and plan on transferring to a university for my Bachelors. In between my Associates degree and Bachelors degree I would like to work in a doctors office for a year to get the year experience you need for travel nursing, then go for my Bachelors. My end dream is to open a "one stop shop" were I can know my patients from their mental to physical health. I want to have it be a therapy, psychiatrist and general doctors office. My main reason for wanting to address my patients mental health instead of sending them elsewhere is because I feel as though your mental and physical health go hand in hand. I myself am diagnosed with bipolar 2 along with other mental health conditions and the before and after of being in treatment and getting on the correct medications has been night and day in who I am. My mental health was affecting my physical health by having days where I wouldn't sleep, then days where I couldnt get out of bed. My goal is to being awareness and acceptance to mental health just as there is for physical health. I am also a single mother of 3 kids who want them to grow up with a better healthcare system then is currently in place. I have been cared for by nurses that genuinely love their job and care about their patients and nurses that are only doing it for the paycheck. I want to be the person that when caring for someone they know I genuinely care and make a difference for them.