Being a parent has been one of the greatest and most fulfilling aspects of my life. It has shown me a kind of love that I have never felt before. It has also given me a different perspective on life. My inspiration to succeed is so I can provide the best possible future for my son. I am advancing my education by pursuing my degree in dental hygiene. Completing this degree will give me the stability needed to take care of my family financially. In 2010, I became a licensed registered dental assistant and graduated from Grand Rapids Community College with an associates degree. I decided to pursue my profession to the next level by returning to college in 2018. While working towards my goal in becoming a dental hygienist I received the greatest news, I was pregnant. On March 22, 2019 I delivered my son Louis. I had some complications following my delivery and after many procedures I received devastating news, my ability to conceive another child of my own was no longer an option. I was devastated but soon came to realize that my son was a miracle, and I will forever be grateful to have him as my own. From that moment on I knew what I needed to do. I wanted to give my son the best possible future and I wanted to show him that anything is possible with dedication. During the last 3 years I have pushed through a lot of late-night study session. I have now completed my first year in the dental hygiene program at Lansing Community College. Getting my degree in dental hygiene and becoming licensed will open many financial opportunities. I will have the ability to secure a higher income which will give my son more opportunities for his future and education. This will also create more financial independence for myself, which will give me satisfaction that I can provide a better future for my family. 14 years in the dental field has taught me so much but I am ready to advance my career. This scholarship will help me make a dream a reality. This last year has been hard financially because I am unable to work due to the high work load required for this full time program. The struggle will be worth it though because in the end it will better my life for my family. Thank you for your time and consideration.

If I had $1,000 right now I would use this to purchase my scrubs and uniforms needed for my dental hygiene program. I would also use this for purchasing of books, equipment required and transportation. Over the next two years I will be driving 45 minutes to school both ways for up to 5 days a week. I live in Ionia County which does not have a college. Any college that I could attend I will be paying out of district costs. Up until now I have worked full time, however now the program I am in will not allow time to maintain my job. I am a mother returning to school and my husband will be our family's only support system financially which will be a struggle. This $1,000 would help me get my foot in the door to begin my future, reduce financial burdens and help me achieve my goals. My family recently received notification that my son, Louie was accepted into a preschool program. My son is an only child and due to certain health conditions I have, I will not be able to have any other children. This money will help pay expenses towards preschool. Being an only child, he does not have the interaction he needs and preschool will be great for him socially and emotionally. I want to give my son a bright future and advancing my career will help that become a realty. I appreciate your consideration and your time.

Mental health to me is one of the biggest obstacles a person must overcome. Growing up with anxiety was just a way of life for me. I was able to adjust and work through it on my own. As new obstacles arose with age It began to get unbearable. In 2019, I delivered my first child and had many complications. Post-delivery I had many procedures, and the outcome was devastating. My ability to conceive another child was no longer an option for me. Depression began, my anxiety got worse and with that the person I was began to fade. I was not the wife or the mother I wanted to be. In 2020, due to the pandemic the ability to work was not an option due to the statewide shutdown. Isolation for me was a struggle but I was fortunate to have my son because he did keep me busy. At this time another tragedy struck me, and it was the death of my grandmother. Two weeks prior to her passing, I was unable to see her regularly and weeks turned into months. I received word from the home she was not doing well and not eating. I was fortunate for a supporting husband and the nursing home because I was able to be with her until the end. She was the women who kept me grounded and was not only like a mother to me but my best friend. The person I relied on emotionally was gone and this only caused my depression to get worse. I knew I needed to find a new goal to help me cope with my emotions and to do something to help me feel like I had a purpose again. Financially my career was stable, but I wanted to give my son all the opportunity's possible to thrive in life which is why I am returning to college. My passion in dentistry and working as a dental assistant for 11 years has not changed, so I knew this was the field I needed to advance in. I am now finished with my prerequisites and awaiting acceptance into a hygiene program. The outcome for me is still the same but seeking the help I needed, gave me my life back. I found a professional that I could talk to and work through my feelings with. I appreciate the little things in life, and I am now the mom and wife I’ve always wanted to be. I am letting go of those goals I use to have and now thriving with my new goals. With life there are no guarantees, and I am not going to lose out on another minute.

The most helpful piece of financial advice I received was learned at young age. Growing up in a single parent household I saw firsthand that hard work and dedication will bring success and financial stability. My mother throughout my life worked multiple different jobs to make sure my sister and I never went without. At age 16, I started my first job which helped me become responsible and gave me a strong work ethic. I knew that I was not going to gain the financial stability I wanted without achieving it myself. From high school I went right into college, completed the dental assisting program and received my associates degree in two years. This then gave me the opportunity to get my license and become a registered dental assistant. While working full time I was able to pay off my student debt and rent my own home by the age of 21. 11 years later and I am still working as a registered dental assistant. It is my passion to help others feel better about themselves and have comfort when coming to their appointments. I am now beginning my next journey in advancing my career to be able to support a family financially. I am currently finished with my prerequisites and awaiting my acceptance letter to start the hygiene program. This time around with a child and the inability to work full time, brings me new struggles financially but the same advice still is true and in the end I will triumph. Working hard will bring me success and give me the financial stability I will need to support my family. I will thrive to achieve this degree to reach the financial goal to provide the same for my son and teach him the same lesson I still live by.

Being a parent has been one of the greatest and most fulfilling aspects of my life. It has shown me a kind of love that I have never felt before. It has also given me a different perspective on life. It has given me the drive to continue my education and provide the best possible future for my son. To higher my education I will be pursuing a degree in dental hygiene. This will give me the stability to take care of my family financially. In 2010, I became a licensed Registered dental assistant and graduated from Grand Rapids Community College with an associate degree. After 8 years, I decided to pursue my profession to the next level by returning to college in 2018. While working towards my goal in becoming a dental hygienist I received the greatest news, I was pregnant. Following my delivery, I had some major complications caused from the delivery of my son. After many procedures I received devastating news that my ability to conceive another child of my own was no longer an option. I was devastated until I saw that my son was a miracle, and I will forever be grateful to have him as my own. From that moment on I knew what I needed to do. I wanted to give my son the best possible future and I wanted to show him that anything is possible with dedication. In the time that I have went back to college I have pushed through a lot of late-night study session. I have now completed all my required classes and awaiting on my acceptance letter into the dental hygiene program from Lansing Community College. Getting my degree in dental hygiene and becoming licensed will open many financial opportunities. I will have the ability to secure a higher income which will give my son more opportunities for his future and education. This will also create more financial independence for myself, which will give me satisfaction that I can provide a better future for my family. 11 years in the dental field has thought me so much but I am ready to advance my career and can feel more stable with my finances. This scholarship will help me make a dream a reality. I know it will be hard financially because being able to work will be limited. The struggle will be worth it because in the end it will better my life for me and my family. Thank you for your time and consideration.

The most helpful piece of financial advice I received was learned at very young age. Growing up in a single parent household I saw firsthand that hard work and dedication will bring success. My mother throughout my life worked many different jobs to make sure my sister and I had what we needed. At age 16, I started my first job which helped me become responsible and gave me a strong work ethic. I knew that I was not going to gain the financial stability I wanted without achieving it myself. From high school I went right into college and pushed myself to complete the dental assisting program and get my associates degree in two years. This then gave me the opportunity to get my license and become a registered dental assistant. While working full time I was able to pay off my student debt and rent my own home by the age of 21. 11 years later working as a registered dental assistant, I am beginning my next journey in financial stability. I am returning to college to expand my education and moving towards a degree to become a registered dental hygienist. This time around with a child and working full time the same still is true, working hard brings success. In conclusion, my most helpful piece of financial advice was to work hard, and in the end, the hard work and dedication will pay off. I will thrive to achieve this degree to reach the financial goal to provide the same for my son and teach him the same lesson I still live by.