As a 45-year-old disabled veteran with four combat deployments, I am pursuing a business degree to transition from a physically demanding career as a journeyman aircraft mechanic to a sustainable role that leverages my sharp mind and dedication. After 100% disability forced me to leave my trade, I refused to exit the workforce. Instead, I enrolled in college to secure a future where I can provide for my family and serve my community. My household faces unique challenges: my wife is earning her master’s in mental health, my eldest daughter studies accounting, my middle daughter pursues nursing, and my youngest attends second grade at a Christian academy. With five tuitions and limited work hours due to school and my disability, financial strain is constant. Our family of four works tirelessly, juggling demanding schedules to balance education, jobs, and raising three daughters. This scholarship would ease our burden, allowing me to focus on my studies and graduate debt-free. My business degree is more than a credential—it’s a pathway to leadership roles where I can contribute strategic skills and veteran resilience to local businesses. I am energized by learning, inspired by my family’s shared educational journey, and committed to excelling in a career that aligns with my values of service and productivity. Despite the stress of managing work, school, and family, I am grateful for this opportunity to grow. This scholarship will empower me to achieve my degree, secure a meaningful job, and continue making a positive impact. It's hard starting over. It's proving harder than I thought it would be that's for sure. I worked hard to get qualified in a field that I have done the majority of my adult life. I could go on disability and adjust our budget according and sit back and walk the dog and make sure I get through the entire Netflix catalog, but I don't think I have that in me. I read somewhere that when a man seeks comfort, he's lost his purpose. I don't want my wife and kids to see that, I don't want them to see me give up. I mean if you can't run then walk, and if you can't walk crawl just keep moving forward. So here we are. Everyone is in school, Mom and me both going back to school in our forties chasing the American dream. My wife is a drug, alcohol, and gambling counselor so she didn't lose her career like I did but she's hit a ceiling where she can't reach farther without further education, and her Masters journey is going to take a toll on all of us, but it's nothing we can't handle. We volunteer in our community, we teach Wednesday night church, we speak at our children's schools, we make it to as many events as we can, stay up on our homework and get as many hours as we can at our current jobs. If you have read this to the end, then God bless you.

I will be 45 in October, and it hasn't always been easy to put 1 foot in front of the other but myself and my family keep walking somehow. I have a wife and three beautiful daughters, and we live a very fast paced lifestyle, I mean were busy people. I am going back to school in my mid 40's to obtain a business management degree to hopefully move from the field to an office. I am a fully trained and licensed aircraft mechanic, but medical issues prevent me from furthering in that field. I am 100% disabled from the United States Navy, but I'm not one for sitting around and we still have to make ends meet. My wife is a drug and alcohol counselor currently pursuing her Masters in mental health. Both of us going to school and still trying to get 40 hours is trying. My Oldest is going to college to obtain her accounting degree "hopefully her CPA but we will see". My middle is doing the same but aiming more towards medical field. She hasn't got her sights narrowed in on what field yet but she is interning at the local hospital while attending school so she can get things sighted in a little bit better. Last but not least is my youngest who just started 2nd grade at our local Christian Academy. So out of 5 of us that's five tuitions. 5 for 5!! I guess were an all in type of family. We love learning and reading and playing sports or anything outdoors. We volunteer in our local community and at our church which we our very active in. I wasn't planning on switching careers mid-stream in life, but it happens. I more than qualify for state disability, but it's important to myself and my wife that our kids never see us quit or give up. It's good in a way that they see us navigate hardship and stress and how we manage it, work out the knots and rough spots and not give up. After filling out scholarship after scholarship it's apparent to me that I should have taken more writing classes to be able to compete for available funds against my peers as it seems I've missed the boat completely when it comes to word smithing. Non the less I keep filling them out, as anything helps to get us through the winter months when available hours are at a minimum. Stacking up savings during the summer is a great start when hours are readily available and school is out of session is our only plan of attack, but it dries up long before the snow melts. I already have a desk waiting for me at my current company once my degree is secured just a few more hurdles and a few more curve balls and we will make it. I would like to thank you for the opportunity of applying for the Debra S. Jackson scholarship and thank you for making it available to us students. If you happen to read all the way to the end, then God bless you and have a wonderful day.

As a 45-year-old disabled veteran with four combat deployments, I am pursuing a business degree to transition from a physically demanding career as a journeyman aircraft mechanic to a sustainable role that leverages my sharp mind and dedication. After 100% disability forced me to leave my trade, I refused to exit the workforce. Instead, I enrolled in college to secure a future where I can provide for my family and serve my community. My household faces unique challenges: my wife is earning her master’s in mental health, my eldest daughter studies accounting, my middle daughter pursues nursing, and my youngest attends second grade at a Christian academy. With five tuitions and limited work hours due to school and my disability, financial strain is constant. Our family of four works tirelessly, juggling demanding schedules to balance education, jobs, and raising three daughters. This scholarship would ease our burden, allowing me to focus on my studies and graduate debt-free. My business degree is more than a credential—it’s a pathway to leadership roles where I can contribute strategic skills and veteran resilience to local businesses. I am energized by learning, inspired by my family’s shared educational journey, and committed to excelling in a career that aligns with my values of service and productivity. Despite the stress of managing work, school, and family, I am grateful for this opportunity to grow. This scholarship will empower me to achieve my degree, secure a meaningful job, and continue making a positive impact. It's hard starting over. It's proving harder than I thought it would be that's for sure. I worked hard to get qualified in a field that I have done the majority of my adult life. I could go on disability and adjust our budget according and sit back and walk the dog and make sure I get through the entire Netflix catalog, but I don't think I have that in me. I read somewhere that when a man seeks comfort, he's lost his purpose. I don't want my wife and kids to see that, I don't want them to see me give up. I mean if you can't run then walk, and if you can't walk crawl just keep moving forward. So here we are. Everyone is in school, Mom and me both going back to school in our forties chasing the American dream. My wife is a drug, alcohol, and gambling counselor so she didn't lose her career like I did but she's hit a ceiling where she can't reach farther without further education, and her Masters journey is going to take a toll on all of us, but it's nothing we can't handle. We volunteer in our community, we teach Wednesday night church, we speak at our children's schools, we make it to as many events as we can, stay up on our homework and get as many hours as we can at our current jobs. I am applying for this scholarship to make ends meet for one, but to free up time as well. Chasing hours and working weekends is part of the game and we chose to play it for sure, but I would like to spend time with kids and actually raise them rather than being in such a rush out the door and forehead kisses as we get whisked away to our next responsibility. I also am looking for financial relief because I hate that the kids see us stressed out by finances all the time. Can we afford the bills can we make the payments? If you have read this to the end, then God bless you.

I've been in this field for 15 years and I'm not getting any younger and my disabilities limit the number of hours I can work or how many years of work I have left. I guess that's what kind of started my business journey. Proud father of a wife and three daughters, but it's a lot of responsibility. Stewardship can feel heavy, I guess. I saw a degree as a way to move from the field to the office and better provide for my loved one's long term and also increasing my value as an individual and as a member of my work family. Here in a couple weeks, we will have four members of my family actively taking college courses and five tuitions. I am currently in my third semester of chasing my Bachelor's goal. My wife is a licensed drug and alcohol counselor that has hit a ceiling in her field and is starting back into academics to get her masters in mental health. I have a 22-year-old working as a pharmacy technician going to school full time in accounting. Next up is my 17yr old is starting her senior year of high school and is taking college courses and working as a CNA, she is going into the medical field. Last but not least our, youngest is starting 2nd grade at a private school. 5 in school and 5 tuitions. All of our hours get dramatically reduced when school is in session, so we overwork in the summer to try and make it through the winter it seems. Every dollar has to count, and every dollar has to have a purpose. The sticker shock when I walk into a store these days causes anxiety to say the least. We're making things better though and things keep looking up. We have a really good family, truly blessed. I was trained in the military to fix and maintain aircraft also I was fully qualified and very good at my job. I was looking forward to a long high paying career in the same field. Unfortunately, I can no longer physically perform those tasks. I am good at my current job. I've been promoted multiple times and I'm a step away from the office now I just need my degree to step over the line. Not only that but I need the information in my classes to perform well and survive once I do. Thank you for reading this and thank you for your consideration. Levi Titus