My name is Lisa Gutierrez. I am the youngest of three, raised by a single mother, and I myself am also a single mother of four. Considering my family’s financial circumstances, college did not appear to be in my future. I was, however, fortunate enough to qualify for financial assistance through Pell grants and scholarships I received for my academic performance, which enabled me cover the first few years of college. But in order to complete my education, I had to rely on student loans. I am a first-generation college graduate with an Associate in Applied Science in Paralegal Studies, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and now, a Master of Legal Studies with a focus on healthcare law and policy. Additionally, I recently became board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in personal injury trial law. I currently work as a paralegal doing medical malpractice litigation where we represent those who have been injured by medical negligence. I hold memberships in several legal community organizations such as the Paralegal Division of the State Bar, the NALA-National Association of Legal Assistants, and the San Antonio Paralegal Association, for which I am this year’s president of the board. As part of these organizations, we raise money for different charities, participate in community activities such as Stuff the Bus which gathers school supplies for needy children, and Adopt-a-Family where we bless a lucky family in need with holiday gifts. As a paralegal, I have also contributed educational articles to two paralegal journals; The Paralegal Journal, which is published statewide by the Paralegal Division of the State Bar and Facts & Findings, a national publication distributed by NALA. Working in the legal field, specifically with injured clients, has given me great perspective on the lack of mental healthcare and the dismissive attitude toward mental illness and emotional suffering. These experiences coupled with my own personal experiences have sparked a personal passion for mental health awareness. While on my own journey of mental wellbeing, I have discovered several stigmas that prevent many from seeking help, whether they stem from cultural beliefs or gender biases. Being Hispanic and having two brothers, two sons, and a mentally ill father gives me direct insight into the residual effects of neglected mental health. My goal is resume my education to become a licensed professional counselor where I can add my diverse perspective on mental healthcare and influence the Hispanic culture to alter its view on the same. The money I save on the current debt I have will enable me to pursue this passion with less financial worry and hopefully make my mark on my community.

My name is Lisa Gutierrez. I am the youngest of three, raised by a single mother, and I myself am also a single mother of four. Considering my family’s financial circumstances, college did not appear to be in my future. I was, however, fortunate enough to qualify for financial assistance through Pell grants and scholarships I received for my academic performance, which enabled me cover the first few years of college. But in order to complete my education, I had to rely on student loans. I am a first-generation college graduate with an Associate in Applied Science in Paralegal Studies, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and now, a Master of Legal Studies with a focus on healthcare law and policy. Additionally, I recently became board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in personal injury trial law. I currently work as a paralegal doing medical malpractice litigation where we represent those who have been injured by medical negligence. I hold memberships in several legal community organizations such as the Paralegal Division of the State Bar, the NALA-National Association of Legal Assistants, and the San Antonio Paralegal Association, for which I am this year’s president of the board. As part of these organizations, we raise money for different charities, participate in community activities such as Stuff the Bus which gathers school supplies for needy children, and Adopt-a-Family where we bless a lucky family in need with holiday gifts. As a paralegal, I have also contributed educational articles to two paralegal journals; The Paralegal Journal, which is published statewide by the Paralegal Division of the State Bar and Facts & Findings, a national publication distributed by NALA. Working in the legal field, specifically with injured clients, has given me great perspective on the lack of mental healthcare and the dismissive attitude toward mental illness and emotional suffering. These experiences coupled with my own personal experiences have sparked a personal passion for mental health awareness. While on my own journey of mental wellbeing, I have discovered several stigmas that prevent many from seeking help, whether they stem from cultural beliefs or gender biases. Being Hispanic and having two brothers, two sons, and a mentally ill father gives me direct insight into the residual effects of neglected mental health. My goal is resume my education to become a licensed professional counselor where I can add my diverse perspective on mental healthcare and influence the Hispanic culture to alter its view on the same. The money I save on the current debt I have will enable me to pursue this passion with less financial worry and hopefully make my mark on my community.

Everyone always wants to lead, but very few are willing to follow and to be a successful leader, one has to have been an attentive and dedicated follower throughout one’s life. This is precisely how I became the leader I am today. I followed great leaders before me; teachers who were inspiring and dedicated, upperclassmen who had already demonstrated success, managers and supervisors who had worked their way up through the ranks and had accomplished so much in their tenure, and most importantly, my mother who led our family on her own through countless trials and tribulations, with unwavering strength and love. The lessons I have taken from her have been the most valuable throughout my personal and professional lives, and have molded me into the person I am today. I like to believe I have taken the lessons I have learned and implemented them into my own leadership style. Throughout my life, I have assumed many leadership positions beginning in grade school by being an active participant in study governance, in high school by becoming a leading drum major, assuming leadership roles in group projects in college, and finally in my career by assuming managerial roles beginning at age 19. My retail career which began in 1996 has offered me numerous leadership positions. Throughout my time in retail, and more recently, in the service industry, I have had the privilege of developing and training employees and assisting them in becoming leaders themselves. Recently, in my legal career, I have again had to opportunity to utilize my leadership abilities by joining the board of my local paralegal association, currently in a membership director role, and the upcoming board year as president-elect. In each of these leadership roles, one thing has remained constant: I invite those whom I am leading to teach me as well. I believe everyone has something he or she can teach someone else, and as soon as a leader stops learning, that leader begins failing. I take great pride in my ability to lead and teach others, and I want to continue to do so for future generations. My goal is to teach either in a small community college or a public university. I want to be able to share my experiences and knowledge with young, aspiring leaders, and to hopefully inspire them the way so many have inspired me. A true measure of a leader’s success is the success of those she leads.

As a young girl, I not only bore witness to, but experienced myself the effects of gender disparity. As the youngest of three, my other two siblings being boys, there were obvious inequalities in how I was both perceived and treated as compared to my brothers. My freedom to socialize was far more limited and the activities in which I could participate were pre-selected by my parents. While my brothers played sports, I was only given the option to cheer. While my brothers wandered the neighborhood street to street, I was restricted to our block. As I got older, it only escalated. My brothers were now inhibiting my liberties especially in high school. They had input in nearly every aspect of my life. In their defense, they meant well and at the time I did not interpret their behavior as a gender-based bias. They were simply big brothers looking out for their baby sister. Soon I realized those acts of “protection” were an expression of their belief that I was incapable of caring for myself. I was conditioned to think that I was ill-equipped. What my brothers did not anticipate was that eventually they were not going to able to protect me. And when that time came, I was left to my own devices. When I entered the workforce at 16, things were no different. I was encouraged to find a cozy, indoor job where I could just look pretty and help people. And so began my retail career. From 1999 until last year, I sacrificed evenings, weekends, and holidays, often working 12+ hours a day. I clawed my way to managerial levels in a male-dominated field. It took years to earn a decent salary that could support my family and after all those years, I still could not pay my mortgage. It felt unfair to see men in the same managerial level with more disposable income. I could not understand why we had such financial differences. It became evident that for me as a woman to reach that financial level, I needed to alter my thinking. Instead of working harder, I needed to work smarter… literally. Throughout my career, the women I met who were making decent salaries all had something in common; they had degrees. I realized I needed that education under my belt because my extensive resume of experience meant nothing without that piece of paper. I went back to school, earned an associate degree, and entered the legal profession. Ever since then, I could feel this elevated sense of respect and change in salary. Presently, I have four children of my own: two sons and two daughters that I have raised mostly alone. For years, I have expressed to my two daughters how important an education is. These strong-willed creatures have witnessed my evolution from a stressed retail manager with just a high school diploma to a college educated paralegal. It means everything to me to not only tell them what an education can provide, but to show them. I feel compelled to spread this motivation to other young ladies. If I can influence just one young lady to move in a direction that will ultimately benefit the entire trajectory of her life, it is my responsibility to do so, which is why I hope to teach at a college level upon graduation. Women are strong, but much stronger in numbers. I want to be a part of building that unstoppable female force that will inevitably run the world.

Tell my story? I cannot even decide where to begin. That is a 42-year long saga to describe in less than one thousand words. I will try to keep it to simple bullet points of my life experiences. Anything deeper could develop into a mini-series. My childhood was not all sunshine and rainbows, but it was not always thunderstorms and cloudy days. I am the youngest child of a single parent, a mother who endure severe physical abuse at the hands of my alcoholic father. My brothers witnessed more of that than I did because luckily for me, my mother found the strength to leave. Uneducated, scared, and raising three children alone, she had few options. But she made the most of those options. I watched her for years as she struggled financially and emotionally. But even through her constant struggle, she was, well is, the greatest person I know. She is my hero. But witnessing her struggle sparked something in me. I knew from a very young age that I did not want to end up in that situation. I did not want to depend on anyone or to lose myself to another human. I made it my life’s goal to always rely on myself. From childhood to young adulthood, I developed this thick skin and sense of independence that could not be shaken. Despite this sense of invincibility, I succumbed to what I thought was love. I met a man and became pregnant at 19, the same age my mother had her first child. I was deeply disappointed in myself. I did not want to repeat the cycle. So, I raised my chin, left the man who was obviously not ready to be a father, and made the choice to keep pushing toward that goal of self-reliance. I had to. I had a child that now depended on me. Throughout the next decade, I worked my way up through the retail industry. During this time, I also had three more children. Needless to say, I was not making my life any easier. Money was always tight, and I had to work two jobs at times. Their fathers were little to no help. Child support was pretty much a fleeting fantasy. I knew I had to make a substantial change. I knew I needed an education. I decided to take a chance and pursue a career change. So, I enrolled in community college. For three years, I worked 40+ hours a week, raised four children, and study my life away. The sense of accomplishment when I received that degree was nothing I had ever experienced. Sadly, that degree did not open many more opportunities for me. The pay was pretty similar to what I was making as a retail manager and I realized in the legal field, and in the town, I was in, women did not get the respect they deserved. I had enrolled in a 4-year university, but the expense was too much. After all of that time and hard work, I ended up back in retail. Fast forward some years. My children are now high school age and the challenges of raising teenagers was something for which I was ill-prepared. I started to see the effects of single parenting play out in the reckless abandon my children were displaying. We battled rebellion, substance abuse, self-harm, and countless other situations. Then came COVID. I lost both my jobs; my retail manager position and my part-time bartending job. Not only did I get laid off from both jobs, but my teenage daughters also decided to sneak out and disappear for 2 days that very same day I told them I lost my jobs. It was a bleak time. Upon their return, I felt I had no choice but to send them to live with their father. During their absence, I had nothing but time to figure out my next move. Not only for work, but for my family’s well-being. My daughters needed a role model, a better role model than I had been. I made the choice to go back to school. I enrolled at The University of Texas-San Antonio in the Spring of 2021 and learned that my bachelor’s degree was well within reach. I applied for Financial Aid and was awarded the Pell Grant again. Little did I know that would soon run out. I was unaware that there was a lifetime eligibility maximum and because I had had to stop and start over the years, my time had run out. I opted for one more student loan in the fall of 2021, but I feared my student loan debt would reach over $20,000. I could not in good conscience accept another one. I am in my final two semesters of college. I am 92% complete. The one thing standing in the way of my last 8% is a summer session that is well over $4000 and my final semester in the fall which is an estimated $5000. I do not want to quit. I cannot quit. I have come too far. The worst thing I could show my kids is that I quit when I was steps away from the finish line. I vowed to do everything in my power to finish. And with this grant, I can fulfill my dream and be the role model my children need and deserve.

Mental health has never been the dominant topic of conversation in my family, although it should have been. When my siblings and I were growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, mental health had such a terrible stigma and instead of families addressing these potential issues, they were swept under the rug. We witnessed so many of our adult relatives struggle with addiction issues, primarily alcohol. Our father was a severe alcoholic and our maternal grandfather suffered for years with a gambling addiction. The adults responsible for our upbringing were ignorant to the irreparable damage their mental health battles were inadvertently having on us. Because of this desire to keep mental health struggles under wraps, many kids of my generation went without treatment. My brother in particular had a terrible time as a teen and young adult because what should have been addressed as a mental health issue was treated as a discipline problem. As the years past and the discussions for mental health began to open, my family and I started to put together the pieces of the puzzle. Once we became adults, we were in a position to take over our own care. Luckily, we were intuitive enough to identify what had been plaguing all of us for so long. I was diagnosed later in life with major depressive disorder, anxiety and panic disorder, and ADD. My brother, unfortunately, got the harsher part of it. Not only did he receive a diagnosis of anxiety and panic disorder, but he was also diagnosed with schizophrenia exacerbated by a head injury he suffered at age 12. After doing the research, we realized not only were we suffering because of our environment, but we had a predisposition for depression, addiction, obsessive compulsive disorders, and schizophrenia. It was genetic. I became a single parent very young, but even at 19, I was acutely aware of the potential for my children to inherit mental health issues. This awareness shaped my parenting style and I vowed to do things differently. But being a single parent, I faced countless hardships alone. Raising four children in today's environment posed extreme challenges. I constantly had to be aware of my behaviors and mental health as to not expose my children to the same toxic environment to which I had been exposed. I had my work cut out for me to say the least. When my children hit puberty, it started to come to light. I could see the changes in behavior and instead of just chalking it up to teenage angst, I chose a different approach. I was no expert, so initially I utilized the standard resources; school counselors, at home sit downs, family interventions, even hospitalization. My tactics ranged from very delicate and sensitive to tough love. I was under the assumption that there was an end or a "cure" so to speak. Boy was I wrong! After repeated failures, it finally dawned on me. I was utilizing these tactics with NO real knowledge on how they were supposed to work. I realized I needed to educate myself before I could ever expect results. I needed to understand how the adolescent mind operated. How did it develop? What made kids feel certain things? What should be avoided or encouraged to promote healthy mental development? I dove deep into research. What I learned on my own was never relayed to me through any resource I had previously implemented. And what I learned made so much sense, especially since I had already gone through adolescence. I was able to revisit my own adolescent mind while utilizing my adult life experience to steer my children's treatment. To others, my new approach might have seemed unorthodox or fool hearted, but my response to this was, "None of the old approaches work, so what do I have to lose?" As long as my new methods were not causing more harm, I saw nothing wrong with trying them out. And to my surprise, my children were very open to trying these new methods out. We sat and had discussion about their day-to-day struggles and instead of giving them the usual parental advice, we took time to analyze each situation. We discussed their reactions to each particular situation, whether it was the right or wrong approach, what they could have done different or what they did correctly, and finally, what they thought the other person or persons involved may have felt. I was pleasantly surprised just how open and honest they began to be. I will say there are some things they shared that caught me off guard and as a mother, it hurt to hear some of the things they were experiencing or the behaviors in which they were engaging. But I had to accept them. I wanted transparency and they delivered. As a mother, my children's mental health became my priority. My sole focus was on getting them well. I failed to realize at the time I was neglecting my own health and fell deeper into depression. Had it not been for friends and loved one who noticed the changes, I would have never sought help. Oddly enough, some of those loved ones were my own children. I did not even consider that I had given them the tools to not only manage their own mental health struggles, but the ability to recognize when others were struggling. Because of the family history of addiction, our new coping methods did promote health without medication. But we learned over time that some instances require more than just will power and good coping practices. As hard as I tried, I could no longer battle my mental health issues alone. I finally had to seek medicinal intervention. As a family, we work every day to maintain our mental health with the understanding that we will be having to do the work forever. And that understanding alone helps us set the right expectations and enjoy and appreciate our good days that much more.

I have struggled with mental health issues for over a decade and have tried countless methods of relaxation and balance. Being a single parent, I faced countless hardships alone. Raising four children in today's environment poses extreme challenges. Unfortunately, a combination of genetics and difficulties in school led to my daughter develop mental health struggles of her own. As a mother, her health became my immediate priority. My sole focus was on getting her better. We tried therapists, hospitals, medication, my own research, etc. The roller coaster had no end. During this time, I neglected my own mental health and fell deeper into my own depression. Sadly, I could not recognize this on my own. Had it not been for friends and loved one who noticed the changes, I would have never sought help. I tried online counseling, reading, yoga, crystals, massage therapy, long walks, any and everything I could think of. As hard as I tried, I knew I could not battle my mental health issues alone any longer. It was affecting my relationships, my work, and school. This past year I finally had to seek medicinal intervention. I still incorporate many of the other activities to maintain my emotions, but I had to face the hard truth that I needed just a little more help. I know the question posed asks for favorite tips or resources to help clear my mind, but I feel that it is very important to let people know that sometimes, as hard as we try, these tips and resources are not always enough and there is no shame in admitting you need a hand. Below I list some tips I shared in an article I submitted to the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas to help alleviate work stress, but I wanted to be completely transparent. *These tips are great, and I utilize them daily, but I have to disclose that these are practiced in conjunction with regular therapy and medication. SET UP A CALM, RELAXING WORK/STUDY ENVIRONMENT. If you are working or studying, make sure your environment supports the mood in which you want to be. Temperature and lighting are important. (I have a Zen motif in my office.) KEEP YOUR WORKSPACE (AND HOMESPACE) CLEAN AND CLEAR OF CLUTTER. Anxiety can be exacerbated by clutter. Take time to organize your living and working spaces to make things easy to find, and less distracting. SLOW DOWN ON THE CAFFEINE. Caffeine can be a friend to those with ADD or ADHD as it sometimes has a more calming effect or helps alleviate headaches, but too much caffeine not only disrupts sleep, but induces anxiety as well. TAKE BREAKS! Sometimes sitting or standing in one position working on the same thing for too long tends to take a toll on the mind. Step away from what you are doing for 2-3 minutes every 20-30 minutes. Some may see this as counterproductive, but in fact, it makes some people MORE productive. KEEP THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION OPEN. At home, work or school, have someone with whom you can be transparent about your mental health struggles. Not only does it relieve you of having to mask what you are really feeling, which can make matters worse, but someone will be aware of your behavior patterns and if necessary, can intervene and offer help. Do not feel ashamed if you struggle with mental health. It is more common that one would think. The best way to maintain mental well-being is to be open and honest about it, not only with others around you, but primarily, yourself.

"Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, "She doesn't have what it takes." They will say, "Women don't have what it takes." -Clare Boothe Luce This quote resonates with me particularly because I am a single mother of two girls. I knew even before they were born that it would take additional effort for them to secure a prosperous future. Not because they would not be capable, but because being a woman, a Hispanic woman at that, presents certain obstacles when climbing the ladder of success. I knew that. My mother knew that. And her mother knew that. The obstacles may have changed over time, but the fact remains they still exist. I have worked since the age of sixteen. I had to. My mother was raising three children alone on a single income. I knew from a very young age that I needed to be independent. When I was in my teens and early twenties, independence had a different meaning for me. I was tough and resilient and had that “I don’t need a man” attitude. I would assume it stemmed from my father’s absence. And even though as an adult, I know now she was suffering in silence, my mother never once let on that she thought about giving up or that she needed anyone to help her. It was then I realized she was my hero. And I wanted nothing more than to make her proud. But I made mistakes. I became a young mother myself and struggled to make ends meet. I had little to no support from my children's father. I knew I had to make a change. Instead of working harder, I decided to work smarter…literally. I went back to school. And now with more to prove and more at stake, I had no choice but to succeed. Over the years, my view of independence has evolved, but I have never stopped wanting it. The type of independence I now desire is emotional and intellectual, as well as financial. This type of independence has and will continue to present more opportunities for me. Finishing my degree and enrolling in graduate school is my way of proving this is possible. This is the type of independence I want to encourage young girls to desire. I want to ensure the future of our gender is stronger and more secure than ever. I want to contribute to the voices of women in leadership roles while also supporting the women who want to dedicate their lives to their families. I have taken full advantage of my undergraduate studies by learning so much about the history of my gender and my ethnicity. I cannot help but to get excited to share this and educate young girls on how much influence we truly hold. Not only do I want to be a mentor to young women, but I also want to teach young men how to support this evolution of feminism. I also have two sons, so my investment in this progression is significant. I want to encourage men to incorporate strong women into their lives. I want them to learn to let go of the intimidation and form incredible bonds with their counterparts. We fail to realize the true power of women in this world. We must take responsibility for allowing ourselves to be overshadowed and underappreciated. I will have realized my dream if I can instill the necessary tools to raise the voices of women in every realm, even if I die having only helped one.

It needs little explanation, but the driving force behind desire to complete my education is my children. I have been the sole provider for my children for many years. My goal is to show my children how to be self-sufficient and utilize their God-given abilities. A career in law had always been an interest of mine, but I knew college and law school were not in the cards. I was one of three children of a single mother. My father was absent. I knew financially this dream would remain just that. While in high school, I started working in retail. It seemed like a natural fit and something in which I could excel. My children were born throughout my career, but I still managed to advance quickly. I had a steady income and benefits, but the money did not justify the time away from my family. Retail hours were brutal. I knew I needed a career change. I needed something that would allow me more family time, but still be meaningful and challenging. I realized I needed to go back to school. At the age of 29 with four children, I took the plunge. I was fortunate enough to receive a Pell Grant and was able to attend school with little out of pocket expense. I attended community college part-time while working full-time and caring for my kids, who were all under the age of 10. There were times I considered quitting. But I took every completed semester as a small victory. Before I knew it, I was one semester away. During this time, I managed to find a job as a legal secretary, and I was that much closer to making a full transition. Once I completed that last semester and experienced that sense of accomplishment, I knew I could not stop at just a two-year degree. I had tested myself prevailed. So, the following year, I was accepted to Texas A&M- Corpus Christi. A university was a significant change from community college, but I had to get through it. I was able to afford four semesters with my Pell Grant and student loans. But the debt was increasing, and I feared I would get in over my head. I was already about $10,000 in student loan debt. So, I made the decision to take a break. My children are now older and require less time and attention, but unfortunately, not less monetary support. So, I made the choice to return to retail where the money and the benefits were better. Then COVID struck. I was not spared. I lost my job. I needed to take this terrible circumstance and turn it into a positive. I decided to go back to school. I enrolled at UTSA in Spring 2021. I again applied for financial aid, but that was short lived. I was informed that I had exhausted my lifetime eligibility for the Pell Grant. I was able to get some financial help with COVID relief programs, but they did not cover everything. Now I am struggling to find the means to pay for my final two semesters. I work two jobs to help but it still is not enough. I want to attend graduate school. I would love to teach at a community college or university. I want to develop curriculums for paralegal programs and participate in developing CLE courses for the State Bar- Paralegal Division of which I am a member. The ultimate measure of success would be becoming a mentor to younger single mothers in similar situations as me.

A career in law had always been an interest of mine, but I knew college and law school were not in the cards. I was one of three children of a single mother. My father was absent. I knew financially this dream would remain just that. While in high school, I started working in retail. It seemed like a natural fit and something in which I could excel. I ultimately became a single parent myself. My four children were born throughout my career, but I still managed to advance quickly. I had a steady income and benefits, but the money did not justify the time away from my family. Retail hours were brutal. I knew I needed a career change. I needed something that would allow me more family time, but still be meaningful and challenging. I realized I needed to go back to school. At the age of 29 with four children, I took the plunge. I was fortunate enough to receive a Pell Grant and was able to attend school with little out of pocket expense. I attended community college part-time while working full-time and caring for my kids, who were all under the age of 10. There were times I considered quitting. But I took every completed semester as a small victory. Before I knew it, I was one semester away. During this time, I managed to find a job as a legal secretary, and I was that much closer to making a full transition. Once I completed that last semester and experienced that sense of accomplishment, I knew I could not stop at just a two-year degree. I had tested myself prevailed. So, the following year, I was accepted to Texas A&M- Corpus Christi. A university was a significant change from community college, but I had to get through it. I was able to afford four semesters with my Pell Grant and student loans. But the debt was increasing, and I feared I would get in over my head. I was already about $10,000 in student loan debt. So, I made the decision to take a break. My children are now older and require less time and attention, but unfortunately, not less monetary support. So, I made the choice to return to retail where the money and the benefits were better. During this time, COVID struck. I was not spared. I lost my job, first, temporarily, then indefinitely. I needed to take this terrible circumstance and turn it into a positive. I decided to go back to school. I enrolled at UTSA in Spring 2021. I again applied for financial aid, but that was short lived. I was informed that I had exhausted my lifetime eligibility for the Pell Grant. I was able to get some financial help with COVID relief programs, but they did not cover every expense. Now I am struggling to find the financial means to pay for my final two semesters. I work two jobs to help but it still is not enough. I want to eventually apply to graduate school. I would love to teach at a community college or university. I want to be able to develop curriculums for paralegal programs and participate in developing CLE courses for the State Bar- Paralegal Division of which I am a member. This scholarship would be the blessing I need to help me complete my education.

I want to begin this essay by discussing how I decided to get into my current career field and why I chose to further my education. It needs little explanation, but the driving force behind both decisions was my children. I am and have been the sole provider for my four children and instead of spending countless hours in court and obscene amounts of money on attorneys to attempt to collect the appropriate amount of child support, I decided I should show my children a different way; a way to be self-sufficient and utilize our God-given abilities. A career in law had always been an interest of mine. But throughout high school, I knew a four-year college and law school were most likely not in the cards. I was the youngest of three children of a single mother. My father was mostly absent. I knew financially this dream would remain just that. While in high school, I started working in the retail industry. It seemed a natural fit and something in which I could excel. My children were born throughout various stages of my retail career and even though I had to take small breaks for maternity leave, I managed to advance quickly and make a decent salary. I had a steady income and health and dental benefits for my family, but the money did not justify the time away from my family and my missing so many of their milestones. Retail hours are brutal. I knew I needed a career change. I needed something that would give me a family friendly schedule, but still be meaningful and challenging. I decided I needed to try my hand at college. At the age of 29 and as a mother of four, I decided to take the plunge. I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I was fortunate enough to receive a Pell Grant and was able to attend school with little out of pocket expense. For the next three years, I attended community college part-time while working full-time and caring for my kids, who at that time were all under the age of 10. It was one of the hardest times of my life. There were often times where I considered quitting. But I took every completed semester as a small victory and celebrated them as such. Before I knew it, I was one semester away. During this time, I managed to find a job as a legal secretary and knew I was that much closer to making a full transition. Once I completed that last semester and experienced that extraordinary sense of accomplishment, I knew I could not stop at just a two-year degree. I had tested myself those three years. And I had prevailed. The pride my mother and my children felt for me was a high I wanted to continue to chase. I felt as though I could accomplish anything now. So, the following year, I applied and was accepted to Texas A&M- Corpus Christi. A -four-year university was a significant change from community college, but I knew I could get through it. I was able to afford about four semesters with the help of the Pell Grant and student loans. But the debt was steadily increasing, and I feared I would get in over my head. At this point I was about $10,000 in student loan debt. So, I made the decision to take a break. My children are now older and require less time and attention, but unfortunately, not less monetary support. So, I had to make a choice and return to retail where the money and the benefits were better. I felt somewhat satisfied returning to this line of work, but I could not get over the feeling of not finishing what I started. I did not want to feel like a quitter. Low and behold, tragedy struck and COVID shook the world. I was not spared from this horrible pandemic. I lost my job. First, temporarily, then indefinitely. I knew I needed to take this terrible circumstance and turn it into a positive. I decided to go back to school. I enrolled at UTSA in the Spring of 2021. I again applied for financial aid and was approved, but that financial relief was short lived. It was brought to my attention that I had unfortunately exhausted my lifetime eligibility for the Pell Grant. I was able to get some financial help with COVID relief programs, but they did not cover every expense. I have managed to get to my final year of college. My degree is within reach. But now I struggle to find the financial means to pay for my final two semesters of school. I have searched for so many scholarship opportunities, but many are degree-specific or for students just out of high school. I want to complete this program. I am too close to give up. I work two jobs now to help but it still is not enough. I want to eventually apply to graduate school. I would love to teach at a community college or university. I want to be able to develop curriculums for paralegal programs in the state of Texas and possible participate in developing CLE courses for the State Bar- Paralegal Division of which I am a member. I especially aim to be a role model to not only my two daughters and granddaughter, but to all young minority mothers. I want to show them that we can still appreciate and represent our culture and tradition of being nurturing and domestic while creating a career for ourselves. We need to encourage education and the pursuit of leadership roles. This scholarship would be that blessing to help me complete what I have worked so hard for so long to achieve.

It needs little explanation, but the driving force behind desire to complete my education is my children. I have been the sole provider for my children for many years. My goal is to show my children how to be self-sufficient and utilize our God-given abilities. A career in law had always been an interest of mine, but I knew college and law school were not in the cards. I was one of three children of a single mother. My father was absent. I knew financially this dream would remain just that. While in high school, I started working in retail. It seemed like a natural fit and something in which I could excel. My children were born throughout my career, but I still managed to advance quickly. I had a steady income and benefits, but the money did not justify the time away from my family. Retail hours were brutal. I knew I needed a career change. I needed something that would allow me more family time, but still be meaningful and challenging. I realized I needed to go back to school. At the age of 29 with four children, I took the plunge. I was fortunate enough to receive a Pell Grant and was able to attend school with little out of pocket expense. I attended community college part-time while working full-time and caring for my kids, who were all under the age of 10. There were times I considered quitting. But I took every completed semester as a small victory. Before I knew it, I was one semester away. During this time, I managed to find a job as a legal secretary, and I was that much closer to making a full transition. Once I completed that last semester and experienced that sense of accomplishment, I knew I could not stop at just a two-year degree. I had tested myself prevailed. So, the following year, I was accepted to Texas A&M- Corpus Christi. A university was a significant change from community college, but I had to get through it. I was able to afford four semesters with my Pell Grant and student loans. But the debt was increasing, and I feared I would get in over my head. I was already about $10,000 in student loan debt. So, I made the decision to take a break. My children are now older and require less time and attention, but unfortunately, not less monetary support. So, I made the choice to return to retail where the money and the benefits were better. During this time, COVID struck. I was not spared. I lost my job, first, temporarily, then indefinitely. I needed to take this terrible circumstance and turn it into a positive. I decided to go back to school. I enrolled at UTSA in Spring 2021. I again applied for financial aid, but that was short lived. I was informed that I had exhausted my lifetime eligibility for the Pell Grant. I was able to get some financial help with COVID relief programs, but they did not cover every expense. Now I am struggling to find the financial means to pay for my final two semesters. I work two jobs to help but it still is not enough. I want to eventually apply to graduate school. I would love to teach at a community college or university. I want to be able to develop curriculums for paralegal programs and participate in developing CLE courses for the State Bar- Paralegal Division of which I am a member. This scholarship would be the blessing I need to help me complete my education.