I have personally been impacted by domestic violence and substance abuse for most of my life. As I child I witnessed the violence of my mother and father's relationship unfold in front of me daily. My father used to hit my mother all the time. I remember a time when other family members would come to help or rescue her, my sister and I every time an incident occurred, but over the years they stopped coming. My mother never left my father; she would endure and the two of them would move on like nothing ever happened. I was in a relationship with my son's father for 5 years when I became pregnant. While I was being rushed to the operating room for an emergency c-section, he was arrested for a DUI and missed the birth of our son. He was and remains an alcoholic. There were so many times throughout our relationship when I told myself I needed to leave because he would not seek help or even admit he had a problem, but I stayed. I stayed because I loved him and hoped I could help him. I thought when I became pregnant he would feel like he had a reason to finally get the help he needed, but he did not. Nothing was ever easy with him. We could not go anywhere because I was ashamed and embarrassed by his behavior. I did not trust him alone with our son. I struggled to pay our bills because he wasted so much of our money on alcohol and eventually drugs. One time, my car was even repossessed because I fell behind on my payments. When he was drunk he was also mean and degrading. If I hid the car keys to prevent him from driving under the influence, he would turn into this rage monster, who would hurl every demeaning insult at me possible. Things finally came to a breaking point when he kicked through our bedroom door one night during one of his drunken rages. He choked me and dragged me from our bedroom, through the kitchen and into the living room because I hid the car keys. That was the final straw for me; it was time for me and my son to leave. When I held my son for the first time I promised him, I would build a better life for him than I had growing up and I refused to have history repeat with him witnessing this type of violent behavior between his parents. My son was 8 months old when I left his father who I have never kept from being in his life, but I can count on my hands the number of times he has spent time with him. My son is 6 now and his father continues his fight with the liquor bottle, which prevents him from having an active role in his life. I have always had a strong desire to help people. My dream is to work with survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse as a victim advocate. I unfortunately know firsthand what they have gone through with domestic violence and feel I could be an asset not only to them but the entire justice system as a whole. Being a Black woman is already so difficult in this country. We face so much pressure to be strong and resilient. However, being strong does not have to include staying in an unsafe and unhealthy relationship, which I hope I can help more Black women realize and understand.

My sweet boy was born via emergency C-section after an arduous 27-hour labor. When I held him in my arms for the very first time, I promised him that I would work hard to build a better life for us, which began with my return to college. Being a single parent was never a part of my plan, but it became the plan because my son’s father chose a liquor bottle over our family. When I went in for a doctor’s visit I had a complete breakdown over everything in front of my doctor, who helped shine just enough light to help me find a way out. I knew I did not want to continue to raise my son in such a dysfunctional environment, so I left and lived with my aunt, who became my daycare provider; making it possible for me to go back to work and school. I was enrolled in two classes while working full-time, nursing and pumping breastmilk throughout the day for my baby and trying to be a super mom. I spent time reading to my son, watching educational shows with him about counting and colors, taking him to doctor appointments, making breastmilk popsicles, prepping bottles for the next day, feeding him dinner every night, going to mom groups and playdates, and spending time with family; all to give him the proper foundation for a well-balanced upbringing. I eventually finished my Associate’s degree and was so proud of myself and what I had accomplished given everything I had been through. I went through so many tough days and nights to get to that milestone and there were so many times I wanted to give up, but I kept reminding myself of the promise I made to my sweet boy when he was born. I am currently working on my Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences with a Minor in Health Services Management. I am enrolled at the University of Maryland Global Campus and although paying for my classes is my responsibility, I am not in a financial position to do so. I am applying for this scholarship because, as a single parent, my son, depends solely on me for everything. I make just enough to survive and take care of him; including his extracurricular activities of baseball and soccer. I often go without the things I need to make sure he does not as I am not eligible for any state assistance or benefits and his father does not help financially. After completing my degree, my goal is to utilize my skills in a high-level management position, which will lead to a higher salary and consequently a better life and future for my son. I can save money for his future education and be able to provide for my sweet boy the life that I was not fortunate enough to have as a child. I plan to earn my Master's Degree also and become a Social Worker, so I can help people who have had experiences like mine. I made my son a promise and intend to keep it. I know at only 5 years old he does not yet comprehend the importance of keeping one’s promise; and what better way to do so than leading by example? I want to pave the way for him to achieve even more than I have. This scholarship is more than money to me. It opens the door to a brighter future for my son. It will enable me to get one step further towards achieving my goal and fulfilling my promise to him.

I am currently working on my Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences with a Minor in Health Services Management. I am enrolled and actively taking classes at the University of Maryland Global Campus. Paying for my remaining classes relies solely on me, but I am not in a financial position to do so. I am applying for this scholarship because when I held my son, who is now five years old, in my arms for the first time, I promised him that I would work hard to build a better life for us, which began with my return to college. I have been through many challenges over the years that have made it difficult to continue but have not stopped me from working towards accomplishing my goal. I hope to be an inspiration to my son, so he never gives up on his dreams and goals. I have been working my whole life to break the generational cycle of my ancestors who worked every day and never were able to provide the lives they wanted for their children. I witnessed it with my parents and do not want to repeat it as a parent. I want to be able to give my son a happy, healthy, and safe childhood full of love and beautiful memories. He gave me a new purpose in life when he was born. Finishing my college degree will allow me to give him the life he deserves. After completing my degree, my goal is to utilize my skills in a high-level management position, which will lead to a higher salary and consequently a better life and future for my son. I can save money for his future education and be able to provide for my sweet boy the life that I was not fortunate enough to have as a child. I also want to earn my Master's Degree and become a Social Worker, so I can help people who have had experiences like mine. I made my son a promise and intend to keep it. I know at only 5 years old he does not yet comprehend the importance of keeping one’s promise; and what better way to do so than leading by example? I want to pave the way for him to achieve even more than I have. This scholarship is more than money to me. It opens the door to a brighter future for my son, so he does not have to go through some of the hardships I have faced. It will enable me to get one step further towards achieving my goal and fulfilling my promise to him.

My sweet boy was born via emergency C-section after an arduous 27-hour labor. When I held him in my arms for the very first time, I promised him that I would work hard to build a better life for us, which began with my return to college. Being a single parent was never a part of my plan, but it became the plan because my son’s father chose a liquor bottle over our family. When I went in for a doctor’s visit I had a complete breakdown over everything in front of my doctor, who helped shine just enough light to help me find a way out. I knew I did not want to continue to raise my son in such a dysfunctional environment, so I left and lived with my aunt, who became my daycare provider; making it possible for me to go back to work and school. I was enrolled in two classes while working full-time, nursing and pumping breastmilk throughout the day for my baby and trying to be a super mom. I spent time reading to my son, watching educational shows with him about counting and colors, taking him to doctor appointments, making breastmilk popsicles, prepping bottles for the next day, feeding him dinner every night, going to mom groups and playdates, and spending time with family; all to give him the proper foundation for a well-balanced upbringing. I eventually finished my Associate’s degree and was so proud of myself and what I had accomplished given everything I had been through. I went through so many tough days and nights to get to that milestone. There were so many times I wanted to give up, but I kept reminding myself of the promise I made to my sweet boy when he was born. I am currently working on my Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences with a Minor in Health Services Management. I am enrolled and actively taking classes at the University of Maryland Global Campus. Paying for my remaining classes relies solely on me, but I am not in a financial position to do so. I am applying for this scholarship because, as a single parent, my son, who is now five years old, depends solely on me for everything. I make just enough to survive and take care of him; including participation in Little League baseball. I often go without the things I need to make sure he does not. After completing my degree, my goal is to utilize my skills in a high-level management position, which will lead to a higher salary and consequently a better life and future for my son. I can save money for his future education and be able to provide for my sweet boy the life that I was not fortunate enough to have as a child. I also want to earn my Master's Degree and become a Social Worker, so I can help people who have had experiences like mine. I made my son a promise and intend to keep it. I know at only 5 years old he does not yet comprehend the importance of keeping one’s promise; and what better way to do so than leading by example? I want to pave the way for him to achieve even more than I have. This scholarship is more than money to me. It opens the door to a brighter future for my son, so he does not have to go through some of the hardships I have faced. It will enable me to get one step further towards achieving my goal and fulfilling my promise to him.

I am an African American, female-identifying, single mother of one and a first-generation college student. It has always been my goal to go to college and earn my degree, which I have been working towards for almost 20 years. I enrolled in college directly after graduating from high school, but in my 3rd year, I had to leave. I promised myself I would finish and I have been through many challenges over the years that have made it difficult to continue but have not stopped me from working towards accomplishing my goal. When I held my son in my arms for the very first time, I promised him that I would work hard to build a better life for us, which began with me returning to college while having to care for a newborn baby. Being a single parent was never a part of my plan, but it became the plan because my son’s father chose a liquor bottle over our family. I am working towards completing my Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences with a Minor in Health Services Management. I am enrolled and about to begin classes at a new in-state university because I have exhausted my eligibility for Pell Grant funding and could not remain enrolled in my previous out-of-state college. Therefore, paying for my remaining classes relies solely on me, but I am not in a financial position to do so. I am applying for this scholarship because, as a single parent, my son, depends solely on me for everything. His father does not help in any way, so all childcare and financial responsibilities are mine. While I am eager to continue pursuing my education to break this vicious cycle for my son, I do not have the extra money to help pay for my education. There is never any extra money because the bills never end, and I make just enough to survive and take care of him. Although it was not my plan to raise him by myself, it is my responsibility to do so. I do not want my son to start his life as a young adult in debt like I have when the time comes for him to go to college. After completing my degree, my goal is to utilize my skills in a high-level management position, which will lead to a higher salary and consequently a better life and future for my son. With a higher salary, I can save money for his future education and be able to provide for my sweet boy the life that I was not fortunate enough to have as a child. I will continue to work my hardest towards achieving this goal, even if that means another year or two of late-night studying and countless sacrifices. I made him a promise and intend to keep it. I know at only 5 years old he does not yet comprehend the importance of keeping one’s promise, but I intend to teach him that, and what better way to do so than leading by example? I want to pave the way for him to achieve even more than I could, and most importantly, set the stage for him so that he does not have to follow in his father’s footsteps and repeat the cycle. That starts with me pursuing my education. This scholarship is more than money to me. It opens the door to a brighter future for my son, as it will enable me to get one step further toward achieving this goal and fulfilling my promise to him.

I have personally been impacted by domestic violence and substance abuse for most of my life. As I child I witnessed the violence of my mother and father's relationship unfold in front of me daily. My father used to hit my mother all the time. I remember a time when other family members would come to help or rescue her, my sister and I every time an incident occurred, but over the years they stopped coming. My mother never left my father; she would endure and the two of them would move on like nothing ever happened. I was in a relationship with my son's father for 5 years when I became pregnant. While I was being rushed to the operating room for an emergency c-section, he was arrested for a DUI and missed the birth of our son. He was and remains an alcoholic. There were so many times throughout our relationship when I told myself I needed to leave because he would not seek help or even admit he had a problem, but I stayed. I stayed because I loved him and hoped I could help him. I thought when I became pregnant he would feel like he had a reason to finally get the help he needed, but he did not. Nothing was ever easy with him. We could not go anywhere because I was ashamed and embarrassed by his behavior. I did not trust him alone with our son. I struggled to pay our bills because he wasted so much of our money on alcohol and eventually drugs. One time, my car was repossessed because I fell behind on my payments. When he was drunk he was mean and degrading. If I hid the car keys to prevent him from driving drunk he would turn into a 6'1" tantrum-throwing toddler who would hurl every demeaning insult at me possible. Things came to a breaking point when he kicked through our bedroom door one night during one of his drunken tantrums. He choked me and dragged me from our bedroom, through the kitchen into the living room in a drunken rage because I hid the keys to my car. That was the final straw for me. It was time for me and my son to leave. When I held my son for the first time I promised him, I would build a better life for him than I had growing up and I refused to have history repeat with him witnessing this type of violence between his parents. My son was 8 months old when I left his father who I have never kept from being in his life, but I can count on my 2 hands the number of times he has spent time with him. My son is 5 now and his father continues his fight with a liquor bottle, which prevents him from having an active role in his life. I have always had a strong desire to help people. My dream is to work with survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse as a victim advocate. I unfortunately know firsthand what they have gone through with domestic violence and feel I could be an asset not only to them but the entire system as a whole. Being a Black woman is already so difficult in this country. There is so much pressure felt to be strong and resilient. However, being strong does not have to include staying in an unsafe and unhealthy relationship, which I hope I can help more Black women realize and understand.

The dream version of my future self is working to assist survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault as a Victim Advocate, creating the well rounded childhood full of love my son deserves, while comfortably making financial decisions and plans investing in his future.

When I left college abruptly after 3 years, I always planned to return to finish my degree, but time went by and the timing never felt right to go back. Becoming a mother completely changed everything for me and ignited the spark I needed to continue working towards my education goals. When I held my son in my arms for the very first time after an arduous 27-hour labor, I promised him that I would work hard to build a better life for us. My sweet boy was my inspiration to return to school. I began this journey by enrolling in two classes. I was taking classes while working full-time, nursing and pumping breastmilk throughout the day for my baby and trying to be a super mom. I spent time reading to my son, watching educational shows with him about counting and colors, taking him to doctor appointments, making breastmilk popsicles, prepping bottles for the next day, feeding him dinner every night, going to mom groups and playdates, and spending time with family; all to give him the proper foundation for a well-balanced upbringing. I do not want my son to start his life as a young adult in debt like I have when the time comes for him to go to college. After completing my degree, my goal is to utilize my skills in a high-level management position, which will lead to a higher salary and consequently a better life and future for my son. With a higher salary, I can save money for his future education and be able to provide for my sweet boy the life that I was not fortunate enough to have as a child. I will continue to work my hardest towards achieving this goal, even if that means another year or two of late-night studying and countless sacrifices. I made him a promise and intend to keep it. I know at only 5 years old he does not yet comprehend the importance of keeping one’s promise, but I intend to teach him that, and what better way to do so than leading by example? I want to pave the way for him to achieve even more than I could, and most importantly, set the stage for him so that he does not have to follow in his father’s footsteps and repeat the cycle of alcohol and substance abuse. That starts with me pursuing my education. This scholarship is more than money to me. It opens the door to a brighter future for my son, as it will enable me to get one step further toward achieving this goal and fulfilling the promise I made to him the day he was born.

Being a single mom, after suddenly losing your mom who was your best friend at the tender age of thirteen, while being raised in a single-family home that was not always stable, is one of the greatest challenges life could throw at you. There have been so many times when I have cried for my mother; just longing for her presence and guidance. My son was born via emergency C-section after an arduous 27-hour labor. When I held him in my arms for the very first time, I promised him that I would work hard to build a better life for us, which began with me returning to college. Being a single parent was never a part of my plan, but it became the plan because my son’s father chose a liquor bottle over our family. After the birth of my son, I found myself not only having to take care of my baby, but also taking care of his alcoholic father. I was terrified to leave him alone with the baby, and on the instances when he was not passed out drunk and actually paid attention to his son, I had to keep a close eye on him to ensure the baby’s safety. Everything came crashing down when I went in for a doctor’s visit and I had a complete breakdown in front of my doctor, who made sure I received the help I desperately needed. I am forever grateful to her because I was heading down a very dark and scary road, but she helped shine just enough light to help me find a way out. From that day forward, I knew I did not want to continue to raise my son in such a dysfunctional environment, so I packed up my baby and left. I lived with my aunt, who became my daycare provider; making it possible for me to go back to work and school. She was an amazing support during such a difficult time and never hesitated to help with my son, so I could work on my schoolwork. I was enrolled in two classes while working full-time, nursing and pumping breastmilk throughout the day for my baby and trying to be a super mom. I spent time reading to my son, watching educational shows about counting and colors, going to doctor appointments, making breastmilk popsicles, prepping bottles for the next day, going to mom groups and playdates, and spending time with family; all to give him the proper foundation for a well-balanced upbringing. I was doing all these things while completing my coursework, which led to the completion of my Associate’s Degree. There were so many times I wanted to give up, but I kept remembering the promise I made to my sweet boy when he was born. I am currently working towards completing my Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences with a Minor in Health Services Management. I am enrolled and about to begin classes at an in-state university because I have exhausted my eligibility for Pell Grant funding and could not remain enrolled in my previous out of state college. Paying for my remaining classes relies solely on me, but I am not in a financial position to do so. The financial hardships I face raising my son alone is what I find to be the most challenging about being a student and a single parent. I am applying for this scholarship because, as a single parent, my now five year old son, depends solely on me for everything. His father does not help, so all childcare and financial responsibilities are mine. While I am eager to continue pursuing a higher education to break this vicious cycle for my son, I do not have the extra money to help pay for my education. There is never any extra money because I make just enough to survive and take care of him. Most days are harder than others, especially when I am actively taking classes. I usually do not have any time to complete schoolwork until after his bedtime, which leads to many late nights of studying. I do not want my son to start his life as a young adult in debt like I have when the time comes for him to go to college. After completing my degree, my goal is to utilize my skills in a high-level management position, which will lead to a higher salary and consequently a better life and future for my son. With a higher salary, I can save money for his future education and be able to provide for my sweet boy the life that I was not fortunate enough to have as a child. I will continue to work my hardest towards achieving this goal, even if that means another year or two of late-night studying and countless sacrifices. I made him a promise and intend to keep it. I know at only 5 years old he does not yet comprehend the importance of keeping one’s promise, but I intend to teach him that, and what better way to do so than leading by example. I want to pave the way for him to achieve even more than I could, and most importantly, set the stage for him so that he does not have to follow in his father’s footsteps and repeat that cycle. This scholarship is more than money to me. It opens the door to a brighter future for my son, as it will enable me to get one step closer to achieving this goal and fulfilling my promise to him.