I have come a long way to be here. My father was murdered during a robbery when I was two years old. I was raised by my single mother with three half siblings. The trouble began in our lives when I was eight years old and my mother brought her heroin-addicted boyfriend into our home. Not too long thereafter, my mother would leave me alone to parent my six-year-old sister, four-year-old brother, and infant sister for days at a time. I prepared our meals, changed diapers, cleaned the house, and kept us safe. In addition to being neglected, the three of us (excluding the baby) endured physical and verbal abuse on a regular basis. My mother once slapped me in the face so forcefully that one of her fingernails cut my right eyebrow and caused my head to bleed; of course she did not take me to get treatment, and to this day that scar is still visible. My mother eventually joined her boyfriend in the dangerous world of heroin addiction, and we suffered because of it. When I was nine, we lost our home and ended up hopping from place to place, relative to relative. I grew to hate my mother and resented her for saddling me with her children when I was a very young child myself. One day she took us to a shelter for women and children, where we stayed for one night. She abandoned us there the next day, which began our transition into the foster care system. Several months later, my siblings and I were separated and I was sent to a group home. I was cared for by a woman who changed my life! Dianne helped me with the anger and hatred I felt. She made me feel like I could conquer anything. From ages five to 16, I had always wanted to be either a neurosurgeon or a pediatrician. My 11th grade chemistry teacher told me that I would never amount to anything; her hateful words turned my dreams upside down, especially after I had overcome so much. I did not care about going to college after that. As I was aging out of the foster care system, I was terrified. I figured I would go on to be a police officer, but Dianne would not allow that. She hounded me for months about applying to college. I finally admitted to her that I was afraid to go because no one else in my immediate or extended family had done so before me. She replied that I had to go to show them how it was done. As I write this now, I still tear up thinking back on how she never gave up on me. I'm so blessed that God bought her into my life! My high school graduation at 17 made me so proud of my resilience! Unlike so many children who get lost or discarded in that system, I had made it. Dianne showed me that education and determination was key to building a foundation in life. I received my first bachelor's degree in political science/pre-law in 1992. I wanted to go on to help other victims, which I have done for the past 26 years in the District Attorney's Office. I now wish to return to my initial dream of pursuing medicine as a career as a nurse. I want to be there for others when they need me the most. I hope you can help me attain my goal. Thank you for taking the time to reading my story.

I have come a very long way to be here. I am a survivor of a murdered father (killed when I was only two) and a drug addict mother, who abandoned myself and my siblings when I was 11. I was a parent at eight years of age to three siblings (ages 6, 4, and an infant) because my mother would leave us to fend for ourselves for days on end while she followed around her addict boyfriend, who introduced her to heroin. Later in my journey in foster care, I was introduced to a foster mother (Dianne) who was beyond supportive. From ages five to 16, I had always wanted to be either a neurosurgeon or a pediatrician. In the 11th grade, a chemistry teacher told me that I would never amount to anything. Her hateful words turned my life upside down, especially after I had endured and overcome so much. I didn't care about school after that, although my plan had always been to be the first in my immediate and extended family to go to college. As I was aging out of the foster care system, I was terrified! I figured I would go on to be a police officer instead, but Dianne would not allow that. She hounded me for months about applying to college. I finally admitted to her that I was afraid to go because no one else had done so before me. She replied that I had to go to show them how it was done. Writing this now, I still tear up thinking back on how she never gave up on me. I am so blessed that God brought her into my life! I later earned a bachelor's in political science/pre-law in 1992. I have spent the past 26 years working for the District Attorney's office in my city. I came to the office to help victims because I have been a crime victim a few times over myself. At present, I am simply a paper-pusher, which is not satisfactory to me. I began my nursing school prerequisites in the fall of 2021. I have struggled financially to pay out-of-pocket for one class per semester. In March 2026 I was accepted to Drexel University into the accelerated nursing program, which is very expensive. Going back to school to become a nurse will allow me to help others when they need me the most. I hope you will help me achieve my goals. Thank you in advance for considering my application.