I have always been active in service to my community, but one day that stands out among the rest is the day I gave all of my clothing to a homeless woman who lost everything in a camp fire. While volunteering serving breakfast, a woman who lived in "tent city" came up to the counter in tears. My heart ached seeing someone so strong so troubled. Upon speaking to her, I discovered that she had lost all her belongings in a fire the night before. This woman and I had been steadily building a friendship, as we had been going through miscarriages the same time and we were both grieving, but could encourage one another. As soon as my breakfast shift ended I drove home, emptied out my closet, grabbed my jeans, coats, shoes and everything that would fit in my bags and I handed them to her. She cried with joy and told me no one had ever been so kind to her. All the amount of clothes, shoes, and coats in the world could not measure up to the fulfillment in my heart that day when she began taking steps towards getting her life together. A little kindness goes a long way, so make it a point to love your neighbor while you can!

"I'm sorry, she's gone." The words no one ever wants to hear about someone they love. They say, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." I will tell you first hand, what does not kill you will try and try again. In 2019, I was pursuing my associates degree in nonprofit management at Colorado Christian University, and had just began my time volunteering for the Topeka Rescue Mission in hopes to gain experience relative to my career path. My husband and I were celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary when we got the call, "come quick! I found her, she's not breathing!" My grandpa was hysterical on the line. My husband and I rushed to her home where we were greeted by the paramedics, "I'm sorry, she's gone." My heart sank. My grandmother was a second mom to me, my best friend, my rock. As I struggled the following weeks to come to term with the loss, my husband and I discovered we were pregnant. We had planned to name our little girl after my grandmother, Jan. At 14 weeks I began bleeding, pain shot through my body; I knew my baby was leaving us. I picked up my phone to call my grandmother in tears and afraid, forgetting she was gone. To distract myself, and determined not to succumb to my depression, I dove into my studies and volunteer service. I maintained my GPA, put in over 100 volunteer hours, and continued to strive to keep my head above water. I would not let the pain of losing my grandma and baby destroy my life. My grandma always wanted to see me graduate, that was her hope for me. It is my goal to make her proud, and I am determined to walk across that graduation stage in her memory.

A man once told me, "women should never be in a place of leadership over a man. It is not natural." A man once hurt me in ways that made me feel like I would never be wanted. A man once told me the only thing a woman should do is raise children and please her husband. I was angry. I was hurt. More importantly, I was determined to prove him wrong. Anything a man can do, a woman can do as well! So what did I do? I sought a second opinion. My heart hurt, but I knew I was called to something greater than a stay at home mother or housewife. My mother supported me and encouraged me to chase my dreams no matter what anyone thought. I made the decision to apply myself to my goals in life and I would not accept "you cannot do it" from any man. Today, I am enrolled into a bachelors program majoring in nonprofit management. My goal in the very near future is to start a non-profit organization that will cater to the needs of impoverished and food insecure individuals and families in my community. I will be a role model and inspiration to women everywhere who feel like they cannot do it because a man told them so. While my husband has attempted to discourage me from pursuing higher education, encouraging me to stay at home instead of finding work, my mother has continued to encourage me and push me to make the decision to live for me and not to give up my dreams. Without my mothers support, I would have given up long ago. I would have listened to my husband's discouraging words regarding my classes. "You can not handle being a mom, wife, and student" he said. But here I am, succeeding in everything I have applied myself to. I maintain a 3.99 GPA and have been on the Dean's list every semester, I was inducted into a national honor society, I homeschool both my boys and I maintain our home. I have organized community meals for anyone in need, I have started my organization and networked with other homeless and poverty support organizations and I am flourishing. I am successful and I will continue to follow my dreams despite whatever adversary may come against me. Even now, as I continue to face adversary and discrimination in my chosen field, I now have the courage and the drive to keep going forward. I am so thankful to have a strong woman beside me that pushes me to be the best I can be- for me, and for my children! I am a woman. I am capable. I am strong. I strive to be an example to young women everywhere, just as my mother was to me, to encourage them to chase their dreams. I want to show them that they can, even if a man tells them they cannot.

I plan to make an impact on my community by becoming the CEO of a nonprofit organization that serves the population of homeless, impoverished, and hungry in my community. When I was young, I lived in what was considered "poverty." There were times when we did not have water or electricity, there were times when my family of seven would sleep in a single room garlow for shelter and warmth. My parents always did their best, but our society failed them. My father is a disabled veteran who was medically discharged due to a permanent back and hip injury he got during deployment. My mother worked hard, but suffered from Lupus, HS, and at this time of hardship was infected with MRCA and fighting for her life. Although it was not the ideal living situation, they did what they can to make ends meet and ensure we children always had a roof over our heads, food in our stomach, and means to an education. My father had military pay, but it was not enough to sustain our seven person family. ​I know what it is like to be in poverty and I remember seeing how difficult it was for my parents given the circumstances they were in with illness and disability. Despite their suffering, my parents always instilled in me the value of empathy and compassion. They taught me that you will never understand what a person is going through until you go through it yourself. For that reason, I have a strong desire to make a difference in the world one person at a time. My dream is to someday have a nonprofit to provide shelter, clothing, food, and encouragement to each person in need. I want to have the ability to help relieve the burdens of poverty and the effects it has on a child's development. I knew as a child that I wanted to help others. The values of compassion and empathy that were instilled in me since birth are now part of my identity today. Today, I may only have the ability to provide a community holiday meal, but someday in the future I will have the opportunity to change someone's life for the better. I decided to go back to school to make this dream a reality. One of my favorite books is called "War Room." In this book, there is an old woman named Clara. Clara is a prayer warrior and her faith is solid. When she has a problem, she prays. When other people have a need, she prays. I learned first hand that prayer changes everything. I used to pray for the things I have now. War Room has helped to shape my goals because it reminds me that the best place to fight your battles is through prayer, faith, and resilience. The book reminds me to always love my neighbor, to forgive, and to love others relentlessly as Christ loves me.

I stay true to myself in my daily life by remembering my roots, I grew up in a poor household. My father is a disabled veteran, my mother suffers from Lupus, HS, and a multitude of other afflictions. I am the oldest of ten children, five biological and five adopted, so I have always been mature for my age. I never had nice clothes, I never had my own phone, sometimes we would have our utilities shut off and have to bathe out of water bottles and buckets. Despite the trials my family endured, my parents instilled in me the value of hard work, compassion, and empathy. I was raised with two parents that valued others over themselves. Sometimes to the extent of giving their last dollar to a hungry person on the street, or purchasing dollar tree gifts for the children at church. Once I witnessed my dad give the coat off his back to someone in need. As an adult, I strive to teach my children the same lessons. Now that I have a decent income and own a house, I find myself active in homeless ministry, community service, mentorship, and I never give up the opportunity to bless someone else. I stay true to myself by remembering where I came from. I will always steward my finances and resources to help others in need. I will always remember to show kindness to people. I can not control everyone's story, but I can be the writer of my own and I can live my life with empathy, compassion, and love for my neighbors. I will never think of myself better than anyone in poverty, I was there once. I stay true to myself by remembering my roots, and living with the values my parents instilled in me.

My dream is to someday open a homeless shelter. I received my Associate's degree from Colorado Christian University in May 2021. Since, I have started a small nonprofit organization called "Hope Against Hunger." It is my desire to actively take steps towards achieving my goal. I made the decision to go back to school beginning January of 2022 to obtain my Bachelors nonprofit management. Someday, I will be directing a large nonprofit that provides care and programs to the homeless and impoverished in my community and in the surrounding communities. I have always dreamed of making a difference in the world, and while I may not be able to travel around the world to do it, I can certainly walk across the street. It is my dream to help people caught in the generational cycle of poverty and homelessness gain their footing. I want to provide people with the opportunity to take their life back from the effects of poverty, homelessness, alcoholism, drug use and addiction so that they can someday be successful members of our community. Today, I can make a difference in my community through community meals, care kits, and kindness. Someday, I want to make a lasting difference in the lives of others by being the change I wish to see in the world. That is what my dream life looks like. Not living for comfort, but living for community.

Imagine for a moment, a young girl living in poverty. She is strong, she is intelligent, she is driven, she works hard, she gets good grades, she is ambitious and she has dreams. This young girl has aspirations, but in order to achieve her dreams, she needs at least a bachelor's degree. Living in poverty, she qualifies for student loans, but even they may not be enough to cover her education costs. She depends on scholarships, aid, and grants, and upon graduation finds herself nearly $100,000 in debt. This bright, beautiful little girl is now a strong, educated woman. She is applying for her first business loan only to find that her credit does not qualify her. She spent four years, and hundreds of thousands of dollars only to find herself chasing her dreams and struggling to live paycheck to paycheck as she hopes to pay off her loans in the next 30 years. This is the educational system. This is the harsh reality for many college students who, upon graduating, find themselves in a mountain of debt that the average annual income will never be able to satisfy. I will continue to fight for educational inequity because I believe the right to an education should not contribute to the cycle of generational poverty that so many of us are trying to break free from. Our children deserve a better fighting chance, our children deserve to obtain higher education without suffering from the consequences of student loans in the future.

The sound of my children running through the house and laughing. The feeling of a hot shower against my skin. The smell of coffee brewing in the morning. A sunrise prayer to set the tone of the day. A quiet evening setting on the sofa and watching television with my husband. These are simple pleasures that mean the world to me. Things that are easily taken for granted give me such joy and fulfillment in my life. Often times, I reflect on my blessings and I thank God for all that I have. Every day I wake up with breath in my lungs is another day that I have a purpose. My life is nothing short of a miracle. I suffer with Adrenal Insufficiency/Addison's Disease and I know tomorrow is not promised. My doctors told me I would never be able to have a family, and here I am a mother of two. People told me my marriage would never last, I was eighteen when we wed, and I am living happily with my husband of nine years. I am blessed, I am loved beyond measure, I have a purpose and a reason to wake up every morning, I strive to show love to each person I meet, and I live as if each day could be my last. When you take a moment to pause and appreciate the small things in life, you realize that those are the things you would miss the most if you did not have them.

I hope to be a positive influence for young women who have endured sexual abuse, domestic verbal and emotional abuse, and with poor self esteem. I hope to impact their lives in a way that encourages them to wake up each morning ready to prove to themselves and everyone else that their past, their trauma, and their pain will not define them. I want to encourage these young women to take back their lives. I want these young women to change the world one day at a time. I want these women to take revenge the best way they can- through success and forgiveness- through the evidence that their abusers no longer hold power over them. I mentor these women with the simple truth that they are so much stronger than they know. They are valued, they are worthy, they are loved, they are survivors and they have a bright future that only they can control. I mentor these women to show them, from experience, that no one can ever take away their identity. I mentor to empower women to make a better future for themselves, to chase their dreams, and to never forget who they are.

The saying, "actions speak louder than words" comes to mind when I think about how I make others feel loved. Not only do I go above and beyond for my friends and family, but I strive to show love and acceptance to the people who often go overlooked. The homeless, the mentally ill, the drug addicted and disease afflicted people in the community who do not often experience kindness. Whether it be providing a care kit, emptying out my own wardrobe to give to a victim of fire, or simply providing a meal and a prayer, I strive to show love to each person I come across in the same way Jesus would. In my community, I have hosted, served, and prepared meals for up to 200 people at a time without requesting payment. I have and will continue to outreach homeless and unsheltered, especially during the cold months, to give them hope and to show them they are worthy of love and of a friend. In my family, I am the oldest child of ten, as well as a mother and wife myself. I show care by providing meals, keeping the house in order, taking time to teach my children. I exhibit patience, kindness, love, calmness, temperance, forgiveness, mercy, affection, and understanding, and I never miss a chance to say "I love you" or "I am proud of you." The actions I do, I do before being asked. If I see someone in need, I act fast and I do what I can to help. I want to be a friend to the friendless, a light in the dark place, and above all, a reflection of Christ's love.

The biggest turn-around story I have in my life begins when I was 18 years old. My husband and I were newly married with my first child on the way. Due to my life threatening medical condition, Adrenal Insufficiency, my pregnancy was considered "high risk." As a result, I had to quit my job and rely solely on my husbands minimum wage income. It was not long before we lost our apartment, and then our vehicle, and was left homeless. A local Pastor took us in and allowed us to live in the basement apartment of a church for free so long as I helped with the cleaning inside of the church. This gave my husband the opportunity to save up his paychecks in order to get us into another apartment before our son came. About a month before my son was due, my husband got a promotion and our income doubled. Shortly after, one of our relatives offered to sell us her home, rent to own, for $20,000. Fast forward nine years later and my husband and I have paid off our home, and have since welcomed another son into our family. I am a student, stay at home mom of two beautiful boys- both homeschooled, and I have started a nonprofit to advocate for homeless individuals and families in our community. My husband makes enough income to provide not only for our family, but to feed the community hot Holiday meals, provide care-kits, and encourage others in the situation we were once in. I believe God will sometimes allow you to go through a trial so you will be able to help someone else out of it in the future. It motivated me to, like the Pastor, give people a fighting chance anyway I can.

I practice self-care each morning by taking time to exercise, have my coffee, and read. This routine gives me time to take care of myself, so I will be able to best take care of others. As a busy mom of two homeschooled boys, one of which being neurodivergent, and a advocate for impoverished and homeless, it is imperative that I make time for my mental health in order to succeed in my daily life. Practicing self-care helps me maintain my patience with my beautiful children, keeps me from feeling overwhelmed in my daily tasks and commitments, and gives me the opportunity to ensure I am in control of my Adrenal Insufficiency and nearly stress free. One of the most important impacts I have in my life since adopting a self-care routine is the ability to give myself grace. I used to feel like if I did anything less than perfect that I was not good enough. Since starting my morning workouts, coffee, and Jesus/reading time, I realize that if God has grace enough for me and my imperfections, I should have grace for myself. I realized as long as I am doing my best in all I can do, I was doing enough. I am blessed to have found a routine that works for me, and I am blessed to have the ability to start my day in a way that sets everyone up for success. As a mom, I can not do the best for my boys without first doing my best for me.

When I was a child, my mother and father struggled financially with five children. My father was a veteran who was medically discharged following an injury sustained on deployment, and my mother was fighting for her life after being diagnosed with Lupus and MRCA. More often than not, we would get by through generous meal programs and food pantries in our community. I was bullied in school as a result of not having the best clothes or shoes, but we were loved unconditionally and encouraged by my family to always give what we can to help another. As an adult, I am familiar to hunger and poverty. I started out as an 18-year old, pregnant, newly married, and living inside the basement of a church with no transportation. Homeless, but thanking God that my husband and I were fortunate enough to have shelter and food. Because of the kindness of community, we were able to climb out of the hole we were in and raise our family without want. My desire to pay it forward resulted in me going back to college in order to study Nonprofit Management. In order to make the best impact I could, I began a small organization called Hope Against Hunger. I strive to provide hot meals and food items to individuals and families in need, host community holiday dinners free to everyone in need-no questions asked, participate in homeless outreach oftentimes purchasing basic hygiene kits, tents, blankets, coats, and food out of my own pocket to distribute among the needy and unsheltered. I am making an impact one individual at a time, and I will continue to strive to advocate for the less fortunate, and provide any support within my means to help ease the burdens of poverty and hunger.