My name is Mary Jo McCauley, I am 29 years old and a single mother to an 8 year old boy who completes my whole heart and makes me want to be a better person and role model for him to look up to as he gets older. I am an undergraduate student attending Nebraska Indian Community College in Macy NE with hopes of graduating with AA Degree in the spring of 2026 majoring in General Liberal Arts. I am currently enrolled in the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, a small reservation close to the Winnebago Tribe. I am thankful where I come from, my people are always there for one another but the main thing we face as a tribe is we are one of the unlucky ones who do not receive per-cap like other tribes throughout the United States. I come from the Honga Clan meaning buffalo and my indian name is Mega'shale meaning end of the moon. My parents are Mary Lou McCauley and late father Joseph Eugene McCauley who was a huge part when it came to being one of the announcers at our handgame doings and Umonhon Tribe Hedewachi which happens every August. My family did not attend last year due to us in mourning the loss of my father but we do plan to attend this August and have a memorial contest in honor of him. It has taken me a while to reach my educational goals but I made it a priority to finish my degree in hopes of being a good role model for our Native American students and youth. I have been pushing myself to complete my homework and attending class. Being a single parent and trying to find employment I have been struggling to keep up with my bills but I am very thankful to have my own home for me and my child. With that being said and if I were to be selected for this scholarship, I would be very grateful because not coming from the richest tribe and lack of employment opportunities on my reservation it will help me financially and to keep up on my bills and other struggles I come across that is hard for me to reach. It would also push me to work harder in college and wanting to raise my GPA higher and having a successful summer and fall semester. Sincerely, Mary Jo McCauley

I have been a committed paraprofessional/teacher-aide with almost 10 years of experience working with children ages birth-12th grade. I started working with children/students the month of September of 2017 in a Kindergarten classroom as a paraprofessional for 4 years. As the years went on I moved to different age groups and classrooms throughout the school year. During a few summer breaks between 2017-2023, I worked a temporary job for summer camp. I began to realize I loved working with children being able to help them with instructional support, activity-planning, ensuring a safe environment, being a role model and building relationships. As working and wanting to become a teacher not just the paraprofessional in the classroom, it is a huge responsibility and both have roles that need to be fulfilled in order to help the children be successful. I have learned to show positive behavior, patience is a huge factor, encouragement and communicating more while helping these students grow and develop. I have built relationships with some students in Kindergarten who are now 6th graders that still remember me. The fact that I have impacted a young person's life. It makes my heart feel happy knowing I did a good job on assisting the lead teacher when instruction time or giving the students a safe environment was needed. I wasn't just teaching the students, they were also helping me grow and develop at the same time. I believe if it weren't for teaching and having years of experience working with students, I would not be the parent I am today. I have learned so much from the lead teachers in my classroom, family, supervisors and college instructors to help me better parent especially being a single-parent. With that being said, my father was one of my main supporters to attend college, maintain a job and always being there for me and my son. Sadly in December 24, 2023 he passed away due to cardiac arrest at the age of 69. I was severely heartbroken and changed who I used to be since he had left my family. I quit college without withdrawing so it had affected my GPA and left my job. I struggled financially and mentally for almost a year after his passing. The beginning of this year I had to make the decision if I wanted to keep being in the slump I was in or get back on my two feet and push myself to be the daughter my mother and late-father raised me to be. I decided to go back to college as a part-time student in the Spring, I successfully passed my class to get me back on track for the Fall Semester and raise my G.P.A back to where it needs to be. I am currently in my summer semester taking "Intro to Psychology" to help me cope with my grief and I enjoy it so far. I will always grieve for him but I know he wouldn't want me to fail and not succeed my educational goals. I am working hard towards receiving my AA Degree by December 2025 or May 2026 for my father Joseph Eugene McCauley and 8 year old son.