My caregiving journey began before I could even drive. As a teenager, while some of my peers were preparing for homecoming dances or after-school jobs, I was helping my mother manage the day-to-day realities of living with progressive Multiple Sclerosis. From assisting her with mobility and medication to learning how to read insurance paperwork, I was thrown into adult responsibilities far earlier than most. That experience, while difficult, shaped my identity in ways I’m only now beginning to fully appreciate. My mother’s diagnosis came during my high school years, and as her condition progressed, so did my role in the household. I supported her physically, emotionally, and logistically while trying to keep up with my schoolwork. There were mornings I helped her get dressed before catching the bus, afternoons spent accompanying her to doctor’s appointments, and nights where I quietly did homework at her bedside while she rested after painful flare-ups. Watching someone you love lose mobility and independence changes you. It makes you grow up fast, and it forces you to consider how much strength really means. For me, strength became synonymous with service. Now, as a full-time single mother of three, I find myself in another chapter of caregiving. I care for my children, each with their own unique needs and personalities, while working full-time and pursuing my master’s degree in business. My youngest is two years old, and I am solely responsible for all of his care. His father was tragically killed during my pregnancy, and I had to navigate the demands of new motherhood while grieving and continuing to work. My other two children, who are older, have also required emotional and academic support through a season of great transition and loss. Every day, I serve as their foundation; the one who ensures they feel safe, heard, and hopeful. Caregiving has taught me more than I could ever learn from a textbook. It’s taught me time management, emotional intelligence, resourcefulness, and deep empathy. It’s pushed me to pursue a degree not just to improve our financial situation, but to build a business that supports other caregivers, single parents, and entrepreneurs who are doing their best with limited support systems. I’m currently developing a coaching and consulting platform designed specifically for single mothers and neurodivergent entrepreneurs; many of whom are caregivers in their own right. My business aims to provide operational structure, trauma-informed strategy, and emotional support for those trying to build a future while holding up their own families. Receiving this scholarship would significantly reduce the financial pressure that currently weighs on my shoulders. Balancing school, work, and full-time parenting is already a monumental task. The added strain of tuition and educational expenses often forces me to delay progress or sacrifice rest. With this support, I could devote more energy to completing my MBA, expanding my business, and serving the very community I’ve grown out of. It would be more than a financial gift. It would be a message that people like me are seen, valued, and worthy of investment. More importantly, this scholarship would allow me to model something powerful for my children: that care and ambition are not mutually exclusive. That being a caregiver doesn’t mean giving up on your dreams; it means learning how to carry them differently, with greater depth, purpose, and compassion. Caregiving has shaped every part of who I am: from the teenager helping her mother through MS, to the mother helping her children navigate a future she’s fighting to secure. I’m not just working toward a degree. I’m working toward leaving a legacy. And with your support, I can take the next bold step toward building it.

The life of my dreams begins in a world where I no longer have to choose between survival and service. In that world, I wake up each morning in a sun-filled home I own, where my three children have everything they need; not just to survive, but to thrive. There’s true joy in our routine. My mornings are peaceful, not rushed. I’m not emotionally drained and scrambling to get everyone dressed, while mentally preparing for back-to-back work meetings and business school assignments. Instead, I’m mindfully preparing to lead a workshop for single parent entrepreneurs, guiding them through systems I once had to piece together in the middle of my own chaos. In the life I’m building, I’ve completed my MBA with honors and have launched a thriving coaching and consulting business that serves single mothers and neurodivergent entrepreneurs. People like me, who have been underestimated or underserved by traditional systems. I help them design businesses that work with their brains and lifestyles, not against them. I’ve created a library of trauma-informed resources, toolkits, and digital dashboards that simplify business operations and restore a sense of peace and possibility in their lives My business funds a nonprofit branch that offers free workshops, childcare stipends, and microgrants for mothers who are starting over. I travel across the globe speaking at events, leading retreats, and hosting pop-ups in communities where hope is in short supply. Thankfully, I’m not doing it alone as I’ve built a team of like-minded professionals (many of whom were once my clients) who now walk beside me as fellow collaborators and leaders. And at the heart of this dream? True freedom. Financial freedom, time freedom, creative freedom. I get to show up for my children in the way they deserve, at school plays, in bedtime routines, on spontaneous road trips where we don’t have to count pennies for gas or snacks. I’m fully present, not drained or distracted. I’ve broken the generational cycle of scarcity, and built a legacy of abundance. But this dream doesn’t happen without dedication, and I’m no stranger to that or hard work. I’m currently earning my MBA while working full-time, managing my household, and laying the foundation for this very future. Every long night and early morning is an spiritual investment in that vision. The Dr. Jade Education Scholarship would help me get there faster. It would relieve financial pressure and allow me to pour more of my energy into building the business, community, and life I envision: not someday, but right now.

During my childhood days in Upstate NY, I didn’t grow up around blueprints or CAD software. But I did grow up getting streetlight notices, using food stamp books, and watching my parents working double shifts in busy hospitals and crowded warehouses. I was raised to be resilient; to repair what breaks and build what we need. Today, as a mother of three and an MBA student focused on organizational leadership and business operations, I am taking that foundation and applying it to help shape the future of construction, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship. While I am not a builder in the traditional sense, I plan to build people and the systems that support the people doing the building. My chosen field, business administration with a concentration in operations and leadership, is the scaffolding behind innovation. It is what keeps production running, projects on budget, and workers feeling supported. The future of construction and manufacturing does not only depend on new materials and tools; it depends on better business models, inclusive leadership, and systems that prioritize efficiency without sacrificing humanity. As I look forward towards the future, I envision leading an organization that partners with small-scale contractors and makers, especially those led by single parents, women, and people of color. I would love to help them scale through project management training, supply chain optimization, and community-led manufacturing initiatives. There is an untapped talent pool among blue-collar parents and tradespeople who’ve never had access to MBA-level knowledge. I aim to bridge that gap by building operational coaching platforms and cooperative ventures that empower them with tools to grow their businesses and hire locally. With this scholarship, I can take a semester’s financial weight off my shoulders. That would allow me to invest more energy into developing the business frameworks and collaborative networks I’ll use post-graduation. It means more time on client case studies, supply chain simulations, and co-building partnerships with construction professionals who want to digitize or expand. It also means modeling what’s possible for my children; not just telling them they can build a better future, but showing them how I’m doing it, too. We often think of builders as the ones banging hammers or drafting blueprints. But builders also design processes, lead teams, and make decisions that create the environments in which work gets done. I plan to be one of those builders; constructing opportunities, manufacturing equity, and innovating the systems that support both. This scholarship would help me get there.