The night I registered for my first graduate semester as a single mother, I sat staring at the tuition balance while my children slept in the next room. The house was quiet, but my mind was not. I understood what earning my degree could mean for our future, yet I also knew every dollar, every hour, and every decision would rest on me alone. That night, I decided that fear and financial strain would not determine what was possible for my family. The decision to pursue higher education as a single mother has required constant sacrifice, planning, and resilience. Without a coparent or consistent backup support, daily life demands careful balance. There are evenings when homework follows bedtime routines, mornings when exhaustion competes with responsibilities, and months when tuition, childcare, and living expenses stretch finances thin. Unlike many students, I cannot focus solely on school; I must ensure my children are emotionally, physically, and financially secure while continuing my education. One of my greatest challenges is energy management. Every commitment requires intention. Studying often happens late at night, professional development fits into narrow windows, and unexpected parenting responsibilities can quickly shift priorities. At times, the journey has felt isolating. Yet these challenges have strengthened my discipline, deepened my empathy, and reinforced my determination to finish what I started. However, despite the difficulties, this experience has also been profoundly fulfilling. My children see me working toward something meaningful. They watch me set goals, navigate obstacles, and persist even when the path is difficult. Education has become more than a personal milestone; it is a shared family investment and a powerful example for them. I want them to grow up understanding that challenges do not define limits, and that perseverance creates opportunity. My MBA studies have expanded how I think about leadership, economic stability, and long-term impact. Education is not only a pathway to financial security for my family; it is preparation to help others facing similar circumstances. As a single mother, I understand how lack of mentorship, resources, and flexibility can delay or derail ambitions. My goal is to develop initiatives that support single parents pursuing entrepreneurship, career advancement, and financial independence. Based on my lived experience, I want to use my degree to create accessible spaces where single mothers can gain skills, community, and confidence without feeling forced to choose between parenting and professional growth. Whether through coaching, resource platforms, or community partnerships, I hope to turn lived experience into practical support for others navigating similar challenges. Financial assistance through this scholarship would ease the strain that often forces single mothers to choose between immediate needs and long-term advancement. It would allow me to focus more fully on completing my degree, strengthening my professional impact, and building greater stability for my children and other motivated solo-moms. Ultimately, my education represents more than personal advancement. It represents breaking cycles, expanding opportunity, and modeling resilience for the next generation. I am pursuing this degree not just for myself, but for my children and for the families I hope to serve in the future. The journey has not been easy, but it has clarified my purpose: to build a future where my family (and others like ours) have both stability and the freedom to dream bigger.

Service as a Way of Showing Up For me, giving back has never been about checking a volunteer box. It has always been about showing up for people the way others have shown up for me, especially during seasons when life felt uncertain, overwhelming, and isolating. As a single mother pursuing graduate school while raising three children and building my future, I understand firsthand how powerful even small acts of support can be. That perspective shapes how I serve others now and how I plan to continue doing so. Right now, a lot of my service happens informally but consistently. I connect other single parents with resources, share business and education opportunities, offer encouragement when someone feels stuck, and help people think through their next steps. Sometimes it is mentorship, sometimes it is simply listening. I have learned that people often don’t need someone to rescue them. Rather, they need someone to remind them they are capable and not alone. My academic path in communications, along with my MBA studies, has provided me with tools to make that support more effective. I understand how communication builds trust, how leadership shapes culture, and how access to information can change someone’s options. That knowledge pushes me to share what I learn, not keep it to myself. Education, to me, is most meaningful when it becomes something that benefits others. Looking ahead, I want to expand this impact through entrepreneurship focused on community and opportunity. I am actively building a platform specifically for single parents who want to pursue business ownership, financial independence, or professional growth. Too often, parents with ambition are told to wait - until their children are older, until finances stabilize, until life feels easier. I want to help create pathways where they do not have to wait. Support, flexibility, mentorship, and community can make those goals realistic. Beyond that, I see my future work blending business leadership with service. Whether through consulting, content creation, partnerships with nonprofits, or community initiatives, I want my career to reflect the belief that success is not just personal achievement, but opportunities that extend well beyond yourself. My children are a major part of this motivation. They watch how I navigate challenges, how I treat people, and how I define success. I want them to grow up understanding that ambition and compassion are not opposites. You can build something meaningful while still lifting others along the way. Priscilla Shireen Luke’s legacy of spreading hope through service resonates with me because hope is often practical. It looks like shared knowledge, encouragement, opportunity, and presence. When people feel supported, they are more likely to pursue education, contribute to their communities, and create positive change themselves. Service is not something I ever plan to outgrow. It is how I lead, how I parent, and how I intend to move through the world. Whatever I build professionally, I want it to leave people better supported, more connected, and more confident about what is possible for their future and ongoing legacy.

The Future of Human Connection The night I realized how powerful human connection truly is wasn’t in a classroom or a networking event - it was at my kitchen table, balancing graduate school assignments while comforting my children after the loss of their father. In that moment, community became more than a concept. Friends, mentors, and even virtual support networks carried us forward, reminding me that connection is not just emotional support; it is resilience, opportunity, and hope. As technology increasingly shapes how we interact, the challenge is not whether human connection will survive, but how we intentionally preserve and strengthen it. Digital tools can either deepen relationships or dilute them, depending on how we use them. Authentic connection in the future will require emotional intelligence, intentional communication, and communities designed around belonging rather than convenience. Intentional communication is the first key. My academic background in communications and my MBA studies have taught me that meaningful relationships depend on listening, empathy, and clarity. Technology often prioritizes speed, quick reactions, and short-form content, but real connection requires depth. Whether in business leadership, parenting, or community engagement, choosing thoughtful dialogue over surface interaction strengthens trust and collaboration. Second, technology allows us to build inclusive communities that were once out of reach. As a single mother pursuing entrepreneurship, I am developing a platform that supports single parents with business aspirations. Many parents juggle childcare, education, and career goals while navigating isolation. Thoughtfully designed digital communities can provide mentorship, shared resources, and encouragement that genuinely change lives. Technology should not replace relationships; it should expand access to them. It is my belief that the future of human connection also depends on relationship-centered leadership. Organizations increasingly recognize that connection drives engagement, innovation, and long-term success. Leaders who prioritize empathy create environments where people feel valued and motivated. My goal is to build ventures rooted in connection. Spaces where individuals, especially single parents, can grow personally, professionally, and financially without feeling alone. My children motivate this mission every day. I want them to see that success is not just individual achievement but collective growth. They watch me pursue higher education while building community-focused initiatives, and I hope this models resilience, empathy, and collaboration for them. No matter how we may feel about it, technology will continue to evolve. However, human needs remain constant: belonging, understanding, and shared purpose. Virtual platforms can facilitate mentorship, flexible work, and global collaboration, but authentic connection still requires vulnerability and intention. No algorithm can replace genuine care, trust, or the impact of being truly seen. Human connection has shaped my life; from overcoming personal hardship to pursuing education and entrepreneurship focused on community impact. Receiving this scholarship would help remove financial barriers so I can continue expanding initiatives that foster mentorship, connection, and opportunity for others. In an increasingly digital world, our responsibility is not simply to stay connected, but to stay human. By prioritizing empathy, inclusive communities, and intentional communication, we can ensure technology enhances relationships rather than replacing them, and in doing so, build a more compassionate and connected future.

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.