Ethnicity
Hispanic/Latino
Hobbies and interests
Baking
Sewing
Cooking
Reading
Crafting
Drawing And Illustration
Movies And Film
Animals
Bible Study
Business And Entrepreneurship
Candle Making
Child Development
Church
Cleaning
Coffee
Community Service And Volunteering
Cosmetology
Concerts
Collaging
Culinary Arts
Driving
Finance
Graphic Design
Food And Eating
Journaling
Hospitality
Math
Music
Nails
Pet Care
Self Care
Shopping And Thrifting
Soap Making
Spending Time With Friends and Family
Spirituality
Studying
Travel And Tourism
YouTube
Writing
Reading
Drama
Christianity
Art
Christian Fiction
Cookbooks
Crafts
Food and Drink
How-To
Self-Help
Spirituality
I read books multiple times per month
nicole moreno
2,595
Bold Points3x
Nominee1x
Finalistnicole moreno
2,595
Bold Points3x
Nominee1x
FinalistBio
Hi, my name is Nicole, I enjoy doing nails, sewing, cooking, baking, cleaning, and bible studies! I also enjoy showing others kindness and respect, as well as working hard as if I am doing it for the Lord Jesus Christ.
My mom became a single mother in 2018 after my grandpa passed away, leaving us without our Grandpa, and our dad because he was with another woman.
It has been challenging being raised by a single mother, but she showed us all, with God by our side, we could make it! She worked two jobs, leaving before the sun came up and getting home when the sun had gone down.
Seeing her dedication to work hard to provide for me and my siblings, and to still help others, has encouraged me to continue my education after high school.
My career choice is to one day pursue a cosmetology major to become a nail tech, as well as a business major to become an entrepreneur.
Not every one is given the opportunity to go to college due to financial or family complications, but I do believe that God will open doors of opportunities to have me be all that I can be for His glory, and to help others around me!
I am very passionate about saving, being wise in my finances, paying off all debt I may have, and sharing God's word to the world through the business that will come in the future.
I would be a great candidate for the scholarships offered to me, for I will not let you down, because I will be doing it for my Father in Heaven!
I pray that God will open up doors for me to be eligible for scholarships so I can pursue my passion to excel in my education, and learn new things!
Education
Howard College
Associate's degree programMajors:
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other
Stamford High School
High SchoolMiscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Associate's degree program
Majors of interest:
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other
- Bible/Biblical Studies
- Cooking and Related Culinary Arts, General
- Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry
- Religion/Religious Studies
- Data Entry/Microcomputer Applications
- Religious Music and Worship
- Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
- Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
- Business Administration, Management and Operations
- Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
- Culinary, Entertainment, and Personal Services, Other
Career
Dream career field:
Business Supplies and Equipment
Dream career goals:
Have my own business, entrepreneur.
Sales Associate
Wal-Mart2022 – Present2 years
Arts
Stamford High School
Drawingna2019 – 2022
Public services
Volunteering
City of Stamford — Volunteer2020 – 2022Volunteering
Stamford High School — Concession Stand Assistant2021 – 2022Volunteering
Chamber of Commerce — Organize and clean.2022 – 2023Volunteering
First Baptist Church — Assist/serve.2021 – 2022Volunteering
Grand Theater — Volunteer2022 – 2023Volunteering
Museum of the West Texas Frontier — Volunteer2022 – 2023
Future Interests
Philanthropy
Entrepreneurship
Gomez Family Legacy Scholarship
Many people believe that if they have no money they won't be able to move on to college after high school. As a high school student who is about to graduate in a few months, I believe this statement is false. Through the help of Jesus Christ and these scholarships, it is possible.
While in high school I never really knew what career I wanted to pursue. I just knew that whatever job I choose, I want to be able to live life comfortably financially without putting myself in debt. During the pandemic, I learned how to sew, as I had the desire to make tote bags. During the summer I would spend most of my days sewing quilts, scrunchies, and tote bags. At the time, I felt so much peace about sewing and I knew that God would have an overflowing outcome through the creativity He put in my possession. God has given me the desire to pursue a career that would honor and glorify Him. I sought God and still do, so that He would show me the path He wants me to take; He showed me that He wanted me to start my own business selling totes and fashion accessories. God has given me several ideas of unique designs to put on the tote bags or hoodies that I will be selling. Being able to glorify God, and share His word and encouragement with others is what motivates me to have good success. Being a pastor or someone who is in church all the time is not required to share God's goodness with others. Through the business God will help me create, I will be able to reach ordinary people throughout the world who don't attend church or know who God is personally.
Pursuing an education is important to me because I want to gain a wider range of understanding in the business world. Being able to learn how to budget and manage money is a key part of running a successful business. Receiving education on how to manage money will help me understand how to manage money in my personal life as well. Going to college is important to me because it will be the start of my future.
Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to apply for this scholarship. Without the help of you and others providing these scholarships, students like myself wouldn't be able to have this financial jumpstart to pursue the career of our dreams and change the lives around us.
God bless, Nicole Moreno
Financial Literacy Importance Scholarship
Hi, my name is Nicole. I am an 18 years old Senior at Stamford High School, with a GPA of 3.66.
I believe that as a student, it is important for me to learn how to manage my money in a way that keeps me debt free, while also being able to enjoy the money that I work hard for. I understand that living on my own and having to pay high rent is going to be challenging, but I know that God will give me the guidance to have more than enough, financially when I rely on Him. Being in college means you’ll need to pay tuition, currently I am and have been applying to multiple scholarships so that I will be able to pay off my tuition without being in debt, as many people are. Being able to pay off my tuition would give me that jump start to create my own business without having the weight of student debt on my shoulders. When you have debt it will lead to a low credit score, and having a low credit score will make it more difficult to make large purchases. So all around, being able to manage your finances as a student in college is important as it will lead you to live a comfortable life.
Seven months ago I started a job at Walmart, which gave me the desire to save and manage my income wisely. I am currently in three finance classes this year: Financial math, economics, and career prep. Each class shows similar but different aspects of the finance part of life such as filing taxes, budgeting, investing, saving for a home or car, and being prepared for my future financially.
An important thing that these classes have taught me is that I should always have an emergency fund, just in case I don't have enough money for rent, or if a tire blows out on whatever car I may have. Being able to keep my paychecks and having no bills at the moment, provides me with the jump start to save and get ahead financially. Currently, I have saved enough for a downpayment on a used car as well as an emergency fund. I am continuing to add money to it as I don't ever want to be in a financial bind. Little by little I buy things that I will need for my apartment so that when it's time to move, I don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on household items at once.
Since I started getting my paychecks I have used the “envelope system” which means that I keep cash saved in envelopes that are labeled and set aside for a later time. I have an envelope for my prom dress, a downpayment for a car, a rainy day, and an emergency fund. Having my money saved in envelopes helps me to understand that I can't use the money until I need it and it also helps me to not grab the money. Since this money is not in my savings account it makes it more difficult for me to get a hold of it.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my application as well as for providing me with the opportunity to apply for this scholarship.
God Bless,
Nicole Moreno
iMatter Ministry Memorial Scholarship
Hi, my name is Nicole. I am 18 years old, a Senior at SHS, with a GPA of 3.66.
I enjoy sewing, baking, cooking, cleaning, having things organized, reading, doing Bible studies, doing acrylic nails, drawing, and going to Christian concerts with my mom!
I currently work to save my money for things I will need when I head off to college: cleaning supplies for my apartment, furniture, not to forget books and a computer!
God has been my mom's supporter, financially and mentally, and with that, it has impacted my life to seek a relationship with God, and to share that love with others in my community and every person I come in contact with!
I have had the opportunity throughout my High School years to be involved in different volunteer activities: Vacation Bible School at First Baptist Church, assisting elementary students with activities at church; serving at the concession stand anytime we had home football games; cleaning up my town by volunteering at the City of Stamford; Volunteering at our local movie theater, the Grand Theater, cleaning and preparing for the weekend movie viewings; cleaning and organizing the Museum of the West Texas Frontier; and helping the Chamber of Commerce wherever I am needed!
I am in a program called Pals at school, and we go every week to the Elementary School, and I got to paint my 2 little girls' nails, they were so excited to have us paint their nails, and that made my heart happy to see their faces light up with gratitude! Seeing the joy children and the elderly receive by having someone give them that attention, fellowship, and companionship encourages me to dedicate my time to serving the way God serves!
As children of a single-parent household, it has been tough, but rewarding to see my mom's faith.
That same faith & love my Mom has for God, I want to take that with me as I go to college and impact the lives of those around me.
I want others who feel like they are not smart enough, pretty enough, or talented enough to know that our biggest impact does not come from our social status, how high our GPA is, or how popular or rich we are. What I want to bring into the world is the love of Jesus! How He loves us no matter how distant we have become from Him. How He loves us when we feel like we are undeserving of love.
God Bless,
Nicole Moreno
Yvela Michele Memorial Scholarship for Resilient Single Parents
Hi, my name is Nicole, "Coco" Moreno. I am the youngest of 3 children and the last to graduate!
My family consists of: Mom, Dad, me, older brother and sister, a family that my friends at school would tell me, "Wow, your parents are still together?!" 23 years together until 5 years ago, that title of "being a child of both mom and dad living in the same home", was taken from me, but God came in and restored what had been broken; assuring us all that we were still loved!
I have been accepted into Lubbock Christian University, and Howard College, but the cost of tuition, and being so far from my mom and siblings, have made my decision to accept enrollment at Howard College in San Angelo Tx.
Will it be scary to be away from my mom when it's been us for the past 5 years? Yes! Although I know now that I will not be alone, God will go with me!
5 years ago, an unexpected shock came upon my family. My God-fearing Grandpa, who loved us so much, and always made sure we knew about God, and who He was, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Prostate & Bone cancer, and passed away six months after he was diagnosed in 2017.
At that time my mom also found out that my dad was having an affair the whole time she was caring for my grandpa, leaving us vulnerable, broken, and angry that our family had been torn apart!
With no help from my Dad, I saw how much my mom struggled to make sure we were all taken care of. When we saw her cry, we became angry with our Dad. How could he?! She had barely lost her Dad, and he was with another girl.
I have seen pictures of my Mom, I was about 5 years old, too young to remember, in a coma from a car wreck my Mom & Dad were in. I have seen her take care of my brother when he got cancer at 12, and my sister was diagnosed at 13 with diabetes; I have seen her go to dialysis on the bus with my Grandpa before he got cancer, but through it all, she kept doing for others.
Mom would always tell us, "Call your Dad and check on him."
She has been a single mother & single woman of God for 5 years, with no support from Dad, but with God, He has been our supporter, financially and mentally.
She has always encouraged me and my siblings to keep pursuing God and told us how smart we each were daily, and how much we were loved.
I not only want to help the burden off of mom with my living expenses & college tuition and books; I want to make her proud and God proud!
With my education in place, I want to be an entrepreneur to be a servant of others with the knowledge I receive through my College experience. I also want the share the Word of God through the making of tote bags, hoodies, and other fashion accessories, reflecting God's goodness and love!
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for considering me for the scholarship award.
God bless,
Nicole Moreno
Overcoming Adversity - Jack Terry Memorial Scholarship
Hi, my name is Nicole, and I would say, I personally have not experienced adversity, but that would not be true.
Since I was born, my dad was an alcoholic, but he always provided for me and my family. In 2018, the unexpected happen the day after we buried my grandpa; my mom got a call by accident, from my dad arguing with another woman on the phone about him having to give my mom money.
What could be worse than barely losing our God-fearing grandpa, who always made sure to call us every night, pray with us, and remind us that Jesus loved us, to having our dad cheat on our mom?
We were so mad that he had done this! I was upset with him for the longest time, but because my mom chose to seek God to help her during this heartbreaking time, she was able to love even when it hurt her.
We experienced my dad coming over to the house, drunk, arguing, and verbally abusing my mom. We endured his angry behavior, him coming to our home, and destroying things in our house, never knowing when he would show up drunk again. It was tough to see the path my dad took to cope with the loss of his family: alcohol, drugs, and women, but because of my mom's obedience to God, we have come together and continued to pray for our dad, and only by the GRACE of God, my family has been able to recover from tragedy after tragedy. Is my dad changing? Yes!
I have also had to be without my mom's presence when my Mom & Dad were in a bad car wreck that left her in a coma for about 16 days. I have seen her take care of my brother when he got cancer at 12, and my sister was diagnosed at 13 with diabetes. I have seen her take care of my grandpa when he got cancer after 10-plus years of having dialysis treatments; we would go visit grandma at the hospital when she had multiple heart attacks, but yet God still had them both here for a purpose! So my mom's presence was missed a lot, but I know see the love she had for God and to serve others, and I want to be able to love and serve others and love God the way I have been given the example.
As children of a single-parent household, it has been tough, but rewarding to see my mom's faith.
God has been my mom's supporter, financially and mentally, and with that, it has impacted my life to seek a relationship with God.
That same faith & love Mom has for God, I want to take that with me as I go to college and impact the lives of those around me.
I want to help the hurting. I want to help be that listening ear. I want to help encourage others.
How will I be able to afford a computer, apartment, utilities, books, or tuition, I do not know, but my TRUST is in God who provides for our every need!
God Bless,
Nicole Moreno
Sammy Ochoa Memorial Scholarship
Hi, my name is Nicole, and like Sammy, my grandpa was also a man of faith until the day God called him home.
I remember mom called us out of school so we could spend the day with mom, grandma & grandpa, and I got to experience the beauty of mom holding my grandpa's hand, praying with him, and hearing my grandma sing, "One Day At A Time" when my grandpa passed away in his home.
He lived in Knox City Tx., and my mom would spend every weekend checking on them, helping them, and caring for their needs.
Each time we went to visit with mom, my grandpa would always share Jesus with us, and my grandma would sing us worship songs. He would always tell us to call him "Amigo", because Jesus was a friend to all!
When my mom prepared for my grandpa's funeral that Friday, she went up to the church first, then my dad took us, and after the service, he left for Abilene to take his brother home but never came back home.
The next morning, mom told us she wanted to take us to the movies to spend time with us since she had spent a lot of time caring for my grandpa, not knowing the day God was going to call him home.
While traveling to Abilene, her phone rang, she answered it, and started crying hard! She called Dad back and all we heard was, "Who was that girl!?"
She apologized and said she could not take us to the movies because she just heard Dad arguing with another girl. We went home, and she started packing all his stuff.
We were so mad that he had done this to mom! I was upset with him for the longest time, but because my mom chose to seek God to help her during this heartbreaking time, she was able to love even when it hurt her.
Over time, we did listen to mom, each time she would tell us to call him and check to see how he was doing, and we started calling him, leaving behind the hurt he caused us all.
Only by the GRACE of God, my family has been able to recover from tragedy after tragedy.
I have seen pictures of my Mom in a coma from a car wreck my Mom & Dad were in. I have seen her take care of my brother when he got cancer at 12, and my sister was diagnosed at 13 with diabetes. I have seen her take care of my grandpa when he got cancer after 10-plus years of having dialysis treatments; we would go visit grandma at the hospital when she had multiple heart attacks, but yet God still had them both here for a purpose!
As children of a single-parent household, it has been tough, but rewarding to see my mom's faith.
God has been my mom's supporter, financially and mentally, and with that, it has impacted my life to seek a relationship with God.
That same faith & love Mom has for God, I want to take that with me as I go to college and impact the lives of those around me.
I want to help the hurting. I want to help be that listening ear. I want to help encourage others.
How will I be able to afford a computer, apartment, utilities, books, or tuition, I do not know, but my TRUST is in God who provides for our every need!
God Bless,
Nicole Moreno
Maverick Grill and Saloon Scholarship
Hi, my name is Nicole. I am 18 years old, and a Senior at SHS.
What makes me unique? I would have to say my idea of "fun" is sewing, baking, cooking, cleaning, having things organized, reading, doing Bible studies, doing acrylic nails, drawing, and going to Christian concerts with my mom!
Most students my age do not do the things I do. I do not go to "sports gatherings". I do not "fit in" with peers who are invited to parties. I work to save my money for things I will need when I head off to college: cleaning supplies for my apartment, furniture, not to forget books and a computer!
Seeing how much my mom has struggled to help me, my brother and my sister out; to help them establish an apartment of their own when they graduated High School, has made me very grateful and humble. Providing for the needs of others has become something that I saw my mom do for a very long time.
With no help from my Dad, I saw how much she struggled to make sure we were all taken care of. My grandpa passed away in 2018 from Stage 4 Prostate & Bone Cancer, and the day after the funeral, my mom got a call that would impact us all!
She got a call from my Dad, only to pick up and hang up crying hard!
When we saw her cry, we became angry with our Dad. How could he?! She had barely lost her Dad, and he was with another girl.
We hated him for the longest time, but we saw Mom's faith & the love she had for our Dad & God.
She would always tell us, "Call your Dad and check on him."
She has been a single mother with no support from Dad for about 5 years; working two jobs, making burritos, and cleaning houses for income, but God has given her the ability to do what needed to be done to support us.
God has been my mom's supporter, financially and mentally, and with that, it has impacted my life to seek a relationship with God.
I see the joy in her heart, I see how much God has helped her through trials, and difficult seasons we all had to endure with my dad's abuse of alcohol, and God is working on my dad, for that I am grateful.
I have seen pictures of my Mom, I was about 5 years old, in a coma from a car wreck my Mom & Dad were in. I have seen her take care of my brother when he got cancer at 12, and my sister was diagnosed at 13 with diabetes; I have seen her go to dialysis on the bus with my Grandpa before he got cancer, but through it all, she kept doing for others.
She has always encouraged me and my siblings to keep pursuing God and told us how smart we each were daily, and how much we were loved.
I plan to give back to my community by helping and volunteering. I have volunteered at my church, First Baptist Church, assisting elementary students with activities, helping at Concession Stand, and providing kind and helpful customer service during our football games, City of Stamford, Chamber of Commerce, Grand Theater, and our Museum.
That same faith & love Mom has for God, I want to take that with me as I go to college and impact the lives of those around me.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Nicole Moreno
David Michael Lopez Memorial Scholarship
Hi, my name is Nicole. I am 18 years old, a Senior at SHS, with a GPA of 3.66.
I enjoy sewing, baking, cooking, cleaning, having things organized, reading, doing Bible studies, doing acrylic nails, drawing, and going to Christian concerts with my mom!
I currently work to save my money for things I will need when I head off to college: cleaning supplies for my apartment, furniture, not to forget books and a computer!
My future goal for education is to balance my social time, and work, and make sure I always put God first, to make it possible for me to accomplish all He has for me!
I have competed in baking competitions at school and won 1st place. I have enjoyed the classes I have taken: Child Development, Business Mgmt., FCCLA, Intro. to Culinary Arts, OSHA Certificate, and enjoyed participating in competitions! 5th place FCCLA Cupcake Battle, 1st place - Jones Co. Fair Baking Competition, 3rd place Creed Mission Test (FCCLA).
God has been my mom's supporter, financially and mentally, and with that, it has impacted my life to seek a relationship with God.
I have seen pictures of my Mom in a coma from a car wreck my Mom & Dad were in. I have seen her take care of my brother when he got cancer at 12, and my sister was diagnosed at 13 with diabetes. Seen her take care of my grandpa when he got cancer.
As a child of a single-parent household, it has been tough, but rewarding to see my mom's faith.
That same faith & love Mom has for God, I want to take that with me as I go to college and impact the lives of those around me.
God Bless,
Nicole Moreno
Curtis Holloway Memorial Scholarship
Who has supported me, financially, and emotionally? That would be easy to answer, my Mom.
My family: Mom, Dad, me, older brother and sister, a family that my friends at school would tell me, "Wow, your parents are still together?!" 23 years together.
5 years ago, an unexpected shock came upon my family. My God-fearing Grandpa, who loved us so much, and always made sure we knew about God, and who He was, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Prostate & Bone cancer. My Mom always took care of her disabled parents, and when we heard he had cancer our hearts broke.
Six months after he was diagnosed in 2017, he passed away in 2018. I saw my mom wake up early, prepare us breakfast, take us to school and go to see my Grandma & Grandpa before she had to be at work at 9.
With no help from my Dad, I saw how much she struggled to make sure we were all taken care of. On the day of my Grandpa's funeral, my Mom was at the church preparing for the service, and my Dad took me & my siblings later. After leaving the funeral, my Dad left to take his brother home and didn't come back that night. The next morning, exhausted, Mom said she wanted to take us to watch a movie and spend time with us.
She had called my Dad to ask for money, and as we were getting close to town, she got a call from my Dad, only to pick up and hang up crying hard!
She called right back, and we could hear her say, "Who was that girl!". After the phone call she said, "Sorry baby's I can not take you to the movies, I just heard your Dad arguing with another girl!"
We went straight home, and from that day she became a "single" mother.
I have seen pictures of my Mom, I was about 5 years old, too young to remember, in a coma from a car wreck my Mom & Dad were in. I have seen her take care of my brother when he got cancer at 12, and my sister was diagnosed at 13 with diabetes; I have seen her go to dialysis on the bus with my Grandpa before he got cancer, but through it all, she kept doing for others.
When we saw her cry, we became angry with our Dad. How could he?! She had barely lost her Dad, and he was with another girl.
We hated him for the longest time, but we saw Mom's faith and the love she had for our Dad & God.
She would always tell us, "Call your Dad and check on him."
She has been a single mother & single woman of God for 5 years, with no support from Dad, but with God, He has been our supporter, financially and mentally.
She has always encouraged me and my siblings to keep pursuing God and told us how smart we each were daily, and how much we were loved.
I not only want to help the burden off of mom with my living expenses & college tuition and books; I want to make her proud and God proud!
To this day, Mom believes that God is going to change our Dad, and He is. That same faith & love Mom has for God, I want to take that with me as I go to college and impact the lives of those around me.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Nicole Moreno
Kristie's Kids - Loving Arms Around Those Impacted By Cancer Scholarship
Hi, my name is Nicole. I am 18 years old, a Senior at Stamford High School, with a GPA of 3.66.
How has cancer affected my life? When I was 9, my 12-year-old brother went in for a visit with the doctor because he felt a knot on his neck. Mom called Dad to tell us that she was not coming home, they were sending them to Cooks in Ft. Worth because it appeared to be cancer.
I was scared for my brother, but I saw something in him that encouraged me. He always smiled even when I knew he felt sick. What turned out to be a day visit to the doctor, became over a month that they had to stay in Ft. Worth.
My dad would take us up there on the weekends to see my mom and brother, but then the sadness came when we had to leave them on Sundays. This Sept. 2023 will be 8 years in remission, and his long journey of chemo and sickness.
Five years ago, my God-fearing grandpa, who always spoke of Jesus, and had a smile that showed who Jesus was, got diagnosed with Stage 4 Prostate & Bone Cancer. Again, we felt confused, scared and worried that we would see grandpa go through the harsh treatments and sickness, but grandpa had been going for dialysis treatments for 10 years mom said, so he could not do chemotherapy.
Well, he passed away in 2018 from his fight against cancer, but our fight did not end there. The day after my grandpa's funeral my mom found out that my dad had been cheating on her.
She was heartbroken. I was upset that he had done that; my brother and sister hated him for some time for cheating on mom when she was taking care of her dad. I hear my mom's words, "Call your dad and check on him". Only because she sought God out, is she still in love with him to this day. She has forgiven him, and by her example, we have forgiven him too.
No matter how hurt she was, she sought Jesus to help her heal. She did, and it has left an impact on our lives to never give up! When we are weak, He is strong!
I and my family have experienced a lot of difficulties and heartaches, but through it all, I still enjoy the life God has given us all!
I love to sew, do acrylic nails, bake, cook, go to Christian concerts with my mom, make tote bags, and visit friends and family.
Going to college will help me to accomplish what God has called me to do! To help others in their time of need.
God has been my mom's supporter, financially and mentally, and has impacted my life to seek a relationship with God.
I have seen pictures of my Mom in a coma from a car wreck my Mom & Dad were in. I have seen her take care of my brother when he got cancer at 12, and my sister was diagnosed at 13 with diabetes. Seen her take care of my grandpa when he got cancer.
As children of a single-parent household, it has been tough, but rewarding to see my mom's faith.
Cancer is a scary thing, but going through battles without God can be even scarier.
Thank you for taking the time to read my essay for consideration for this scholarship.
Nicole Moreno
Beatrice Diaz Memorial Scholarship
Hi, my name is Nicole Moreno. I am 18 years old, a Senior at Stamford High School, and I come from a single-parent household.
I enjoy sewing, baking, cooking, cleaning, having things organized, reading, doing Bible studies, doing acrylic nails, drawing, and going to Christian concerts with my mom!
My grandpa was diagnosed in 2017, he passed away in 2018. I saw my mom wake up early, prepare us breakfast, take us to school and go to see my Grandma & Grandpa before she had to be at work at 9.
With no help from my Dad, I saw how much she struggled to make sure we were all taken care of. On the day of my Grandpa's funeral, my Mom was at the church preparing for the service, and my Dad took me & my siblings later. After leaving the funeral, my Dad left to take his brother home and didn't come back that night. The next morning, exhausted, Mom said she wanted to take us to watch a movie and spend time with us.
She had called my dad to ask for money, and as we were getting close to town, she got a call from my dad, only to pick up and hang up crying hard!
When we saw her cry, we became angry with our dad. How could he?! She had barely lost her Dad, and he was with another girl.
We were upset with his actions for the longest time, but we saw Mom's faith and the love she had for our dad & God.
She would always tell us, "Call your dad and check on him."
She has been a single mother with no support from my dad for about 5 years. She worked two jobs when tax season rolled around, she made burritos, and she cleaned houses for income, but God has given her the ability to do what needed to be done to support my siblings and I.
God has been my mom's supporter, financially and mentally, and with that, it has impacted my life to seek a relationship with God.
I see the joy in her heart, I see how much God has helped her through trials, and difficult seasons we all had to endure with my dad's abuse of alcohol, and God is working on my dad, for that I am grateful.
I have seen pictures of my Mom, I was about 5 years old, in a coma from a car wreck my mom & dad were in. I have seen her take care of my brother when he got cancer at 12, and my sister was diagnosed at 13 with diabetes; I have seen her go to dialysis on the bus with my Grandpa before he got cancer, but through it all, she kept doing for others.
She has always encouraged me and my siblings to keep pursuing God and told us how smart we each were daily, and how much we were loved.
I not only want to help the burden off of mom with my living expenses & college tuition and books; I want to make her proud and God proud!
That same faith & love Mom has for God, want to take that with me as I go to college and impact the lives of those around me.
With a degree in business, I would have the chance to apply that knowledge in managing different businesses and passions I have to help my family and others in need, financially, spiritually and mentally.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Nicole Moreno
Deborah Thomas Scholarship Award
Being creative is a trait that I have had since I was a little girl. Through everything I have been through and seen, I know the Lord will use the trials for my good. When I graduate from college I want to become an entrepreneur, creating tote bags and fashion accessories, while also sharing scriptures and encouraging messages through them to impact the world.
Around the age of 14 is when life became chaotic for me. I believe it all started when my grandpa was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate and bone cancer. He would always share the Word of God with my family and I, even when we didn't want to listen to it.
At the time my grandpa was also attending dialysis, and since his cancer was progressing quickly he wasn't able to attend anymore. Towards the last couple of months that my grandpa was alive, my mom spent most of her time caring for my grandparents, even as she was working two jobs during tax season. My family and I hardly saw her, but we understood, considering the circumstances she was under.
My dad on the other hand, also worked hard, but he would often go to the bar after work, so seeing him come home late was normal for my siblings and me being home alone.
In April of 2018 is when my grandpa passed away. On the day of his funeral, my dad did attend, but shortly after the service was done he went out of town to take my uncle home. That night he didn't come home and the next day my family and I were supposed to watch a movie. On our way there my mom received an accidental call from my dad, when she answered she heard him talking about money with another woman. Shortly after, we found out that my dad was having an affair on my mom.
For months she prayed about what she would do and eventually she felt peace about divorcing him. When my parents got divorced, my mom turned to God while my dad turned to drugs, alcohol, and women. Seeing the life my dad was living was very sad, and it caused me to run to God.
In 2020, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Through everything I had been through previously, God was the only reason that I continued to push forward, even when life seemed like it couldn't get any worse. Seeing what God had done in and through my life, I want to share His goodness with others.
During the pandemic, I learned how to sew and from the beginning, I always felt that God would bring something great out of it. In the fall of 2023, I will be attending Howard College to get a degree in Business Management.
Through receiving this degree I plan to become an entrepreneur and make fashion accessories. I truly want to show the world and people who know nothing about God, that He is good, and that He can bring anyone out of the dark hole they may feel that they are living in. God has recently given me visions of what to print on my creations, whether it's on a hoodie or a tote bag. It would be amazing for me to have the opportunity to make these visions come to life. People will be able to purchase items with ideas that come straight from our Creator.
Thank you so much for providing me with the opportunity to apply for this scholarship and to tell my story.
- Nicole Moreno