When people think about the challenges of being a single mother in college, they often think about time management. While that is certainly part of the experience, the reality is much more complex. Being a single mother means carrying every responsibility alone. There is no one to split school pickups, stay home with a sick child, attend school events, help with homework, or simply take over for an evening so I can focus on studying. Every decision, every unexpected expense, and every obstacle ultimately falls to me. I completed the last few classes of my Bachelor of General Studies while working as a restaurant server and raising my six-year-old son on my own. This fall, I will begin a Master of Social Work program. Pursuing higher education has required me to carefully balance my work schedule, childcare, coursework, household responsibilities, and parenting without the support of a co-parent. My son's schedule often determines my own, meaning I build my work hours, coursework, studying, and even appointments around his needs. I have learned to study during his extracurricular activities, late at night after he falls asleep, early in the morning, or whenever I can find a quiet moment. The financial challenges of being a single parent pursuing higher education are constant. Tuition is only one expense. There are also textbooks, technology fees, transportation, childcare, school supplies, groceries, housing, and countless everyday expenses that cannot be postponed simply because tuition is due. Every semester requires careful budgeting and difficult decisions about where limited financial resources should be allocated. Scholarships make a meaningful difference because they allow me to spend less time worrying about how to pay for school and more time focusing on becoming the best future social worker I can be. One of the greatest challenges has been the emotional weight of knowing that there is no backup plan. If my son is sick, I am the one who rearranges work and school. If an unexpected bill arises, I am the one who figures out how to pay it. If I become overwhelmed, there is rarely an opportunity to step away because my responsibilities continue regardless of how I feel. Balancing those realities while maintaining strong academic performance has required resilience, adaptability, and careful planning. Despite these challenges, I have never viewed higher education as something I was willing to give up, even while I had to delay my studies for a number of years. My son is one of my greatest motivations. I want him to grow up seeing that perseverance, education, and hard work can change the trajectory of a person's life. I also want him to understand that obstacles do not have to determine his future. Every assignment I completed, every exam I studied for, and every semester I finished brought me one step closer to building greater stability for both of us. My long-term goal is to work with children and families impacted by neurodivergence, trauma, mental health challenges, and substance use. My experiences as a single mother have strengthened my empathy for families facing overwhelming circumstances and reinforced my belief that everyone deserves support, understanding, and access to resources that help them succeed. I understand firsthand how much difference one compassionate professional can make when a parent is trying to navigate challenges alone, and I hope to become that source of support for other families. Being a single mother while pursuing higher education has been one of the most difficult challenges of my life, but it has also been one of the most rewarding. It has taught me resilience, perseverance, and the importance of continuing to move forward even when the path is difficult. Those lessons will not end with graduation—they will shape the social worker, mother, and advocate I continue striving to become.

For much of my life, my educational and professional goals felt more distant than achievable. However, over time I learned that accomplishing long-term goals requires more than ambition alone. It requires planning, adaptability, financial sacrifice, and the willingness to continue moving forward even when progress feels slow. My primary goal is to become a licensed clinical social worker working with children and families impacted by trauma, mental health challenges, substance use, and family instability. I am especially interested in school-based social work and community mental health because I want to help individuals navigate systems that often feel confusing, inaccessible, or overwhelming. I recently completed my Bachelor of General Studies with a concentration in Social Work and Drug & Alcohol Counseling while balancing full-time work and single motherhood. This fall, I will begin a Master of Social Work program, which is the next major step toward achieving my long-term goals. My immediate plan is to successfully complete my MSW program while continuing to support myself and my son financially. Because I am a single parent, financial planning and time management are essential parts of my educational plan rather than afterthoughts. My current plan involves continuing to work in the restaurant industry throughout graduate school because it provides the flexibility necessary to balance coursework, field placements, and parenting responsibilities. I also plan to utilize financial aid, scholarships, and careful budgeting to reduce student loan debt as much as possible. Graduate school expenses will include tuition, textbooks, licensing preparation materials, transportation to field placements, childcare costs, and everyday living expenses. My goal is to minimize unnecessary debt while still allowing myself to fully participate in educational and professional opportunities that will strengthen my future career. In addition to financial planning, I have spent significant time thinking about the practical and emotional aspects of completing graduate school successfully. One of the biggest challenges I have faced academically has been managing ADHD-related executive dysfunction, particularly with organization and task initiation. Since being diagnosed with ADHD at thirty years old, I have worked hard to develop strategies that help me succeed academically and personally. These include structured scheduling, breaking larger tasks into smaller steps, using organizational tools, and creating realistic routines that account for both school and parenting responsibilities. Understanding how my brain functions has allowed me to approach challenges more effectively rather than viewing my struggles as personal failures. Beyond graduate school, my long-term plan is to pursue clinical licensure so I can provide therapeutic support and advocacy services via school counseling and possibly also private practice. I hope to gain experience through internships and employment opportunities involving schools, behavioral health programs, or community-based family services. My goal is not only to provide emotional support and counseling, but also to help families better understand and access the resources available to them. Throughout my life, I have learned that success rarely follows a perfect or traditional timeline. My path has required flexibility, resilience, and constant reevaluation of how to move forward while balancing financial realities, parenting, work, and education. However, those experiences have also strengthened my determination and given me a clear understanding of why I am pursuing this career. My long-term goal is to create stability and opportunity not only for myself and my son, but also for the individuals and families I hope to serve through my future work in social work and mental health.

Relationships have shaped nearly every aspect of my life, including the way I view myself, the way I connect with others, and the career I hope to build. As both the child of a single mother and now a single mother myself, I have spent much of my life thinking about the ways relationships influence stability, opportunity, emotional well-being, and personal growth. Those experiences have taught me that meaningful human connection is often one of the most powerful forces shaping a person’s future. Growing up, I saw firsthand how difficult it can be to navigate life without strong support systems. While my mother did the best she could under challenging circumstances, there were many times throughout my childhood and adolescence when I felt emotionally unsupported and left to navigate important situations largely on my own. As I got older, I began realizing how deeply relationships — or the absence of them — can affect confidence, mental health, decision-making, and the ability to envision a stable future. Those experiences shaped the way I approach relationships today, particularly as a parent. Becoming a mother gave me an entirely new perspective on connection, consistency, and emotional presence. One of the most important goals in my life is creating the kind of stable and supportive environment that I often longed for growing up. I want my son to feel emotionally safe, valued, encouraged, and genuinely supported as he grows. Parenthood has taught me that meaningful relationships are not built through perfection, but through consistency, empathy, trust, and showing up for someone day after day, even during difficult seasons of life. My experiences have also influenced the way I connect with people outside my family. Over the years, I have often become the person friends and loved ones turn to when they are overwhelmed, struggling, or unsure where to begin. Whether helping someone navigate resources, listening without judgment, or simply offering emotional support during difficult periods, I have come to understand how important it is for people to feel heard and understood. Many people are carrying invisible struggles, and sometimes feeling genuinely supported by another person can make an enormous difference in their ability to move forward. These experiences directly influenced my decision to pursue social work. I recently completed my Bachelor of General Studies with a concentration in Social Work and Drug & Alcohol Counseling and will begin a Master of Social Work program this fall. My long-term goal is to work with children and families impacted by trauma, mental health challenges, and substance use. In many ways, social work is rooted in relationships — helping people feel safe enough to trust, supported enough to ask for help, and empowered enough to believe change is possible. I believe relationships play a central role in both personal and professional growth because connection shapes the way people see themselves and the world around them. Healthy relationships can create stability, resilience, confidence, and hope, while the absence of support can leave people feeling isolated and overwhelmed. Because of my own experiences, I understand how meaningful it is to have someone who listens, supports, and believes in you, especially during difficult moments. As both the child of a single mother and a single mother myself, I have developed a deep appreciation for the power of human connection, emotional support, and community. Those experiences continue to shape not only the parent I strive to be, but also the kind of professional and person I hope to become.

I believe I deserve this scholarship not because my path has been perfect or traditional, but because I have continued pursuing my education despite circumstances that could have easily pushed me away from it entirely. What gives me an advantage is not that I have faced challenges, but that I have learned how to continue moving forward through them with persistence, self-awareness, and purpose. After graduating high school, I enrolled in community college fully believing I would eventually transfer to a well-known university and follow a traditional academic path. Growing up, I always saw myself as someone who would succeed academically and build a stable and successful future through education. However, my grades began slipping once I entered high school, and I found myself struggling in ways I did not fully understand at the time. Throughout my childhood, nearly every report card included some version of the phrase “is not working to her full potential.” Although it was likely intended as encouragement, it often felt like a backhanded compliment that implied I was somehow choosing not to succeed. The message I internalized was that I was intelligent and capable, but failing because of some personal shortcoming. What made those comments especially difficult was that they rarely came with guidance or explanation. No one seemed able to explain why staying organized, starting assignments, focusing, or completing schoolwork felt so much harder for me than it appeared to be for everyone else. At home, my education was largely something I was expected to navigate independently. My mother was not actively involved in my schoolwork or the college application process, and I often felt like I was flailing without direction during my junior and senior years of high school. I also slipped through the cracks with teachers and guidance counselors, leaving me to figure out major educational decisions largely on my own. Through a combination of personal struggles, financial instability, life circumstances, and choices I made during my adolescence and young adulthood, my educational path became far more complicated than I ever expected. Over time, watching myself drift further away from the goals I once imagined for my life became something that weighed heavily on me. Even though I always knew I was intelligent, I spent years feeling like there was something fundamentally wrong with me. It was not until I was diagnosed with ADHD at thirty years old that I finally began understanding what had actually been happening throughout much of my life. As I learned more about executive dysfunction and the ways ADHD affects motivation, task initiation, organization, and attention, I realized that many of the struggles I had interpreted as personal failures were actually connected to the way my brain is wired. For the first time, I understood that I was not lazy, careless, or incapable. My brain simply functions differently, and learning that completely changed the way I viewed myself and my ability to succeed. By the time I returned to school, I was balancing far more than academics alone. As a single mother working full time in the restaurant industry, pursuing higher education often felt secondary to simply trying to survive financially and emotionally. Balancing work, parenting, coursework, and everyday responsibilities frequently left me exhausted and overwhelmed. There were times I would sit in front of a blank document for hours, unable to figure out where to begin despite fully understanding the assignment itself. Over time, however, I learned how to work with my brain rather than constantly against it. I developed strategies that helped me break larger tasks into manageable pieces, organize my time more intentionally, and approach school in a way that was realistic for me. More importantly, I stopped viewing my struggles as evidence that I was incapable of success. Instead, I began recognizing the amount of persistence it took to continue pursuing my education despite circumstances that constantly made it feel out of reach. Today, I have completed my Bachelor of General Studies with a concentration in Social Work and Drug & Alcohol Counseling while balancing full-time work and single motherhood. Tomorrow, I will graduate and become the first person in my immediate family to earn a bachelor’s degree. This fall, I will continue into a Master of Social Work program with the goal of helping children and families impacted by trauma, mental health challenges, and substance use. What gives me an advantage is not that my path has been easier than others, but that I understand how difficult it can be to continue pursuing your goals when life does not unfold the way you expected. My experiences have made me resilient, empathetic, and deeply determined to create a different future for both myself and my son. Receiving this scholarship would help ease the financial burden of continuing my education while also recognizing the years of perseverance it took to get to this point.

My experiences with substance use have deeply shaped the direction of my life, my relationships, and the goals I now work toward every day. Substance use disorder has affected multiple generations of my family, including my mother, aunt, uncle, and cousin. Growing up surrounded by addiction gave me firsthand insight into how deeply substance use can impact not only the individual struggling, but also the people who love them. I witnessed instability, loss, and the ways addiction can quietly reshape entire families over time. Two losses in particular had a profound impact on me. My aunt passed away from a cancer that likely could have been treated much earlier had her heroin use not dulled the pain of a growing tumor. Just two months later, my uncle died from a heroin overdose only weeks after being released from prison on charges directly related to his addiction. Those experiences reinforced for me how devastating and complex substance use disorder can be, especially when trauma, mental health struggles, incarceration, and lack of support intersect. Substance use also affected my own life. In my adolescence and young adulthood, I too struggled with unhealthy patterns involving alcohol and opiates. I was arrested for a DUI in 2010, and although that charge was ultimately dismissed after I completed a diversionary program, eighteen months later, I received another DUI and this time was convicted. Beyond the legal consequences, I experienced deep embarrassment and shame surrounding my behavior while intoxicated and the choices I was making during that period of my life. Over time, I recognized the direction my life could take if I didn't make changes. I immediately stopped drinking and using drugs when I found out I was pregnant with my son. After he was born, I briefly returned to drinking occasionally, before ultimately making the decision to permanently stop later that year. It's now been six and a half years without opiates and five and a half years without alcohol. The greatest motivation behind those choices is my son. His father has struggled with opioid addiction for many years and has never been consistently involved in his life because of it. Watching the impact addiction can have on relationships and families reinforced my determination to create a different environment for my child. My son is already growing up without one parent due to substance use disorder, and I never want him to experience losing me in a similar way or questioning whether he is safe and cared for because of my choices. That responsibility continues to drive the life I'm building for the both of us. My experiences ultimately influenced my decision to pursue a Bachelor of General Studies with a concentration in Social Work and Drug & Alcohol Counseling, and I will be continuing on to a Master of Social Work program in the fall. My long-term goal is to work with children and families impacted by trauma, mental health challenges, and substance use. I understand firsthand how difficult it can be for people to ask for help or feel understood while struggling, and I hope to become the kind of professional who helps others feel supported rather than defined by their circumstances. While substance use has been part of my story, it doesn't define who I am or the future I'm working toward. My experiences have strengthened my empathy, accountability, and resilience, and they continue to shape both the parent and future social worker I hope to become.

I don't think selflessness always looks dramatic or extraordinary. In many cases, I believe it's found in consistency, reliability, and being willing to show up for people when they are overwhelmed or unsure of where to turn. Throughout my life, I have often become the person friends, family members, and others come to when they need help navigating difficult situations, accessing resources, or simply feeling supported during challenging times. Over the years, I have helped people locate housing resources, apply for assistance programs, navigate childcare and educational systems, and connect with mental health or substance abuse services. Many of these situations didn't involve formal volunteer work or recognition, but rather taking the time to listen, research options, explain confusing processes, and help people feel less alone while facing stressful circumstances. Because I have personally navigated many complex systems myself, I understand how overwhelming it can feel when someone does not know where to begin or feels intimidated asking for help. One experience that especially shaped my understanding of selflessness was supporting people close to me through mental health and substance abuse struggles. In those situations, I learned that helping others isn't always about having perfect answers. Sometimes it means remaining patient, listening without judgment, helping someone access support, or simply being a stable and trustworthy presence during difficult periods in their lives. Those experiences strengthened my empathy and reinforced the importance of compassion, boundaries, and consistency when supporting others. As a single mother balancing work, education, and parenting, I have come to understand how deeply selflessness is woven into motherhood. Much of parenting requires putting someone else’s needs ahead of your own, even when you are exhausted, overwhelmed, or uncertain yourself. Whether it is sacrificing time, sleep, financial stability, or personal comfort, motherhood has taught me the importance of consistency, patience, and showing up for someone every day regardless of circumstances. Those experiences have strengthened both my resilience and my desire to pursue a career centered on helping and supporting others. I embody selflessness by trying to make others feel supported, informed, and understood, especially during moments when life feels overwhelming. Whether through helping someone access resources, offering emotional support, or simply taking the time to listen, I believe small acts of compassion can have a lasting impact. My experiences have taught me that helping others does not require grand gestures. Often, it is the consistent willingness to show up that makes the greatest difference.

My “awkward” thing is probably that I can turn almost anything into a research project. Most people casually buy a frying pan, choose a graduate school, or pick a dry shampoo in about twenty minutes. I somehow turn it into a multi-day investigation involving spreadsheets, review comparisons, Reddit threads, and a level of analysis that probably concerns other people. I wish I were exaggerating. I have spent hours researching cookware materials, reading graduate program handbooks for fun, and comparing ingredient lists on hair products like I’m preparing a dissertation defense instead of going to Target. My brain has never really understood how to do things halfway. If something catches my interest, I want to understand all of it- every detail, every perspective, every possible outcome. Growing up, I honestly thought this made me strange. Other people seemed able to make quick decisions and move on with their lives while I was still deep-diving into online reviews written in 2017. I overthought things, asked too many questions, and analyzed situations far longer than most people around me. It took me a long time to realize that what I viewed as awkwardness was actually curiosity, persistence, and a genuine desire to understand the world around me. That same tendency has shaped nearly every part of my life. It has influenced the way I parent, the way I approach relationships, and the way I pursue education. As a nontraditional student balancing motherhood, full-time work, and college, my ability to deeply research, problem-solve, and think critically has become one of my greatest strengths. It is part of what led me toward social work, where understanding people and systems requires patience, curiosity, and the willingness to look beyond surface-level answers. I think my “awkward” trait has also made me more empathetic. When you spend a lot of time analyzing situations and perspectives, you begin to realize how complex people really are. Rarely anything is as simple as it first appears. That understanding has shaped the way I connect with others and the kind of career I hope to build helping people navigate difficult systems and circumstances. At this point, I’ve accepted that I will probably always be the person who spends three days researching a purchase most people make in ten minutes. But I’ve also realized that the qualities I once found embarrassing are the same qualities that have helped me grow academically, navigate challenges, and better understand the people around me. What once felt awkward has ultimately become one of the things that makes me who I am.

My experience with substance abuse has deeply influenced my beliefs, relationships, and career aspirations. Through both personal experience and the experiences of those around me, I have seen how substance use disorders can affect not only the individual struggling, but also the children, families, and support systems connected to them. Those experiences have shaped the way I understand people, the importance of empathy, and the kind of life and career I want to build moving forward. Substance abuse has affected multiple generations and relationships throughout my life. I grew up witnessing addiction within my own family, including my mother’s struggles with alcoholism and the impact of opioid addiction on extended family members and loved ones. Within a span of two months, I lost one family member to cancer and another to an overdose, experiences that reinforced how devastating and far-reaching substance use disorders can be. These experiences shaped not only my understanding of addiction, but also my belief that people struggling with substance abuse deserve compassion, support, and access to meaningful treatment rather than judgment. Over the years, I came to recognize that alcohol was an unhealthy presence in my life. While I had previously stopped drinking for more than three years, I ultimately made the decision to stop drinking again and have now gone more than five years without alcohol and more than six years without illicit substances. Those experiences required honesty, accountability, and a willingness to reevaluate the direction of my life. They also changed the way I view others struggling with substance abuse. Rather than seeing addiction as a moral failure, I have come to understand how deeply it can be connected to trauma, mental health, environment, and coping. These experiences have also shaped the way I approach relationships and family life. I have learned the importance of boundaries, emotional resilience, accountability, and consistency. As a mother, these experiences have had an even deeper impact on me. One of my greatest motivations is creating a stable and healthy home environment for my son. His father struggles with opioid addiction and hasn't been a part of his life in years. I want my little boy to grow up never knowing what it feels like to watch an adult he loves struggle with substance abuse. That goal has shaped many of the choices I have made over the last several years and continues to motivate the future I am working toward through education and personal growth. My experiences ultimately influenced my decision to pursue a Bachelor of General Studies with a concentration in Social Work and Drug & Alcohol Counseling, and I plan to continue into a Master of Social Work program. My long-term goal is to work in a clinical setting supporting children and families impacted by trauma, mental health challenges, and substance abuse. I am especially interested in helping individuals navigate complex social service systems while also providing emotional support and advocacy. I understand firsthand how difficult it can be for people to ask for help or feel understood while struggling. Because of this, I hope to become the kind of professional who helps others feel seen rather than defined by their circumstances. My experiences with substance abuse have strengthened my empathy, reshaped my goals, and reinforced my belief that healing, stability, and growth are possible when people are met with compassion and support.

My decision to pursue social work is rooted in both lived experience and a deep understanding of how difficult it can be for children and families to navigate educational, behavioral health, and support systems. I will soon complete my Bachelor of General Studies with a concentration in Social Work and Drug & Alcohol Counseling and plan to continue into a Master of Social Work program. My long-term goal is to work in a school or community-based clinical setting supporting children and families, particularly those who are struggling to access appropriate resources, accommodations, and support services. Some of the most important lessons I have learned about advocacy did not come from a classroom, but from personal experience. As someone with ADHD and the mother of a child with the same neurodivergence, I have firsthand experience navigating school systems, behavioral supports, childcare concerns, and community resources. While every disability and level of support need is different, these experiences have shown me how overwhelming and isolating it can feel for families trying to understand systems that are often difficult to navigate. I have learned how important it is for families to feel heard, respected, and supported by the professionals working alongside them. My educational path has not been traditional. As a single mother, I chose to pause my education and later return while balancing full-time work and parenting responsibilities. That experience strengthened my resilience, discipline, and ability to adapt under pressure. Throughout my academic work and field placements, I have developed practical skills in counseling, communication, and client support while also gaining a broader understanding of the barriers many families face when trying to access services. These experiences have reinforced my desire to work in a profession centered on advocacy, accessibility, and empowerment. I plan to make a positive social impact by helping children and families better understand and access the supports available to them. Too often, families are left feeling overwhelmed, dismissed, or unsure of where to turn. I hope to become the kind of social worker who helps bridge that gap by not only connecting individuals to resources, but also helping them feel informed, capable, and supported throughout the process. I am especially passionate about working within schools, where early intervention, collaboration, and advocacy can have a lasting impact on a child’s confidence, academic success, and overall well-being. To me, advocacy is not only about improving systems, but also about making people feel seen within them. Through both my education and future career, I hope to help create environments where children with special needs and their families feel understood, respected, and empowered to access the support they deserve.

For much of my life, mental health has not been an abstract concept or something I only learned about in a classroom. I have personally managed depression and anxiety since middle school, and those experiences have shaped both the way I view the world and the direction of my future career. Living with mental health challenges over the course of more than twenty years has given me firsthand understanding of how isolating, overwhelming, and misunderstood these struggles can feel, especially for people who lack support, resources, or someone willing to truly listen. My depression and anxiety have greatly affected my ability to maintain my household and to be fully mentally present as a mother. Although I have always been there physically and have continued to push through my responsibilities, there were many years where I felt as though there was a dark cloud hanging over me and a constant weight on my shoulders. Over time, I learned how exhausting it can be to function outwardly while struggling internally. Through therapy, medication, and a stronger support system, I have recently turned a corner and begun to experience a sense of relief and stability that once felt out of reach. That experience reinforced for me how life-changing accessible and compassionate mental health care can be. My experiences have influenced my decision to pursue a Master of Social Work focused on mental health. I understand how difficult it can be to ask for help while balancing work, parenting, finances, and daily responsibilities. As a single mother and nontraditional student, I also understand how easy it is for people to put their own mental health last while simply trying to survive day-to-day life. Self-advocacy has become an essential part of my growth. I have learned the importance of recognizing when I need support, communicating my needs, seeking treatment, and building routines that protect my mental well-being. I have also learned that advocacy is not always loud or public. Sometimes it is continuing to move forward despite setbacks, being honest about mental health struggles, or helping others feel less ashamed of their own experiences. My approach to suicide awareness and prevention centers on compassion, accessibility, and connection. I believe many people experiencing suicidal thoughts are often carrying unbearable emotional pain while feeling unseen or unsupported. In my future work as a social worker, I hope to support underrepresented and underserved communities by helping individuals navigate mental health challenges, financial hardship, and barriers to care with empathy, dignity, and understanding rooted in lived experience.

Returning to school as a nontraditional student has come with challenges that extend far beyond academics. After becoming a mother in 2020, I made the decision to pause my education in order to focus on creating stability for my child. At the time, that choice felt necessary, but returning later required me to rebuild not only my academic momentum, but also my confidence in my ability to succeed in a college environment. The path back has not been linear. Since having my son, I attempted to return to school two or three times, but I was not successful in maintaining the balance required to continue. Each attempt made it clear that without the right structure and stability in place, I would not be able to fully commit to my education. While those experiences were discouraging, they ultimately helped me understand what needed to change. When I made the decision to return again, I did so with a clearer sense of purpose, stronger discipline, and a more realistic understanding of how to manage my responsibilities. One of the most significant challenges has been balancing the responsibilities of being a full-time parent while also meeting the demands of school. Unlike a traditional student, my time is not my own. My schedule is built around my son’s needs first, and my coursework must fit into the remaining time. This often means completing assignments late at night, early in the morning, or in short, focused periods throughout the day. It requires constant planning, flexibility, and the ability to stay focused even when I feel exhausted. There are no breaks from my responsibilities, only the need to continue moving forward. Another challenge has been returning to an academic setting after time away. Adjusting back into coursework, academic expectations, and time management required effort and discipline. I had to relearn how to study effectively, stay organized, and keep up with deadlines while managing the demands of everyday life. At the same time, I had to overcome self-doubt and remind myself that I was capable of completing what I had started. More recently, I have faced challenges in the graduate school application process. My academic history does not follow a traditional path, and my transcript reflects periods where I had to step away from school. As a result, I have had to work harder to present myself as more than just my GPA or past interruptions. I have focused on demonstrating my growth, my commitment, and the perspective I have gained through both my academic work and my lived experience. While this process has been difficult, it has reinforced my determination to continue forward. Despite these challenges, returning to school has been one of the most meaningful decisions I have made. I am currently completing my Bachelor of General Studies with a concentration in Social Work and Drug and Alcohol Counseling, and I will begin my Master of Social Work program immediately after finishing my capstone course. This experience has strengthened my resilience, time management, and ability to remain committed to long-term goals, even when the path forward is difficult. Returning to school as a parent requires persistence, adaptability, and a willingness to move forward even when circumstances are not ideal. While the challenges have been significant, they have also shaped me into a more focused and determined student. I am not only working toward completing my education, but toward creating a more stable and secure future for my child.

Most of my schoolwork happens after my son goes to bed. Once the house is quiet, I shift into my role as a student, often working late into the night to stay on track. That routine reflects something deeper. I am not just working toward a degree for myself. I am working to build a different kind of future for my son than the one I grew up in. I was raised by a single mother who struggled financially for most of my life. While she worked hard to provide for me, money was always a source of stress and uncertainty. That experience shaped my understanding of stability at a young age, and it is a reality I am determined not to repeat. As a single mother myself, I understand how easy it is to fall into that same cycle. My decision to return to school is intentional. It is one of the most certain ways I can create a more stable future for my son, where financial stress is not a constant presence in our daily lives. What makes me uniquely deserving of this award is my consistency in continuing forward despite challenges. I paused my education to focus on creating stability for my child, and returning while working full-time has required discipline, time management, and long-term commitment. There is no separation between my roles. I am a parent, a provider, and a student at the same time, and each responsibility carries equal importance. Even when the balance feels overwhelming, I have remained committed to my education and have continued to move forward. I am currently completing my Bachelor of General Studies with a concentration in Social Work and Drug and Alcohol Counseling, and I will begin my Master of Social Work program immediately after finishing my capstone course. My goal is to become a school social worker, where I can support children and families navigating educational and community systems. Through my own experiences as a child with ADHD who struggled to receive support, and now as a mother of a child with ADHD, I understand how difficult it can be to access the resources families need. I want to help make those systems more understandable and accessible. My education is not just about career advancement. It is about becoming a resource for others while also creating stability for my own family. In my everyday life, I already help friends and loved ones connect to services and information they may not have otherwise known about. That role has become a natural extension of what I hope to do professionally. This scholarship would help ease the financial pressure that comes with balancing school and single parenthood, allowing me to stay focused on my education and long-term goals. More importantly, it would support my ability to complete my education, move into a stable career, and break the cycle of financial instability that has impacted my family for generations. I am pursuing higher education because I want something different, not just for myself, but for my son. I want to provide a life where stability is the norm, not something we are constantly trying to maintain. I want him to grow up without the same financial stress that shaped my childhood. Most importantly, I want him to see that it is possible to change the direction of your life through persistence, education, and determination. That is my “why,” and it is what continues to drive me forward every day.

Most nights, my schoolwork begins after my son goes to bed. Once the house is quiet, I shift from being a full-time parent to a full-time student, often working late into the night to keep up with assignments. That transition, day after day, highlights the most challenging part of being both a student and a single parent: there is no clear separation between responsibilities. Every role I have carries equal weight, and there is no option to set one aside when another becomes demanding. The challenge is not just the workload, but the constant balancing act. My son’s needs always come first, whether that means helping him through his routines, attending his activities, or simply being present for him. At the same time, my academic responsibilities require focus, consistency, and time that is often limited. I complete assignments early in the morning, late at night, or in small pockets of time throughout the day. When unexpected challenges come up, there is no flexibility in my responsibilities, only the need to adjust and keep moving forward. That constant pressure can be overwhelming, but it has also strengthened my ability to manage time, adapt quickly, and stay committed to long-term goals. Despite these challenges, being both a student and a single parent has given my education a deeper sense of purpose. I am currently completing my Bachelor of General Studies with a concentration in Social Work and Drug and Alcohol Counseling, and I will begin my Master of Social Work program immediately after finishing my capstone course. My goal is to become a school social worker, where I can support children and families navigating educational and community systems. This path is especially meaningful to me because it allows me to combine my professional goals with the needs of my own family. The schedule of a school social worker would closely align with my son’s school schedule, allowing me to be present for him while also building a stable and sustainable career. Through my own experiences, I understand how difficult it can be to access the support that families need, especially when they are already managing overwhelming circumstances. This scholarship would directly impact my ability to continue on this path. Financial pressure is one of the most significant challenges of balancing school and single parenthood. Every expense must be carefully considered, and there are constant decisions about where limited resources should go. Receiving this scholarship would help ease that burden, allowing me to focus more fully on my education without the same level of financial stress. It would also create greater stability for my household, which plays a critical role in my ability to succeed academically. Beyond the immediate financial support, this scholarship would help pave the way for both my future and my son’s. It would allow me to complete my education and move into a career that provides stability, purpose, and the ability to give back to my community. At the same time, my son is growing up watching what it looks like to work toward something long-term, even when it is difficult. I want him to see that challenges do not define what is possible, and that persistence and effort can lead to meaningful change. Balancing school and single parenthood is not easy, and it is not always perfectly managed. However, it has taught me how to prioritize, how to remain consistent under pressure, and how to continue moving forward even when the path is difficult. This scholarship would not only support my education, but also help create a more stable and promising future for both myself and my child.