I am restarting my life as a single parent after my divorce last year. I had held a position at the same company for over 15 years and lost it during the difficulty of my divorce and becoming the sole provider and caregiver to my children. I have sole custody of my children and essentially started my life completely over after losing most of my possessions and safety net. I had to rely on community services to start my life over, and through that process, discovered how needed and difficult it is to manage. I had to navigate safety plans and acquire assistance while leaving my marriage due to Domestic Violence. This process was very difficult and stressful at times for me and my children, and I was very thankful to find resources to help. I came to understand that, unfortunately, mine was a common situation for many women and mothers, and I want to help make the process easier to navigate and work towards prevention efforts. I grew a passion to get involved in helping others work through what I had to live through by sharing what I learned from my experience and the professional knowledge I will gain in college. I am working in college on a degree that will help me obtain a stable and reliable profession to care for myself and my children. I spend my free time with my children and volunteering in my community as much as possible. I am a volunteer and advocate at my local domestic violence center as well as other volunteering in my community. I am a backup for leading the DV support group, I've taken the advocacy course, I've helped plan and run events, and I help facilitate art healing events and activities for survivors and their families. I volunteer on the steering committee and voices committee trying to establish a family justice center in my community. I am working towards a degree in psychology and plan to work in advocacy while I'm school and continue to work to improve the situation for people dealing with domestic violence and other struggles.

I am restarting my life as a single parent after my divorce last year. I had held a position at the same company for over 15 years and lost it during the difficulty of my divorce and becoming the sole provider and caregiver to my children. I have sole custody of my children and essentially started my life completely over after losing most of my possessions and safety net. I had to rely on community services to start my life over, and through that process, discovered how needed and difficult it is to manage. I had to navigate safety plans and acquire assistance while leaving my marriage due to Domestic Violence. This process was very difficult and stressful at times for me and my children, and I was very thankful to find resources to help. I came to understand that, unfortunately, mine was a common situation for many women and mothers, and I want to help make the process easier to navigate and work towards prevention efforts. I grew a passion to get involved in helping others work through what I had to live through by sharing what I learned from my experience and the professional knowledge I will gain in college. My oldest child struggles with emotional regulation and ADHD, as well as being on a waitlist to be tested for Autism. I spend a lot of my free time after school hours taking my children to therapists and doctors' appointments as well as working towards helping them thrive in school after trauma and with their disabilities. I am working in college on a degree that will help me obtain a stable and reliable profession to care for myself and my children. I spend my free time with my children and volunteering in my community as much as possible. I am a volunteer and advocate at my local domestic violence center as well as other volunteering in my community. I am a backup for leading the DV support group, I've taken the advocacy course, I've helped plan and run events, and I participate in committees and fund raising activities. I am working towards a degree in psychology and plan to work in advocacy while I'm school and continue to work to improve the situation for people dealing with domestic violence and other struggles. My education is a large part of preparing me to be as knowledgeable and helpful as I can, in as many areas as I can. The experiences in my life have driven me to take them and use them to assist and help others. Everything we go through molds us into who we are, the good and the bad, and I am determined to rebuild my life to be of service to the community that saved me when I was at my lowest. I discovered my calling while stabilizing my life for myself and my children, and it motivates me to push through school and acquire the best knowledge I can, to give back in the ways that are most needed in my community. Assistance and support with paying for college will allow me to focus on my studies and continue to be available for my volunteer commitments.

I’m taking classes to better understand intersectionality and the many different backgrounds of people in my community. The individuals who participate in community service programs come from diverse backgrounds and require assistance in various ways. My education is a large part of preparing me to be as knowledgeable and helpful as I can, in as many areas as I can. The experiences in my life have driven me to take them and use them to assist and help others. I am determined to rebuild my life to be of service to the community that saved me when I was at my lowest. I discovered my calling while stabilizing my life for myself and my children, and it motivates me to push through school and acquire the best knowledge I can, to give back in the ways that are most needed in my community. Assistance and support with paying for college will allow me to focus on my studies and continue to be available for my volunteer commitments. I work as a volunteer advocate at my local domestic violence center and I volunteer on the steering committee and voices committee trying to establish a family justice center in my community. Over the last couple years, I had to rely on community services to start my life over, and through that process, discovered how needed and difficult it is to manage. I had to navigate safety plans and acquire assistance while leaving my marriage due to Domestic Violence. This process was very difficult and stressful at times for me and my children, and I was very thankful to find resources to help. I came to understand that, unfortunately, mine was a common situation for many women and mothers, and I want to help make the process easier to navigate and work towards prevention efforts. I grew a passion to get involved in helping others work through what I had to live through by sharing what I learned from my experience and the professional knowledge I will gain in college. I am a single mom to two kids, no access to child care and had to leave my job of 15 years when I suddenly had to start over. I spend my free time with my children and volunteering in my community as much as possible. I am a backup for leading the DV support group, I've taken the advocacy course, I've helped plan and run events, and I participate in committees and fund raising activities.

I work as a volunteer advocate at my local domestic violence center and I volunteer on the steering committee and voices committee trying to establish a family justice center in my community. Over the last couple years, I had to rely on community services to start my life over, and through that process, discovered how needed and difficult it is to manage. I had to navigate safety plans and acquire assistance while leaving my marriage due to Domestic Violence. This process was very difficult and stressful at times for me and my children, and I was very thankful to find resources to help. I came to understand that, unfortunately, mine was a common situation for many women and mothers, and I want to help make the process easier to navigate and work towards prevention efforts. I grew a passion to get involved in helping others work through what I had to live through by sharing what I learned from my experience and the professional knowledge I will gain in college. I am a single mom to two kids, no access to child care and had to leave my job of 15 years when I suddenly had to start over. I spend my free time with my children and volunteering in my community as much as possible. I am a backup for leading the DV support group, I've taken the advocacy course, I've helped plan and run events, and I participate in committees and fund raising activities. I am working towards college and getting a degree that will help me obtain a stable and reliable profession to care for myself and my children. I am working towards a degree in psychology and plan to work in advocacy while I'm school and continue to work to improve the situation for people dealing with domestic violence and other struggles. My education is a large part of preparing me to be as knowledgeable and helpful as I can, in as many areas as I can. The experiences in my life have driven me to take them and use them to assist and help others. Everything we go through molds us into who we are, the good and the bad, and I am determined to rebuild my life to be of service to the community that saved me when I was at my lowest. I discovered my calling while stabilizing my life for myself and my children, and it motivates me to push through school and acquire the best knowledge I can, to give back in the ways that are most needed in my community. Assistance and support with paying for college will allow me to focus on my studies and continue to be available for my volunteer commitments.

I am restarting my life as a single parent after my divorce last year. I had held a position at the same company for over 15 years and lost it during the difficulty of my divorce and becoming the sole provider and caregiver to my children. I have sole custody of my children and essentially started my life completely over after losing most of my possessions and safety net. I had to rely on community services to start my life over, and through that process, discovered how needed and difficult it is to manage. I had to navigate safety plans and acquire assistance while leaving my marriage due to Domestic Violence. This process was very difficult and stressful at times for me and my children, and I was very thankful to find resources to help. I came to understand that, unfortunately, mine was a common situation for many women and mothers, and I want to help make the process easier to navigate and work towards prevention efforts. I grew a passion to get involved in helping others work through what I had to live through by sharing what I learned from my experience and the professional knowledge I will gain in college. My older child struggles with emotional regulation and ADHD, as well as being on a waitlist to be tested for Autism. I spend a lot of my free time after school hours taking my children to therapists and doctors' appointments as well as working towards helping them thrive in school after trauma and with their disabilities. I am working towards college and getting a degree that will help me obtain a stable and reliable profession to care for myself and my children. I’m currently 42 years old and eventually a Masters in Psychology degree seems like almost too much with my remaining years, but I’m determined to use my life experience to give back to my community and develop a career that can help people. As I continue my education in college, my focus is to learn and develop my skills to help others through difficult times in their lives. I plan to take as many classes as I can at Portland Community College before transferring to Portland State University to work towards a bachelor’s degree in queer, gender, and sexuality studies with a minor in psychology. I know that I plan to continue to work in this part of my community. The individuals who participate in community service programs come from diverse backgrounds and require assistance in various ways. My education is a large part of preparing me to be as knowledgeable and helpful as I can, in as many areas as I can. The experiences in my life have driven me to take them and use them to assist and help others. Everything we go through molds us into who we are, the good and the bad, and I am determined to rebuild my life to be of service to the community that saved me when I was at my lowest. I discovered my calling while stabilizing my life for myself and my children, and it motivates me to push through school and acquire the best knowledge I can, to give back in the ways that are most needed in my community. Assistance and support with paying for college will allow me to focus on my studies and continue to be available for my volunteer commitments. I currently volunteer in various programs in my community connected to advocacy and outreach to survivors of domestic violence and other women and families who need assistance.

I am restarting my life as a single parent after my divorce last year. I had held a position at the same company for over 15 years and lost it during the difficulty of my divorce and becoming the sole provider and caregiver to my children. I have sole custody of my children and essentially started my life completely over after losing most of my possessions and safety net. I had to rely on community services to start my life over, and through that process, discovered how needed and difficult it is to manage. I had to navigate safety plans and acquire assistance while leaving my marriage due to Domestic Violence. This process was very difficult and stressful at times for me and my children, and I was very thankful to find resources to help. I came to understand that, unfortunately, mine was a common situation for many women and mothers, and I want to help make the process easier to navigate and work towards prevention efforts. I grew a passion to get involved in helping others work through what I had to live through by sharing what I learned from my experience and the professional knowledge I will gain in college. My older child struggles with emotional regulation and ADHD, as well as being on a waitlist to be tested for Autism. I spend a lot of my free time after school hours taking my children to therapists and doctors' appointments, as well as working towards helping them thrive in school after trauma and with their disabilities. I am working towards college and getting a degree that will help me obtain a stable and reliable profession to care for myself and my children. I’m currently 42 years old, and a Master's in Psychology degree seems like almost too much with my remaining years, but I’m determined to use my life experience to give back to my community and develop a career that can help people. I’m taking classes to better understand intersectionality and the many different backgrounds of people in my community. The individuals who participate in community service programs come from diverse backgrounds and require assistance in various ways. My education is a large part of preparing me to be as knowledgeable and helpful as I can, in as many areas as I can. The experiences in my life have driven me to take them and use them to assist and help others. Everything we go through molds us into who we are, the good and the bad, and I am determined to rebuild my life to be of service to the community that saved me when I was at my lowest. I discovered my calling while stabilizing my life for myself and my children, and it motivates me to push through school and acquire the best knowledge I can, to give back in the ways that are most needed in my community. Assistance and support with paying for college will allow me to focus on my studies and continue to be available for my volunteer commitments. I currently volunteer in various programs in my community connected to advocacy and outreach to survivors of domestic violence and other women and families who need assistance. I am a survivor of domestic violence, and I wanted to give back to others by sharing my experience and input on improving the process for others. These volunteer opportunities allow me to have purpose and use my experience and continued understanding of navigating services and the legal system to hopefully improve the process for others.

I am restarting my life as a single parent after my divorce last year. I had held a position at the same company for over 15 years and lost it during the difficulty of my divorce and becoming the sole provider and caregiver to my children. I have sole custody of my children and essentially started my life completely over after losing most of my possessions and safety net. I had to rely on community services to start my life over, and through that process, discovered how needed and difficult it is to manage. I had to navigate safety plans and acquire assistance while leaving my marriage due to Domestic Violence. This process was very difficult and stressful at times for me and my children, and I was very thankful to find resources to help. I came to understand that, unfortunately, mine was a common situation for many women and mothers, and I want to help make the process easier to navigate and work towards prevention efforts. I grew a passion to get involved in helping others work through what I had to live through by sharing what I learned from my experience and the professional knowledge I will gain in college. I spend a lot of my free time after school hours taking my children to therapists and doctors' appointments as well as working towards helping them thrive in school after trauma and with their disabilities. I am working towards college and getting a degree that will help me obtain a stable and reliable profession to care for myself and my children. I’m taking classes to better understand intersectionality and the many different backgrounds of people in my community. The individuals who participate in community service programs come from diverse backgrounds and require assistance in various ways. My education is a large part of preparing me to be as knowledgeable and helpful as I can, in as many areas as I can. The experiences in my life have driven me to take them and use them to assist and help others. Everything we go through molds us into who we are, the good and the bad, and I am determined to rebuild my life to be of service to the community that saved me when I was at my lowest. I discovered my calling while stabilizing my life for myself and my children, and it motivates me to push through school and acquire the best knowledge I can, to give back in the ways that are most needed in my community. Assistance and support with paying for college will allow me to focus on my studies and continue to be available for my volunteer commitments. I currently volunteer in various programs in my community connected to advocacy and outreach to survivors of domestic violence and other women and families who need assistance. I am a survivor of domestic violence, and I wanted to give back to others by sharing my experience and input on improving the process for others.

I may not fall into the traditional applicant for this scholarship but I have lived and do live in a single parent household. My parents divorced when I was a sophomore in high school and I lived full time with her. I rarely saw my father until he moved away and I didn't see him again until many years later. My mom worked extremely hard to care and provide for me and to care for her parents as they aged and passed away, while working a full time job. I saw how hard she worked and how dedicated she was to making sure I was well taken care of. In my 30s my mom got cancer and came to live with me for her remaining 3 years of life. I cherish the time I had with her and will always feel it was unfair that's she's gone too soon. I started my life over last year after leaving my ex husband due to domestic violence. I am now the sole provider and caretaker for my two children. I am now the head of household for my single parent family. It has been a struggle but I'm determined to do as best I can for my children. This process was very difficult and stressful at times for me and my children, and I was very thankful to find resources to help. I came to understand that, unfortunately, mine was a common situation for many women and mothers, and I want to help make the process easier to navigate and work towards prevention efforts. I grew a passion to get involved in helping others work through what I had to live through by sharing what I learned from my experience and the professional knowledge I will gain in college. The individuals who participate in community service programs come from diverse backgrounds and require assistance in various ways. My education is a large part of preparing me to be as knowledgeable and helpful as I can, in as many areas as I can. The experiences in my life have driven me to take them and use them to assist and help others. Everything we go through molds us into who we are, the good and the bad, and I am determined to rebuild my life to be of service to the community that saved me when I was at my lowest. I discovered my calling while stabilizing my life for myself and my children, and it motivates me to push through school and acquire the best knowledge I can, to give back in the ways that are most needed in my community. Assistance and support with paying for college will allow me to focus on my studies and continue to be available for my volunteer commitments. I currently volunteer in various programs in my community connected to advocacy and outreach to survivors of domestic violence and other women and families who need assistance. I wanted to give back to others by sharing my experience and input on improving the process for others. I took the advocacy training program so that I can assist in advocacy work at the DV center that helped me. I've also taken an art facilitator course to assist with participating in and planning art events at the center. I am on the voices and steering committees for a local group working towards developing and managing a Family Justice Center in my County. We have researched and participated in training and collaboration with local and national chapters of the Family Justice Center.

I am restarting my life as a single parent after my divorce last year. I had held a position at the same company for over 15 years and lost it during the difficulty of my divorce and becoming the sole provider and caregiver to my children. I have sole custody of my children and essentially started my life completely over after losing most of my possessions and safety net. I had to rely on community services to start my life over, and through that process, discovered how needed and difficult it is to manage. I had to navigate safety plans and acquire assistance while leaving my marriage due to Domestic Violence. This process was very difficult and stressful at times for me and my children, and I was very thankful to find resources to help. I came to understand that, unfortunately, mine was a common situation for many women and mothers, and I want to help make the process easier to navigate and work towards prevention efforts. I grew a passion to get involved in helping others work through what I had to live through by sharing what I learned from my experience and the professional knowledge I will gain in college. My older child struggles with emotional regulation and ADHD, as well as being on a waitlist to be tested for Autism. I spend a lot of my free time after school hours taking my children to therapists and doctors' appointments as well as working towards helping them thrive in school after trauma and with their disabilities. I am working towards college and getting a degree that will help me obtain a stable and reliable profession to care for myself and my children. I’m currently 42 years old and a Masters in Psychology degree seems like almost too much with my remaining years, but I’m determined to use my life experience to give back to my community and develop a career that can help people. As I continue my education in college, my focus is to learn and develop my skills to help others through difficult times in their lives. I plan to take as many classes as I can at Portland Community College before transferring to Portland State University to work towards a bachelor’s degree in queer, gender, and sexuality studies with a minor in psychology. I know that I plan to continue to work in this part of my community, but I am open to a career that fits my skills best and is more needed when I graduate. I’m taking classes to better understand intersectionality and the many different backgrounds of people in my community. The individuals who participate in community service programs come from diverse backgrounds and require assistance in various ways. My education is a large part of preparing me to be as knowledgeable and helpful as I can, in as many areas as I can. The experiences in my life have driven me to take them and use them to assist and help others.

I am restarting my life as a single parent after my divorce last year. I had held a position at the same company for over 15 years and lost it during the difficulty of my divorce and becoming the sole provider and caregiver to my children. I have sole custody of my children and essentially started my life completely over after losing most of my possessions and safety net. I had to rely on community services to start my life over, and through that process, discovered how needed and difficult it is to manage. I had to navigate safety plans and acquire assistance while leaving my marriage due to Domestic Violence. This process was very difficult and stressful at times for me and my children, and I was very thankful to find resources to help. I came to understand that, unfortunately, mine was a common situation for many women and mothers, and I want to help make the process easier to navigate and work towards prevention efforts. I grew a passion to get involved in helping others work through what I had to live through by sharing what I learned from my experience and the professional knowledge I will gain in college. My older child struggles with emotional regulation and ADHD, as well as being on a waitlist to be tested for Autism. I spend a lot of my free time after school hours taking my children to therapists and doctors' appointments as well as working towards helping them thrive in school after trauma and with their disabilities. I am working towards college and getting a degree that will help me obtain a stable and reliable profession to care for myself and my children. I’m currently 42 years old and a Masters in Psychology degree seems like almost too much with my remaining years, but I’m determined to use my life experience to give back to my community and develop a career that can help people. As I continue my education in college, my focus is to learn and develop my skills to help others through difficult times in their lives. I plan to take as many classes as I can at Portland Community College before transferring to Portland State University to work towards a bachelor’s degree in queer, gender, and sexuality studies with a minor in psychology. I know that I plan to continue to work in this part of my community, but I am open to a career that fits my skills best and is more needed when I graduate. I’m taking classes to better understand intersectionality and the many different backgrounds of people in my community. The individuals who participate in community service programs come from diverse backgrounds and require assistance in various ways. My education is a large part of preparing me to be as knowledgeable and helpful as I can, in as many areas as I can. The experiences in my life have driven me to take them and use them to assist and help others. I am determined to rebuild my life to be of service to the community that saved me when I was at my lowest. I discovered my calling while stabilizing my life for myself and my children, and it motivates me to push through school and acquire the best knowledge I can, to give back in the ways that are most needed in my community. Assistance and support with paying for college will allow me to focus on my studies and continue to be available for my volunteer commitments.

I am restarting my life as a single parent after my divorce last year. I had held a position at the same company for over 15 years and lost it during the difficulty of my divorce and becoming the sole provider and caregiver to my children. I have sole custody of my children and essentially started my life completely over after losing most of my possessions and safety net. I had to rely on community services to start my life over, and through that process, discovered how needed and difficult it is to manage. I had to navigate safety plans and acquire assistance while leaving my marriage due to Domestic Violence. This process was very difficult and stressful at times for me and my children, and I was very thankful to find resources to help. I came to understand that, unfortunately, mine was a common situation for many women and mothers, and I want to help make the process easier to navigate and work towards prevention efforts. I grew a passion to get involved in helping others work through what I had to live through by sharing what I learned from my experience and the professional knowledge I will gain in college. My older child struggles with emotional regulation and ADHD, as well as being on a waitlist to be tested for Autism. I spend a lot of my free time after school hours taking my children to therapists and doctors' appointments as well as working towards helping them thrive in school after trauma and with their disabilities. I am working towards college and getting a degree that will help me obtain a stable and reliable profession to care for myself and my children. I’m currently 42 years old and a Masters in Psychology degree seems like almost too much with my remaining years, but I’m determined to use my life experience to give back to my community and develop a career that can help people. As I continue my education in college, my focus is to learn and develop my skills to help others through difficult times in their lives. I plan to take as many classes as I can at Portland Community College before transferring to Portland State University to work towards a bachelor’s degree in queer, gender, and sexuality studies with a minor in psychology. I know that I plan to continue to work in this part of my community, but I am open to a career that fits my skills best and is more needed when I graduate. I’m taking classes to better understand intersectionality and the many different backgrounds of people in my community. The individuals who participate in community service programs come from diverse backgrounds and require assistance in various ways. My education is a large part of preparing me to be as knowledgeable and helpful as I can, in as many areas as I can. The experiences in my life have driven me to take them and use them to assist and help others.

I had to rely on community services to start my life over, and through that process, discovered how needed and difficult it is to manage. I had to navigate safety plans and acquire assistance while leaving my marriage due to Domestic Violence. This process was very difficult and stressful at times for me and my children, and I was very thankful to find resources to help. I came to understand that, unfortunately, mine was a common situation for many women and mothers, and I want to help make the process easier to navigate and work towards prevention efforts. I grew a passion to get involved in helping others work through what I had to live through by sharing what I learned from my experience and the professional knowledge I will gain in college. I am restarting my life as a single parent after my divorce last year. I had held a position at the same company for over 15 years and lost it during the difficulty of my divorce and becoming the sole provider and caregiver to my children. I have sole custody of my children and essentially started over this year with a new place to live with housing assistance after losing most of my possessions and safety net. I've had difficulty finding childcare available to allow me to obtain work. My previous work experience was in customer service and cooking and baking. These jobs are very difficult to obtain with my current availability. My older child struggles with emotional regulation and ADHD, as well as being on a waitlist to be tested for Autism. I spend a lot of my free time after school hours taking my children to therapists and doctors' appointments as well as working towards helping them thrive in school after trauma and with their disabilities. I am working towards college and getting a degree that will help me obtain a stable and reliable profession to care for myself and my children. As I continue my education in college, my focus is to learn and develop my skills to help others through difficult times in their lives. I plan to take as many classes as I can at Portland Community College before transferring to Portland State University to work towards a bachelor’s degree in queer, gender, and sexuality studies with a minor in social work or counseling. I know that I plan to continue to work in this part of my community, but I am open to a career that fits my skills best and is more needed when I graduate. I’m taking classes to better understand intersectionality and the many different backgrounds of people in my community. The individuals who participate in community service programs come from diverse backgrounds and require assistance in various ways. My education is a large part of preparing me to be as knowledgeable and helpful as I can, in as many areas as I can. The experiences in my life have driven me to take them and use them to assist and help others. Everything we go through molds us into who we are, the good and the bad, and I am determined to rebuild my life to be of service to the community that saved me when I was at my lowest. I discovered my calling while stabilizing my life for myself and my children, and it motivates me to push through school and acquire the best knowledge I can, to give back in the ways that are most needed in my community. Assistance and support with paying for college will allow me to focus on my studies and continue to be available for my volunteer commitments. I currently volunteer in various programs in my community connected to advocacy and outreach to survivors of domestic violence and other women and families who need assistance. I am a survivor of domestic violence, and I wanted to give back to others by sharing my experience and input on improving the process for others. I took the advocacy training program through Henderson House in McMinnville so that I can assist in advocacy work and help with events through Henderson and out in the community. I also took an art facilitator course through Henderson House and used that knowledge and resources to assist with participating in and planning art events through Henderson House. I am on the voices and steering committees for a local group working towards developing and managing a Family Justice Center in Yamhill County. We have researched and participated in training and collaboration with local and national chapters of the Family Justice Center. We are trying to acquire a location and resources to provide this valuable service to our community. The steering committee collaborates with all the separate committees to advance the process. The voices committee is made up of volunteers who are survivors and advocates, to guide the direction of focus and needs of the family justice center. We use our experience and understanding of the difficult path survivors may take to escape dangerous situations and find a way to rebuild their lives. These volunteer opportunities allow me to have purpose and use my experience and continued understanding of navigating services and the legal system to hopefully improve the process for others. The voices of survivors of all sorts of violence and struggles need to be a part of any development and improvements of services they may need.

I found myself in a very difficult situation. My marriage had become unhealthy and my now ex husband was becoming more unstable and abusive towards me. I had started to plan a way out, but the situation was getting worse and my children were obviously negatively affected by the hostile situation at home. I had left my job because my husband was unable to care for our children and I needed to be home to care for them. With no job and very little savings, I had to make the very difficult decision to grab my children and leave our family home. This was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. The local domestic violence shelter was undergoing some renovations and did not have anywhere for us to stay. I cashed in my 401k and stayed at hotels for about three weeks while waiting for my temporary divorce hearing and space in the shelter. We then stayed in the DV shelter for about 6 weeks. While we were gone my ex husband trashed the family home. I then gained custody of my children and home. I cleaned and repaired my home, got it sold before it could be foreclosed. I got housing, health insurance and food assistance and found an apartment that kept them in their school. I furnished my apartment with donated and purchased furniture and essentially completely started over with my children in a new place and all new calmer life. I successfully fought and was awarded sole custody of my children and got them into therapies and supports and worked with them to stabilize and improve their educational and emotional skills. I became a much better parent away from the stressful situation with my ex husband and recently enrolled in college to establish a stable new life for us after we move away from the assistance programs. I feel this whole process is my greatest accomplishment. It was unplanned and extremely difficult, but we are in a much better place emotionally and I felt the only decision I could make for the safety and well being for me and my children. I couldn't have imagined I would be able to get through all this a few years ago, but I am now very proud of myself for making the decisions I needed to, to make it through the hardest time in my life. My education would help me be more able to support myself and my children. This education would also help me be able to give back to my community in support of victims services or non profits working towards helping people in need. I am currently volunteering to help with advocacy, but after attending school I plan to make a career in this field and improve and support in these areas. I've had to start over with my career and life goals after a very difficult divorce. My future plans needed to change abruptly and I am now the sole care taker for my children. I need a good education and stable career to be able to care for myself and my children and rebuild our lives. I want to give back to the organizations that helped us, and work with them in a variety of ways to provide to others in need. I'm looking forward to a rounded education in many areas that can help with working with women and queer people that have struggles and need assistance and help. I will come with my own experience and an education to provide help in a variety of areas within the community.

I currently volunteer in various programs in my community connected to advocacy and outreach to survivors of domestic violence and other women and families who need assistance. I am a survivor of domestic violence, and I wanted to give back to others by sharing my experience and input on improving the process for others. I took the advocacy training program through Henderson House in McMinnville so that I can assist in advocacy work and help with events through Henderson and out in the community. I also took an art facilitator course through Henderson House and used that knowledge and resources to assist with participating in and planning art events through Henderson House. I am on the voices and steering committees for a local group working towards developing and managing a Family Justice Center in Yamhill County. We have researched and participated in training and collaboration with local and national chapters of the Family Justice Center. We are trying to acquire a location and resources to provide this valuable service to our community. The steering committee collaborates with all the separate committees to advance the process. The voices committee is made up of volunteers that are survivors and advocates, to guide the direction of focus and needs of the family justice center. We use our experience and understanding of the difficult path survivors may take to escape dangerous situations and find a way to rebuild their lives. These volunteer opportunities allow me to have purpose and use my experience and continued understanding of navigating services and the legal system to hopefully improve the process for others. The voices of survivors of all sorts of violence and struggles need to be a part of any development and improvements of services they may need. As I continue my education in college, my focus is to learn and develop my skills to help others through difficult times in their lives. I plan to take as many classes as I can at Portland Community College before transferring to Portland State University to work towards a bachelor’s degree in queer, gender, and sexuality studies with a minor in social work or counseling. I know that I plan to continue to work in this part of my community, but I am open to a career that fits my skills best and is more needed when I graduate. I’m taking classes to better understand intersectionality and the many different backgrounds of people in my community. The people who enter community service programs come from many different backgrounds and require assistance in varied ways. My education is a large part of preparing me to be as knowledgeable and helpful as I can, in as many areas as I can. The experiences in my life have driven me to take them and use them to assist and help others. Everything we go through molds us into who we are, the good and the bad, and I am determined to rebuild my life to be of service to the community that saved me when I was at my lowest. I discovered my calling while stabilizing my life for myself and my children, and it motivates me to push through school and acquire the best knowledge I can, to give back in the ways that are most needed in my community. Assistance and support with paying for college will allow me to focus on my studies and continue to be available for my volunteer commitments.

I'm a non traditional student. I'm 42 returning to college to acquire a degree that I can use to obtain a job for a stable career to better provide for myself and my children. My mom attended college for a few semesters and loved it. After receiving a scholarship my paternal grandmother was dying from cancer several states away. My dad reached out and asked her to come help manage her affairs. My mom asked for accommodations and extensions to return to school after, but was not afforded those and had to drop out of college. She was never able to go back due to other struggles in life and becoming a single mother and sole provider to me a few years later. I found myself in a very difficult situation. My marriage had become unhealthy and my now ex husband was becoming more unstable and abusive towards me. I had started to plan a way out, but the situation was getting worse and my children were obviously negatively affected by the hostile situation at home. I had left my job because my husband was unable to care for our children and I needed to be home to care for them. With no job and very little savings, I had to make the very difficult decision to grab my children and leave our family home. The local domestic violence shelter was undergoing some renovations and did not have anywhere for us to stay. I cashed in my 401k and stayed at hotels for about three weeks while waiting for my temporary divorce hearing and space in the shelter. We then stayed in the DV shelter for about 6 weeks. I have very little family support. My closest family was my mom. She passed away from cancer 9 years ago. During my very difficult divorce I lost my husband's family as well. I have no close friends or family nearby to help me care for my children and childcare is very hard to find in my area. My ex husband is not currently mentally healthy enough to care for our children, so I am the sole caretaker for my children. I had worked at the same location for 15 years prior to my divorce and the schedules would not work with my current availability. Most of my work experience is in customer service and baking and cooking. I love working with the public but these jobs are very difficult to manage with my availability with my children's needs. I need a good education to improve my ability to obtain a stable career to provide for my children. I am hoping to receive enough assistance through scholarships and grants to take out none or very little loans for school, to better provide for my family. I feel purpose and a desire to give back to the community that helped me when I needed them. I want to obtain a degree in a field that will allow me to work in advocacy for survivors and others in difficult situations needing help. I want to share my experience in these programs and struggles with others and work towards improving and supporting the process for others. I feel a great sense of community with others that have struggled like I have and other communities with needs and unbalanced opportunities. I want to turn my difficult situation into a positive by giving back and using it to help others. I believe anyone can fall into a place where they need help to get through it and to succeed, I want to be that help for others.

Trauma during early life can permanently change the child going forward. This can change their feeling of safety and comfort and how they react to stress and trauma later in life. Early life development is a delicate time in our lives and effects many aspects going forward. After trauma people need to rewrite how the manage through life. I fled an abusive marriage with my children. It's been two years and I'm still unsure how much they witnessed and what they were subjected to but I have seen how the trauma has effected them. They're in counseling and I've taken classes on trauma informed parenting techniques. They been given a harder road than kids that haven't been exposed to abuses and they each have to find ways to work through it, throughout their lives. I found myself in a very difficult situation. My marriage had become unhealthy and my now ex husband was becoming more unstable and abusive towards me. I had started to plan a way out, but the situation was getting worse and my children were obviously negatively affected by the hostile situation at home. I had left my job because my husband was unable to care for our children and I needed to be home to care for them. With no job and very little savings, I had to make the very difficult decision to grab my children and leave our family home. The local domestic violence shelter was undergoing some renovations and did not have anywhere for us to stay. We then stayed in the DV shelter for about 6 weeks. I then gained custody of my children. I got housing, health insurance and food assistance and found an apartment that kept them in their school. I furnished my apartment with donated and purchased furniture and essentially completely started over with my children in a new place and all new calmer life. I successfully fought and was awarded sole custody of my children and got them into therapies and supports and worked with them to stabilize and improve their educational and emotional skills. My education would help me be more able to support myself and my children. This education would also help me be able to give back to my community in support of victims services or non profits working towards helping people in need. I am currently volunteering to help with advocacy, but after attending school I plan to make a career in this field and improve and support in these areas. I've had to start over with my career and life goals after a very difficult divorce. I need a good education and stable career to be able to care for myself and my children and rebuild our lives. I want to give back to the organizations that helped us, and work with them in a variety of ways to provide to others in need. I'm looking forward to a rounded education in many areas that can help with working with women and queer people that have struggles and need assistance and help. I will come with my own experience and an education to provide help in a variety of areas within the community.

My college plans are to gain an Associates Degree or enough credits to move forward in Women's studies at Portland Community College then move on to Portland State University and gain a Bachelors degree in Gender and Queer Studies. I'm very interested in working in the field of advocacy, counseling, or non profit organizations that work to improve and or support women's and queer lives. I've been involved with my local Domestic Violence center as a survivor client and volunteer and with a local committee working towards starting a Family Justice Center. I would love to eventually work with one of them in a career or a similar organization to help support and improve the lives of those in need. I have experience and have found out how hard and stressful life transitions and struggles can be. I hope to help improve this process and share my knowledge and assistance to help provide needed services. My education would help me be more able to support myself and my children. This education would also help me be able to give back to my community in support of victims services or non profits working towards helping people in need. I am currently volunteering to help with advocacy, but after attending school I plan to make a career in this field and improve and support in these areas. I've had to start over with my career and life goals after a very difficult divorce. My future plans needed to change abruptly and I am now the sole care taker for my children. I need a good education and stable career to be able to care for myself and my children and rebuild our lives. I want to give back to the organizations that helped us, and work with them in a variety of ways to provide to others in need. I'm looking forward to a rounded education in many areas that can help with working with women and queer people that have struggles and need assistance and help. I will come with my own experience and an education to provide help in a variety of areas within the community. I have very little family support. My closest family was my mom. She passed away from cancer 9 years ago. During my very difficult divorce I lost my husband's family as well. I have no close friends or family nearby to help me care for my children and childcare is very hard to find in my area. I am the sole caretaker for my children. I had worked at the same location for 15 years prior to my divorce and the schedules would not work with my current availability. I need a good education to improve my ability to obtain a stable career to provide for my children. I am hoping to receive enough assistance through scholarships and grants to take out none or very little loans for school, to better provide for my family.

I quickly had to leave my home with only my children and what I could fit in my car, due to increasing domestic violence. Over the next year I had to rebuild my life after losing my home, my job of 15 years, my retirement plans, and many connections. I had to navigate the public assistance system for the the first time and seek out support from my local domestic violence center. It was one of the hardest years of my life, but I survived and my children are thriving in a safe and calm home, and I returned to college to work towards a career that would allow me to give back to my community and help myself and my children remain stable. I currently volunteer in various programs in my community connected to advocacy and outreach to survivors of domestic violence and other women and families who need assistance. I am a survivor of domestic violence, and I wanted to give back to others by sharing my experience and input on improving the process for others. I took the advocacy training program through Henderson House in McMinnville so that I can assist in advocacy work and help with events through Henderson and out in the community. I am on the voices and steering committees for a local group working towards developing and managing a Family Justice Center in Yamhill County. We have researched and participated in training and collaboration with local and national chapters of the Family Justice Center. We are trying to acquire a location and resources to provide this valuable service to our community. The steering committee collaborates with all the separate committees to advance the process. The voices committee is made up of volunteers that are survivors and advocates, to guide the direction of focus and needs of the family justice center. We use our experience and understanding of the difficult path survivors may take to escape dangerous situations and find a way to rebuild their lives. These volunteer opportunities allow me to have purpose and use my experience and continued understanding of navigating services and the legal system to hopefully improve the process for others. The voices of survivors of all sorts of violence and struggles need to be a part of any development and improvements of services they may need. As I continue my education in college, my focus is to learn and develop my skills to help others through difficult times in their lives. I’m taking classes to better understand intersectionality and the many different backgrounds of people in my community. The people who enter community service programs come from many different backgrounds and require assistance in varied ways. My education is a large part of preparing me to be as knowledgeable and helpful as I can, in as many areas as I can. The experiences in my life have driven me to take them and use them to assist and help others. Everything we go through molds us into who we are, the good and the bad, and I am determined to rebuild my life to be of service to the community that saved me when I was at my lowest. I discovered my calling while stabilizing my life for myself and my children, and it motivates me to push through school and acquire the best knowledge I can, to give back in the ways that are most needed in my community. Assistance and support with paying for college will allow me to focus on my studies and continue to be available for my volunteer commitments.

I currently volunteer in various programs in my community connected to advocacy and outreach to survivors of domestic violence and other women and families who need assistance. I am a survivor of domestic violence, and I wanted to give back to others by sharing my experience and input on improving the process for others. I took the advocacy training program through Henderson House in McMinnville so that I can assist in advocacy work and help with events through Henderson and out in the community. I also took an art facilitator course through Henderson House and used that knowledge and resources to assist with participating in and planning art events through Henderson House. I am on the voices and steering committees for a local group working towards developing and managing a Family Justice Center in Yamhill County. We have researched and participated in training and collaboration with local and national chapters of the Family Justice Center. We are trying to acquire a location and resources to provide this valuable service to our community. The steering committee collaborates with all the separate committees to advance the process. The voices committee is made up of volunteers that are survivors and advocates, to guide the direction of focus and needs of the family justice center. We use our experience and understanding of the difficult path survivors may take to escape dangerous situations and find a way to rebuild their lives. These volunteer opportunities allow me to have purpose and use my experience and continued understanding of navigating services and the legal system to hopefully improve the process for others. The voices of survivors of all sorts of violence and struggles need to be a part of any development and improvements of services they may need. As I continue my education in college, my focus is to learn and develop my skills to help others through difficult times in their lives. I plan to take as many classes as I can at Portland Community College before transferring to Portland State University to work towards a bachelor’s degree in queer, gender, and sexuality studies with a minor in social work or counseling. I know that I plan to continue to work in this part of my community, but I am open to a career that fits my skills best and is more needed when I graduate. I’m taking classes to better understand intersectionality and the many different backgrounds of people in my community. The people who enter community service programs come from many different backgrounds and require assistance in varied ways. My education is a large part of preparing me to be as knowledgeable and helpful as I can, in as many areas as I can. The experiences in my life have driven me to take them and use them to assist and help others. Everything we go through molds us into who we are, the good and the bad, and I am determined to rebuild my life to be of service to the community that saved me when I was at my lowest. I discovered my calling while stabilizing my life for myself and my children, and it motivates me to push through school and acquire the best knowledge I can, to give back in the ways that are most needed in my community. Assistance and support with paying for college will allow me to focus on my studies and continue to be available for my volunteer commitments.

I currently volunteer in various programs in my community connected to advocacy and outreach to survivors of domestic violence and other women and families who need assistance. I am a survivor of domestic violence, and I wanted to give back to others by sharing my experience and input on improving the process for others. I took the advocacy training program through Henderson House in McMinnville so that I can assist in advocacy work and help with events through Henderson and out in the community. I also took an art facilitator course through Henderson House and used that knowledge and resources to assist with participating in and planning art events through Henderson House. I am on the voices and steering committees for a local group working towards developing and managing a Family Justice Center in Yamhill County. We have researched and participated in training and collaboration with local and national chapters of the Family Justice Center. We are trying to acquire a location and resources to provide this valuable service to our community. The steering committee collaborates with all the separate committees to advance the process. The voices committee is made up of volunteers that are survivors and advocates, to guide the direction of focus and needs of the family justice center. We use our experience and understanding of the difficult path survivors may take to escape dangerous situations and find a way to rebuild their lives. These volunteer opportunities allow me to have purpose and use my experience and continued understanding of navigating services and the legal system to hopefully improve the process for others. The voices of survivors of all sorts of violence and struggles need to be a part of any development and improvements of services they may need. As I continue my education in college, my focus is to learn and develop my skills to help others through difficult times in their lives. I plan to take as many classes as I can at Portland Community College before transferring to Portland State University to work towards a bachelor’s degree in queer, gender, and sexuality studies with a minor in social work or counseling. I know that I plan to continue to work in this part of my community, but I am open to a career that fits my skills best and is more needed when I graduate. I’m taking classes to better understand intersectionality and the many different backgrounds of people in my community. The people who enter community service programs come from many different backgrounds and require assistance in varied ways. My education is a large part of preparing me to be as knowledgeable and helpful as I can, in as many areas as I can. The experiences in my life have driven me to take them and use them to assist and help others. Everything we go through molds us into who we are, the good and the bad, and I am determined to rebuild my life to be of service to the community that saved me when I was at my lowest. I discovered my calling while stabilizing my life for myself and my children, and it motivates me to push through school and acquire the best knowledge I can, to give back in the ways that are most needed in my community. Assistance and support with paying for college will allow me to focus on my studies and continue to be available for my volunteer commitments.

I didn't plan on being a single mother. I had a home and job for over 15 years and a retirement plan. I had to leave with my kids quickly due to increasing domestic violence from my former spouse. I essentially had to start over with just my kids and what I could fit in my car. I had to fight for sole custody that took all of my savings and retirement account. Once I stated the process to rebuild, I had to navigate the public assistance system for the first time in my life and see out help from my local domestic violence center. It was the hardest year of my life. I am still in the process of going through college and rebuilding to a sustainable profession. My kids are thriving in a stable and calm home, as I struggle to stay in college and make the best opportunities for myself and my children. I currently volunteer in various programs in my community connected to advocacy and outreach to survivors of domestic violence and other women and families who need assistance. I wanted to give back to others by sharing my experience and input on improving the process for others. I took the advocacy training program through Henderson House in McMinnville so that I can assist in advocacy work and help with events through Henderson and out in the community. I am on the voices and steering committees for a local group working towards developing and managing a Family Justice Center in Yamhill County. We are trying to acquire a location and resources to provide this valuable service to our community. The steering committee collaborates with all the separate committees to advance the process. The voices committee is made up of volunteers that are survivors and advocates, to guide the direction of focus and needs of the family justice center. These volunteer opportunities allow me to have purpose and use my experience and continued understanding of navigating services and the legal system to hopefully improve the process for others. The voices of survivors of all sorts of violence and struggles need to be a part of any development and improvements of services they may need. As I continue my education in college, my focus is to learn and develop my skills to help others through difficult times in their lives. I plan to continue to work in this part of my community, but I am open to a career that fits my skills best and is more needed when I graduate. I’m taking classes to better understand intersectionality and the many different backgrounds of people in my community. My education is a large part of preparing me to be as knowledgeable and helpful as I can, in as many areas as I can. The experiences in my life have driven me to take them and use them to assist and help others. Everything we go through molds us into who we are, the good and the bad, and I am determined to rebuild my life to be of service to the community that saved me when I was at my lowest. I discovered my calling while stabilizing my life for myself and my children, and it motivates me to push through school and acquire the best knowledge I can, to give back in the ways that are most needed in my community. Assistance and support with paying for college will allow me to focus on my studies and continue to be available for my volunteer commitments.

Making the choice to rebuild my life for myself and my children after leaving an abusive marriage. I lost my home and my job of 15 years and many connections and plans for my future. I essentially started over with just items I could fit in my car and my children. I had to navigate the public assistance network for the first time in my life and ask for assistance and support from my local domestic violence center. I had to go to court and fight for the safety of myself and my children and gain sole custody of my children. It was the hardest year of my life and I'm still on the journey to be fully independent and sustain a good future for us. I currently volunteer in various programs in my community connected to advocacy and outreach to survivors of domestic violence and other women and families who need assistance. I am a survivor of domestic violence, and I wanted to give back to others by sharing my experience and input on improving the process for others. I took the advocacy training program through Henderson House in McMinnville so that I can assist in advocacy work and help with events through Henderson and out in the community. I also took an art facilitator course through Henderson House and used that knowledge and resources to assist with participating in and planning art events through Henderson House. I am on the voices and steering committees for a local group working towards developing and managing a Family Justice Center in Yamhill County. We have researched and participated in training and collaboration with local and national chapters of the Family Justice Center. We are trying to acquire a location and resources to provide this valuable service to our community. The steering committee collaborates with all the separate committees to advance the process. The voices committee is made up of volunteers that are survivors and advocates, to guide the direction of focus and needs of the family justice center. We use our experience and understanding of the difficult path survivors may take to escape dangerous situations and find a way to rebuild their lives. These volunteer opportunities allow me to have purpose and use my experience and continued understanding of navigating services and the legal system to hopefully improve the process for others. The voices of survivors of all sorts of violence and struggles need to be a part of any development and improvements of services they may need. As I continue my education in college, my focus is to learn and develop my skills to help others through difficult times in their lives. I plan to take as many classes as I can at Portland Community College before transferring to Portland State University to work towards a bachelor’s degree in queer, gender, and sexuality studies with a minor in social work or counseling. I know that I plan to continue to work in this part of my community, but I am open to a career that fits my skills best and is more needed when I graduate. I’m taking classes to better understand intersectionality and the many different backgrounds of people in my community. The people who enter community service programs come from many different backgrounds and require assistance in varied ways. My education is a large part of preparing me to be as knowledgeable and helpful as I can, in as many areas as I can. The experiences in my life have driven me to take them and use them to assist and help others. Everything we go through molds us into who we are, the good and the bad, and I am determined to rebuild my life to be of service to the community that saved me when I was at my lowest. I discovered my calling while stabilizing my life for myself and my children, and it motivates me to push through school and acquire the best knowledge I can, to give back in the ways that are most needed in my community. Assistance and support with paying for college will allow me to focus on my studies and continue to be available for my volunteer commitments.

I currently volunteer in various programs in my community connected to advocacy and outreach to survivors of domestic violence and other women and families who need assistance. I am a survivor of domestic violence, and I wanted to give back to others by sharing my experience and input on improving the process for others. I took the advocacy training program through Henderson House in McMinnville so that I can assist in advocacy work and help with events through Henderson and out in the community. I also took an art facilitator course through Henderson House and used that knowledge and resources to assist with participating in and planning art events through Henderson House. I am on the voices and steering committees for a local group working towards developing and managing a Family Justice Center in Yamhill County. We have researched and participated in training and collaboration with local and national chapters of the Family Justice Center. We are trying to acquire a location and resources to provide this valuable service to our community. The steering committee collaborates with all the separate committees to advance the process. The voices committee is made up of volunteers that are survivors and advocates, to guide the direction of focus and needs of the family justice center. We use our experience and understanding of the difficult path survivors may take to escape dangerous situations and find a way to rebuild their lives. These volunteer opportunities allow me to have purpose and use my experience and continued understanding of navigating services and the legal system to hopefully improve the process for others. The voices of survivors of all sorts of violence and struggles need to be a part of any development and improvements of services they may need. As I continue my education in college, my focus is to learn and develop my skills to help others through difficult times in their lives. I plan to take as many classes as I can at Portland Community College before transferring to Portland State University to work towards a bachelor’s degree in queer, gender, and sexuality studies with a minor in social work or counseling. I know that I plan to continue to work in this part of my community, but I am open to a career that fits my skills best and is more needed when I graduate. I’m taking classes to better understand intersectionality and the many different backgrounds of people in my community. The people who enter community service programs come from many different backgrounds and require assistance in varied ways. My education is a large part of preparing me to be as knowledgeable and helpful as I can, in as many areas as I can. The experiences in my life have driven me to take them and use them to assist and help others. Everything we go through molds us into who we are, the good and the bad, and I am determined to rebuild my life to be of service to the community that saved me when I was at my lowest. I discovered my calling while stabilizing my life for myself and my children, and it motivates me to push through school and acquire the best knowledge I can, to give back in the ways that are most needed in my community. Assistance and support with paying for college will allow me to focus on my studies and continue to be available for my volunteer commitments.

Victims of intimate partner violence often feel stuck or lost, unable to support themselves or find a path to safety. Without education, finding work and housing can be more difficult. Abusers often seek out people that will be easy to control, financially or emotionally, and without education and opportunity, people can be more susceptible to that control. Leaving as a newly single and solo person or as a single parent can lead to many blocks in the road. Without reliable and sustainable income and resources, a survivor has a lower chance of making it away from their abuser. Getting an education can lead to more professional sustainability and an opportunity to network and grow connections and support networks to lean on if they find themselves in an abusive situation and need help. As I continue my education in college, my focus is to learn and develop my skills to help others through difficult times in their lives. I’m taking classes to better understand intersectionality and the many different backgrounds of people in my community. The people who enter community service programs come from many different backgrounds and require assistance in varied ways. My education is a large part of preparing me to be as knowledgeable and helpful as I can, in as many areas as I can. The experiences in my life have driven me to take them and use them to assist and help others. Everything we go through molds us into who we are, the good and the bad, and I am determined to rebuild my life to be of service to the community that saved me when I was at my lowest. I discovered my calling while stabilizing my life for myself and my children, and it motivates me to push through school and acquire the best knowledge I can, to give back in the ways that are most needed in my community. Assistance and support with paying for college will allow me to focus on my studies and continue to be available for my volunteer commitments. I currently volunteer in various programs in my community connected to advocacy and outreach to survivors of domestic violence and other women and families who need assistance. I am a survivor of domestic violence, and I wanted to give back to others by sharing my experience and input on improving the process for others. I took the advocacy training program through Henderson House in McMinnville so that I can assist in advocacy work and help with events through Henderson and out in the community. I also took an art facilitator course through Henderson House and used that knowledge and resources to assist with participating in and planning art events through Henderson House. I am on the voices and steering committees for a local group working towards developing and managing a Family Justice Center in Yamhill County. The voices committee is made up of volunteers that are survivors and advocates, to guide the direction of focus and needs of the family justice center. We use our experience and understanding of the difficult path survivors may take to escape dangerous situations and find a way to rebuild their lives. These volunteer opportunities and furthering my education allow me to have purpose and use my experience and continued understanding of navigating services and the legal system to hopefully improve the process for others. The voices of survivors of all sorts of violence and struggles need to be a part of any development and improvements of services other will need in the future.

Financially the struggle to continue in school while raising my kids is difficult. I had to leave my abusive marriage for the sake of myself and my children. I was able to gain sole custody of my kids but lost nearly everything else in my divorce. I had held the same job for 15 years but could no longer stay there due to not being able to find or afford childcare. The next best option and the only option was to go to school. I attend classes during the day virtually while my kids are at school and work on schoolwork after they go to bed. This allows me to be available and present when my kids need me, and to work on earning a degree that will help me find a stable career for me and my kids to thrive. My oldest struggles with some learning disabilities and neurodivergence which require special therapies and programs as well as regular meetings with their school and doctors. This is another reason working a full-time job is hard to manage with my time available. I have been determined to be the best parent I can be for my kids and heal the wounds of our old life. My children are doing much better, and their light and joy have returned. We go on adventures, experience nature, and learn about each other. We are thriving in our new calm and stability, but without the education and job opportunities, supporting this life will continue to be a struggle. I am pursuing a degree that will hopefully allow me to give back to my community. I am currently volunteering at my local domestic violence center, helping with events and advocacy. After school, I hope to come back and work for this center or somewhere that works to assist survivors of domestic violence or agencies working towards prevention and better resources. My life experiences and my determination to not just survive but thrive for my kids have pushed me to earn a degree and career I can be proud of. Financially a scholarship will allow me to focus on my school studies and my children, rather than worry about paying for college courses. I am living a life I did not plan. Circumstances and experiences changed me and forced me to change direction and start over at 40. The comforts and stability I had worked for went away when my marriage turned abusive and hostile and I believed I had no choice but to leave and start over to create a better and safer life for myself and my children. This meant letting go of everything I had and had planned on. I lost my home my job and my retirement account. I appreciate everyone and every organization that has helped me rebuild after escaping my former life, but the process was full of stress and setbacks. I want to take my experience and what I learn in school and put it towards helping others through similar situations and advocate for improvements to better serve people in need. I feel a purpose from working with survivors and I gain healing from sharing my experiences. I've been through more than I thought I could survive and have become the parent I wish I could have been from the beginning. I am determined to provide a good and stable home for my children and every bit of help I receive will get me closer to that goal. I appreciate this opportunity and thank you for reading my story.

Financially the struggle to continue in school while raising my kids is difficult. I had to leave my abusive marriage for the sake of myself and my children. I was able to gain sole custody of my kids but lost nearly everything else in my divorce. I had held the same job for 15 years but could no longer stay there due to not being able to find or afford childcare. The next best option and the only option was to go to school. I attend classes during the day virtually while my kids are at school and work on schoolwork after they go to bed. This allows me to be available and present when my kids need me, and to work on earning a degree that will help me find a stable career for me and my kids to thrive. My oldest struggles with some learning disabilities and neurodivergence which require special therapies and programs as well as regular meetings with their school and doctors. This is another reason working a full-time job is hard to manage with my time available. I have been determined to be the best parent I can be for my kids and heal the wounds of our old life. My children are doing much better, and their light and joy have returned. We go on adventures, experience nature, and learn about each other. We are thriving in our new calm and stability, but without the education and job opportunities, supporting this life will continue to be a struggle. I am pursuing a degree that will hopefully allow me to give back to my community. I am currently volunteering at my local domestic violence center, helping with events and advocacy. After school, I hope to come back and work for this center or somewhere that works to assist survivors of domestic violence or agencies working towards prevention and better resources. My life experiences and my determination to not just survive but thrive for my kids have pushed me to earn a degree and career I can be proud of. Financially a scholarship will allow me to focus on my school studies and my children, rather than worry about paying for college courses. I appreciate everyone and every organization that has helped me rebuild after escaping my former life, but the process was full of stress and setbacks. I want to take my experience and what I learn in school and put it towards helping others through similar situations and advocate for improvements to better serve people in need. I feel a purpose from working with survivors and I gain healing from sharing my experiences. I've been through more than I thought I could survive and have become the parent I wish I could have been from the beginning. I am determined to provide a good and stable home for my children and every bit of help I receive will get me closer to that goal. I appreciate this opportunity and thank you for reading my story.

Financially the struggle to continue in school while raising my kids is difficult. I had to leave my abusive marriage for the sake of myself and my children. I was able to gain sole custody of my kids but lost nearly everything else in my divorce. I had held the same job for 15 years but could no longer stay there due to not being able to find or afford childcare. The next best option and the only option was to go to school. I attend classes during the day virtually while my kids are at school and work on schoolwork after they go to bed. This allows me to be available and present when my kids need me, and to work on earning a degree that will help me find a stable career for me and my kids to thrive. My oldest struggles with some learning disabilities and neurodivergence which require special therapies and programs as well as regular meetings with their school and doctors. This is another reason working a full-time job is hard to manage with my very little available time. I have been determined to be the best parent I can be for my kids and heal the wounds of our old life. My children are doing much better, and their light and joy has returned. I take them to any appointments they need and am in the process of getting testing and services to help my child manage their disabilities, which takes time, travel, and scheduling. We go on adventures and experience nature, learn about each other, and thrive in our new calm and stability, but without the education and job opportunities supporting this life will continue to be a struggle. I am pursuing a degree that will hopefully allow me to give back to my community. I am currently volunteering at my local domestic violence center, helping with events and advocacy. After school, I hope to come back and work for this center or somewhere that works to assist survivors of domestic violence or agencies working towards prevention and better resources. My life experiences and my determination to not just survive but thrive for my kids have pushed me to earn a degree and career I can be proud of. Financially a scholarship will allow me to focus on my school studies and my children, rather than worry about paying for college courses. I appreciate everyone and every organization that has helped me rebuild after escaping my hostile former life, but the process was full of stress and setbacks. I want to take my experience and what I learn in school and put it towards helping others through similar situations and work towards improvements that can be made to better serve people in need. I feel a purpose from working with survivors and I gain healing from sharing my experiences and working with others. I've been through more than I thought I could survive and have become the parent I wish I could have been from the beginning. I am determined to provide a good and stable home for my children and every bit of help I receive will get me closer to that goal. I appreciate this opportunity and thank you for reading my story.

I have overcome difficult and traumatic challenges in my life and my way out of it is through education and establishing a new career. I am a nontraditional student, returning to college after twenty years, as a recently single mother. I did not plan to be a single mother, but my plans changed, and I had to make the best of it. I held a job with the same company for fifteen years and had a comfortable future planned but could no longer continue due to my unstable and abusive marriage needing to end. I needed to become the sole caregiver to my children and without family around or childcare, I could not continue in my former job. Without a job and a safe home, I had to seek services and support to help me rebuild. I’ve spent the last two years doing everything I could to provide a stable and calm home for myself and my children. During my difficult transition, I had to rely on community organizations for domestic violence assistance and government services to survive and provide for my children. This process requires a network of services and lots of hard work. It’s not easy to find help; you have to find the right questions and places to go. I would not be in school today without the support of my community. My next goal is to finish college and begin a career I can be proud of. I want to finish school and give back by working in advocacy or nonprofit work. I hope to help those in similar situations to mine and improve the process of obtaining the assistance they need. My current hurdle is finishing school with minimal debt. After making it through the most difficult time in my life, I am looking forward to a better future. I am determined to make this new life a success and I believe a good degree and working within my community is the best way to do that. I came to understand that unfortunately mine was a common situation for many women and mothers and I want to help make the process easier to navigate and work towards prevention efforts. I grew a passion to get involved in helping others work through what I had to live through by sharing what I learned from my experience and the professional knowledge I will gain in college. I have been volunteering to be apart of the steering and voices committees for a local effort to start a Family Justice Center in my city, to facilitate a central location where anyone in need can find resources to help them before and after leaving difficult situations. This volunteer work has given me purpose and helped me deal with my own trauma. I hope to continue this with and build it into a career I can be proud of. With this scholarship, some of the burden could be lifted from my shoulders and allow me to focus on school and achieving my goals. Thank you for your consideration.

I have overcome difficult and traumatic challenges in my life and my way out of it is through education and establishing a new career. I am a nontraditional student, returning to college after twenty years, as a recently single mother. I did not plan to be a single mother, but my plans changed, and I had to make the best of it. I held a job with the same company for fifteen years and had a comfortable future planned but could no longer continue due to my unstable and abusive marriage needing to end. I needed to become the sole caregiver to my children and without family around or childcare, I could not continue in my former job. Without a job and a safe home, I had to seek services and support to help me rebuild. I’ve spent the last two years doing everything I could to provide a stable and calm home for myself and my children. During my difficult transition, I had to rely on community organizations for domestic violence assistance and government services to survive and provide for my children. This process requires a network of services and lots of hard work. It’s not easy to find help; you have to find the right questions and places to go. I would not be in school today without the support of my community. My next goal is to finish college and begin a career I can be proud of. I want to finish school and give back by working in advocacy or nonprofit work. I hope to help those in similar situations to mine and improve the process of obtaining the assistance they need. My current hurdle is finishing school with minimal debt. After making it through the most difficult time in my life, I am looking forward to a better future. I am determined to make this new life a success and I believe a good degree and working within my community is the best way to do that. With this financial help, some of the burden could be lifted from my shoulders and allow me to focus on school and achieving my goals. I want to use my experience to help others. I hope to improve the process and support anyone else in a difficult situation like leaving a domestic violence situation. Sharing what I've learned and helping to develop a family justice center in my community has helped me deal with my own trauma and given me purpose to make more positive changes for people in my area and beyond. Thank you for your consideration.