In 2021, I experienced the hardest, yet arguably the most critical moment of my adult life. A After an arduous divorce, and several therapy sessions, I came to realize I had gone through many years of narcissistic abuse from my ex-husband. I was at the lowest point of my life, severely depressed, while trying to be a full-time single mother to my 11-year-old son who is high-functioning autistic. I knew I needed to talk to someone who could help me through this incredibly difficult time. So I began looking for a counselor. I was extremely lucky to find one fairly quickly that I felt was a good fit and began seeing her for regular sessions. The meetings with Mindy became the support and therapy I so desperately needed. I no longer felt alone. I felt seen and heard. She helped me sort out my thoughts, understand facts from falsehoods, and validated what I was going through. Over the next three and a half years, I discovered who I was and grew exponentially. I worked through the trauma of years of abuse, along with the traumas from my childhood. I still have regular sessions with Mindy today. Counseling was essential to my healing and growth. Just having someone who I could share my story with, someone who could help me see the truth and reality of what had happened to me, gave me the strength I needed to keep going. I know there are so many others who need help with their healing journey, too. I realized I could help others who are facing, or who have faced, difficult situations or traumas. I can help change lives through counseling and therapy. As an artist, I knew art therapy would be a great option to pursue in this field and the path I feel that is right for me. Therefore, I enrolled in West Liberty University's Masters program for Art Therapy and Counseling. At 41 years old, I am a divorced, single mother, working hard to make ends meet. While some may look at my life and see a woman who is lost, trudging along after a failed marriage, the reality is much brighter. I am free of and healing from an abusive relationship. My son, despite his challenges as a high-functioning autistic teenage boy with ADHD, is growing up in a more positive home and learning to be a kind, respectable, empathetic young man, breaking the narcissism cycle of generations before him. I make time for myself and have had some incredible experiences, and in doing so, have met and befriended wonderful people I otherwise would not have. For the first time in a long time I have confidence in myself and I am ready to embark on a new career, one that will allow me to help others with healing and self-discovery of their own. Without the hard experiences, along with the therapy and healing that followed, I would not know myself on the deep level that I do today. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this scholarship, and for helping those who, like me, need a little extra help to begin the next chapter of their story.

Counseling has been essential to my healing and growth over the past several years. Just having someone who I could share my story with, without judgement, someone who could help me see the truth and reality of what was happening, gave me the strength I needed to keep going. I know there are so many others who need help with their healing journey, too. I realized I could help others who are facing or who have faced difficult situations or traumas so I decided to pursue a career in social work. My counselor helped change my life, I would like to do the same for others. I am an artist and as I was looking into a career in counseling, I found information on art therapy. I was instantly intrigued, realizing I could combine my love for art with my desire to help others. Art allows you to express thoughts and feelings in ways that words cannot. Since art is a passion of mine, I intend to make this a focal point to my studies as it can be an incredible therapeutic tool for clients. I've also recently discovered the power of somatic exercise, such as yoga and meditation, and the intense impact it has had on healing for practitioners. While I am only in the beginning stages of its research, I am fascinated by my findings and want to pursue this healing for myself. I've always been a very spiritual person and I believe this form of therapy not only connects the mind to the body, but also makes one aware of energy and vibrations. Thoughts and feelings are energies and if they are not processed, they can cause a number of problems, even issues as serious as cancer. Negative thoughts and feelings create higher stress and tension in the body which can lead to health issues, whereas positive thoughts leave you with higher endorphins, lower stress, and less tension. I highly recommend the book by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk titled "The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma" because it explains this topic in much finer detail. It helped me understand the necessity of processing emotions and trauma as well as tensions in the body in order to truly find healing and growth. This very well could be another aspect of therapy I'd like to study in order to offer it to future clientele. Helping someone process their issues and traumas through therapy where they can feel the transformation both mentally and physically could make all the difference for some individuals. Once I obtain a Master’s in Social Work, I plan to pursue certification in Art Therapy, so I can take the passion I have for art and blend it with a career of helping others. Somatic Therapy is another area of study I am strongly interested in pursuing certification in. Clients will have diverse beliefs, understanding, and spiritual and therapeutic needs and I believe having the ability to offer them different forms of therapy along with counseling gives them a better chance at successful personal growth and healing.

While pursuing a degree is a worthwhile investment, it can be quite expensive. I am a full-time single mother on a fixed income, pursuing my Masters of Social Work, and I will rely heavily on financial aid like scholarships, grants, and loans to help pay for my education. I'm pursuing Social Work because counseling has been essential to my healing and growth over the past several years. Just having someone who I could share my story with, without judgement, someone who could help me see the truth and reality of what was happening, gave me the strength I needed to keep going. I know there are so many others who need help with their healing journey, too. I realized I could help others who are facing or who have faced difficult situations or traumas. My counselor helped change my life, I would like to do the same for others. I know a master’s degree in social work is the first step to a career in counseling. I am also an artist and as I was looking into a career in counseling, I found information on art therapy. I was instantly intrigued, realizing I could combine my love for art with my desire to help others. Art allows you to express thoughts and feelings in ways that words cannot. I've also recently discovered the power of somatic exercise, such as yoga and meditation, and the intense impact it has had on healing for practitioners. While I am only in the beginning stages of its research, I am fascinated by my findings and want to pursue this healing for myself. I've always been a very spiritual person and I believe this form of therapy not only connects the mind to the body, but also makes one aware of energy and vibrations. Thoughts and feelings are energies and if they are not processed, they can cause a number of problems, even issues as series as cancer. Negative thoughts and feelings create higher stress and tension in the body which can lead to health issues, whereas positive thoughts leave you with higher endorphins, lower stress, and less tension. I highly recommend the book by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk titled "The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma" because it explains this topic in much finer detail. It helped me understand the necessity of processing emotions and trauma as well as tensions in the body in order to truly find healing and growth. This very well could be another aspect of therapy I'd like to study in order to offer it to future clientele. Helping someone process their issues and traumas through therapy where they can feel the transformation both mentally and physically could make all the difference for some individuals. Once I obtain a Master’s in Social Work, I plan to pursue certification in Art Therapy, so I can take the passion I have for art and blend it with a career of helping others. Somatic Therapy is another are of study I am strongly interested in pursuing certification in. Clients will have diverse beliefs, understanding, and spiritual and therapeutic needs and I believe having the ability to offer them different forms of therapy along with counseling gives them a better chance at successful personal growth and healing.

In 2021, I experienced the hardest, yet arguably the most critical moment of my adult life. After 20 years together, my husband told me he wanted a divorce. I couldn't believe it. I'd built my whole life and future around him. We had a family. At first, he told me it was due to my mental and physical health issues and that I was burden to him. However, it did not take long for the truth to surface. He had been having an affair with a woman in Chicago, who he met through work. So, after the divorce, he made the choice to move there, over 550 miles away, in spite of having a son who needed him here. So, not only was I trying to navigate as a completely broken, single woman, I was thrust into full-time single motherhood to a broken-hearted little boy as well. I knew I needed to talk to someone who could help me through this incredibly difficult time. I began looking for a counselor. I was extremely lucky to find one fairly quickly that I felt was a good fit and I began seeing her for regular sessions. The meetings with Mindy became the support and therapy I so desperately needed. I no longer felt alone. I felt seen and heard. She helped me sort out my thoughts, understand facts from falsehoods, and validated what I was going through. Over the next three and a half years, I discovered who I was and grew exponentially. I discovered my ex-husband was a narcissist and worked through the trauma of years of abuse, along with the traumas from my childhood. I still have regular sessions with Mindy today. Counseling was essential to my healing and growth. Just having someone who I could share my story with, someone who could help me see the truth and reality of what was happening, gave me the strength I needed to keep going. I know there are so many others who need help with their healing journey, too. I realized I could help others who are facing or who have faced difficult situations or traumas. I can help change lives. I know a master’s degree in social work is the first step to a career in counseling, so I enrolled to the Master’s of Social Work program at the University of Massachusetts Global. At 40 years old, I am a divorced, single mother, working hard to make ends meet. While some may look at my life and see a woman who is lost, trudging along after a failed marriage, the reality is much brighter. I am free of and healing from an abusive relationship. My son, despite his challenges as a high-functioning autistic teenage boy with ADHD, is growing up in a more positive home and learning to be a kind, respectable, empathetic young man, breaking the narcissism cycle of generations before him. I make time for myself and have had some incredible experiences, and in doing so, have met and befriended wonderful people I otherwise would not have. For the first time in a long time I have confidence in myself and I am ready to embark on a new career, one that will allow me to help others with healing and self-discovery of their own. Without the hard experiences, along with the therapy and healing that followed, I would not know myself on the deep level that I do today.

When I started college right after graduating high school, I originally did not know what career path I wanted to follow. I attended a local technical college and earned my associates degree. Shortly after, I got married and put off furthering my education for a while. But after a few years, as an artist I knew I wanted to use my passion and skills for art for my career. I realized I really enjoyed graphic design so I enrolled at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Commercial Graphics. After two semesters, however, I became pregnant with my son and had to put the rest of my education on hold. Thankfully, I was able to stay home with my son for his first few years. Once my son was old enough to attend preschool for a few hours a day, I decided to go back and finish my degree at PSU. Originally, I had decided to go to college for myself, but this time, I was going back for my son. I wanted to show him that, in spite of life's circumstances and unexpected plans, you always make time for what is important. I also wanted to teach him that it's important to invest in yourself, too. That's exactly what I intend to do for a second time. Life's circumstances have once again led to unexpected plans. I am now a single parent, working two jobs, and doing what I need to do for my son. At 40 years old, I now have a fresh start at life. I have discovered a passion working with people of all ages, especially through art. My experiences range from homeschool art class teacher and art camp instructor to teaching workshops at local retirement and rehabilitation homes for the elderly and disabled. I also teach art workshops and classes to all ages and class sizes, including family classes and couples classes. I also worked for several years as a Paraprofessional at a local elementary school tutoring children and aiding classroom teachers. I've seen the effect art has on people and their mental and emotional health. I've realized that social work, counseling, and art therapy is where my career (and heart) is being pulled. I recently applied to Pittsburg State University (my Alma Mater) to their Master of Social Work online graduate program. I hope to start in January 2025, permitting funding. Once the Masters is complete, I hope to earn a special certification in Art Therapy. I want to thank you for your consideration for this scholarship and for taking the time to read my story.