I have come to realize that life is never easy and to reach my goals I must turn every rock and look under every nook and cranny when it comes to financing my educational goals. This characteristic is my power, my perseverance. I am a nontraditional college student, married for a decade now, with two young children. I grew up in poverty, and crime, and was taught at a young age that you just accept the cards of life you were dealt, and goals were just childish dreams. Until 2017, when I almost lost my husband in a horrific work accident that not only broke his bones but also his mind and my spirit. It took a year of surgeries and psychologist appointments to be reunited with 85% of my husband. During this time, I got to witness a man who does not give up on himself or his family, I saw his devotion to coming back as best he could to us. Somehow, he stayed positive and encouraged me to stay strong, his dedication to continue being our rock was still there. I was inspired to go back to college and even though it should have been me watching over him, he was the one cheering me on and telling me to be brave and make a change, that I could do it too. I am more than ever determined to finish what I started in 2018. I earned my Associate’s in Pre-Medicine/Dentistry Science from Tulsa Community College as a member of Phi Theta Kappa Alpha Omega honor society while holding a position as a treasury in the TRIO program. I wanted to show my husband that all his strength at his lowest, fueled my determination and perseverance to go after my Dental degree. He set the example for me to never give up and never just fold under life’s curve balls. I transferred successfully to Rogers State University to seek my bachelor’s in STEM. My declared major of choice, Molecular Medical Biology, I continued my engagement in the TRIO program at RSU, because I learned that alone is not the way, support from your community is. Life has changed and it will continue to do so, for time waits for no man, therefore it is essential I continue to apply for grants and scholarships because financing this goal is no easy trick and it’s a lot of hard work that has to be put in. The Sloane Stephens Soc & Glo scholarship will continue to propel my goal of becoming a Dentist and allow me to not only reach my not-so-childish dream but also an opportunity for me to give back to my community, my family, and the world. The scholarship will help me by removing the stress of the upcoming semester’s tuition payment. Allowing me to focus on the bigger picture at hand, passing my classes one semester at a time, because a journey of 1000 miles begins with one step. All I have to do is make it to the finish line and then cross it, that is my power, my perseverance. As someone who has struggled to pay bills, struggle paycheck to paycheck and survive out in the real world as a nontraditional college student, parent, and caretaker every dime helps. This Grant will allow access to an obstacle I have to face every semester, which is ‘How will I pay for my classes, books?’. College is not free or easy but reaching out to those who can help me and offer to support in carrying my dream with me, is worth every written word.

I have come to realize that life is never easy and to reach my goals I must turn every rock and look under every nook and cranny when it comes to financing my educational goals. I am a nontraditional college student, married for a decade now, with two young children. I grew up in poverty, and crime, and was taught at a young age that you just accept the cards of life you were dealt, and goals were just childish dreams. Until 2017, when I almost lost my husband in a horrific work accident that not only broke his bones but also his mind and my spirit. It took a year of surgeries and psychologist appointments to be reunited with 85% of my husband. During this time, I got to witness a man who does not give up on himself or his family. Somehow, he stayed positive and encouraged me to stay strong. I was inspired to go back to college and even though it should have been me watching over him, he was the one cheering me on and telling me to be brave and make a change, that I could do it. I am more than ever determined to finish what I started in 2018. I earned my Associate’s in Pre-Medicine/Dentistry Science from Tulsa Community College as a member of Phi Theta Kappa Alpha Omega honor society while holding a position as a treasury in the TRIO program. I transferred successfully to Rogers State University to seek my bachelor’s in STEM. My declared major of choice, Molecular Medical Biology, continued my engagement in the TRIO program at RSU. Life has changed and it will continue to do so, for time waits for no man, therefore it is essential I continue to apply for grants and scholarships because financing this goal is no easy trick. The Minority/Women in STEM scholarship will continue to propel my goal of becoming a Dentist and allow me to not only reach my not-so-childish dream but also an opportunity for me to give back to my community, my family, and the world. All I have to do is make it to the finish line and then cross it. As someone who has struggled to pay bills and survive out in the real world as a nontraditional college student, every dime helps. This Grant will allow access to an obstacle I have to face every semester, which is ‘How will I pay for my classes?’. College is not free or easy but reaching out to those who can help you carry your dream is worth every written word.