Donna Gannon
My name is Donna Gannon and I am a mother of two amazing children, Lelaina who is 13 and Joshua who is 16. I have brought my children up to appreciate education and the contribution it can bring to the world. I myself regrettably did not attend college out of high school. Although I did marry my high school sweetheart and started a wonderful family. I have brought up our children with great morals and values. We have made sure to direct them towards scholarships throughout their education where as we have never had an abundance of funds available to us. I am proud to say they both hold around a 3.80 GPA and both have hearts of gold.
I myself am the youngest of five children. I watched my mother work hard towards a career in the nursing field, starting at the age of 40. Her tireless efforts and dedication stayed with me as I too am approaching 40. After attaining her degree, I had the fortune of watching her enjoy her career through out my life as she gifted the world with her skills. I have recently experienced some very hard times which have inspired me to walk in her path. Its funny how hardships in your life ignite a power driven from within that when looking back you cant imagine ever living without. This is what Graphic Design became for me.
I have always encompassed a love for the arts. Whether I paint, sketch or tell a night time story to the kids. I have always felt the urge to design and create. Twenty years ago I married a man whos family owned a photo lab. We serviced our small town for over 25 years with quality service and always a smile. The later part of those years I and my husband ran the lab. Unfortunately that industry has become null and void and we have been struggling to start over from scratch. With our expertise in imaging we have created a large format business. Although the sluggish economy has created a tremendous struggle for our new venture we have put all of our resources at stake and are striving toward the future as best we can. During this transition we have noticed a tremendous need for Graphic Design.
This past year has been a series of challenging obstacles. We lost our home, were forced to file chapter 7 bankruptcy and are struggling to keep bills paid and food on the table. Through these obstacles we are attempting to create any spark that can get us back on our feet again. Our children are getting closer to the college life and we desperately want to provide any funding that will help them to get started on the right foot.
Currently I am enrolled in my first semester at Penn Foster for Graphic Design. Online learning is such a wonderful tool for me and I am very grateful for the ability to learn and receive a degree from home in my spare time. The reason I am applying for this scholarship relies upon my financial strain as well as my lack of time during the business day. Most importantly my desire for a career in a field that I absolutely feel confident and comfortable in. The first semester was a struggle to fund and I have been anxiously awaiting a resolution for the remaining 3 semesters. I am so pleased to have the opportunity to apply for this scholarship. I am fully committed to completing this degree with aspirations of showing my children a positive role model with the will of a warrior. I know that I will make a difference in the world with this degree as well as a positive influence for the school I am attending. I look forward to being a graduate of Penn Foster and will extend my gratitude to this establishment with pride.