Tonya Nixon
Getting a bachelor's degree means the world to me for so many reasons. With my immediate family struggling financially and mentally, victims of domestic violence, felony cases building, and embraced in the world of welfare, finishing college is not only my goal, my dream. It is an encouragement, a message of hope and reality that "we can."
I have two brothers and three sisters. Three of my siblings never finished high school but one of them received his GED later on. I am the third child out of six contending to be the first in my family, including my parents, to obtain a college degree.
I was raised by my grandmother who took custody of me at around the age of 5. Stretching a monthly social security check to care for me and two of my older sisters, my grandmother was strong and taught me life lessons and values I treasure today. Quite frequently she had to borrow money from the family she used to do housekeeping work for to either put food in the house or pay bills. I can remember days when the kitchen only consist of the block of cheese the government used to issue, the powdered milk, bread, and maybe some eggs. Grill cheeses became frequent. Nevertheless, she kept me clean with a roof over my head until I entered junior high school.
I went to live with my mother by the time I was entering junior high. This is where I begin growing up fast. We never had much food in the house and utilities where getting turned off frequently. Eviction notices became a norm. As soon as I was of age to participate in the Upward Bound program, I joined. I went to their tutoring and development programs during the school year and participated in the summer program where you went to class half a day and worked the other half during the summer. We received stipends at the end of the week. I used my money to buy myself clothes and make sure me and my siblings had something to eat. As soon as I turned 15 years of age I begin working at Sonic Drive-In. I was attending high school and working as many hours as I could to make sure we had food and contribute to bills. I remember some nights my siblings didn't get anything to eat until I got off work and brought burgers home. I also paid for my cheerleading supplies my junior and senior year of high school.
My freshmen year of high school I was removed for an altercation with an assistant principal. I was sent to an alternative learning center. I thought this would mark me for life. I would be labeled a bad student. But I wasn't. I came back the next year and started over. I was doing alright until I got pregnant my senior year. My dreams, hopes, and enthusiasm of going to college faded away. I didn't know what was going to happen after I graduated. I graduated with my class but the youthfulness ended there. I left home the week after graduation and moved in with my son's father. We had several physical altercations with one resulting in his arrest. At that time we were living a life that I knew couldn't go on forever. I knew I wanted to be in law enforcement one day and had to get away.
Me and my son moved into a one bedroom apartment because that's all I could afford at the time. I had accepted all the credit cards they offer you fresh out of high school and racked up a massive debt. I had a car accident before I received a drivers' license and the other driver's insurance had filed for subrogation. My driver's license was suspended, I was arrested for DWLI and I end up filing Chapter 13 by the time I was 24 years of age.
By this time I almost gave up on trying to become a peace officer. I knew they did background and credit checks. I had a driving while license suspended charge and I had filed bankruptcy. Getting pregnant early had already delayed my career advances and now I knew I would have to let some more years go by before I could even think of applying for a law enforcement position. I knew I needed more education beyond a high school diploma. I enrolled at Austin Community College to begin working on my Criminal Justice Certificate and the endorsement to sit for the peace officer exam.
Working full-time and raising a child is one of the toughest things you could do. I never had a reliable source for babysitting. I remember some days I needed to go to class and didn't know who was going to watch my son right until the last minute before I was due in class. I hated leaving him two and three nights a week but I knew I had to do this for him, my family, and myself. I needed my siblings to see that there was a positive way to life out there and that we can make it.
Two of my sisters and my brothers have been in and out of jail. One of them has nine kids and the other has seven. I don't want my mother, my siblings, my son, my nieces, or my nephews to believe that is all life has to offer them. You often hear the statistic of children who come from broken, single family, or low income homes are not successful. Yes, we come from all the above but I need them to understand that it's not about where we came from but where we're going. I need them to know that without an education your world is limited.
Well, I finally obtained my peace officer license and I am currently a Deputy Constable. The best thing about my job is I get to interact and help so many different people. I'm from an area where the police and a predominantly African American community often have much tension and the trust between them is eroded. I want my community to know that not all officers are bad. I want to show them there is nothing wrong with being a police and that there are officers, such as myself, that do care about the community and what goes on in it. I'm often sent to schools and camps to talk to kids, teens, and parents about different topics with one of my primary areas being truancy (kids missing school). I always encourage them to finish school and go to college. But I want so much for the day to come where I can say to my audience that I've finished college and I have a bachelor's degree in criminal justice.
Being a full-time mom and a full-time officer will not allow me to attend classes on campus. An online degree is the only way I can finish school along with much financial help. I often inquire with online schools but I end up turning away because I know I can't afford to attend and the thought increasing an already large student loan is so intimidating. But I don't want to be an entry level officer my entire career. I want to become a Sergeant, a Chief, and the elected official. But without my bachelor's degree, I'm the weakest link.
I've come across law enforcement job announcements that too often read "minorities and women encouraged to apply." I don't want to be the top candidate because of the gender and/or race box I check on my application. I want to be recognized because I have the education, the skills, and the knowledge to perform the job. I need this scholarship more than anything. I've made it this far but I still have a long way to go.
When I saw the Project Working Mom scholarship information the first time, I told myself this doesn't happen to local, ordinary people like me. Something deep down in my heart still tells me I'm wrong and I will continue to apply. Please, please consider me as one who is chosen to receive the working mom scholarship. I will devote my time and submit my hardest effort if I am chosen as a scholarship recipient. I can't express, asked, plead enough to be chosen as one. I need another chance to get it right.