Erin Buck
"There is in every true woman's heart a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity; but which kindles up, and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity." Washington Irving, The Sketch Book, 1820
Life doesn't always turn out quite like we expect it to. As a young girl, I often daydreamed about the kind of life that I would live when I was grown. I never wanted anything too extravagant…a good husband, two children, and a career as a preschool teacher. A quiet, simple life is all I've ever really wanted.
I met my husband while we were both in college…he was finishing Fire Academy and preparing to enter into his career as a firefighter. I was obtaining my Early Childhood Education credentials to begin my career as a preschool teacher. A few years later, we were married with 2 small children, and for a while I was living my dream.
When my first child was born, I knew that I wanted to operate a preschool program out of my home. This way, my children would benefit from having a lot of one-on-one attention in a small group setting, and I could continue to further my career without sacrificing time away from my children. After extensive background clearances, licensing evaluations, program planning and facility inspections, I was granted a license to operate a family child care facility, and I opened my business, "Discovery Preschool and Child Care Home" in 2002. My husband and I worked side by side to create the kind of preschool program that would give our children the absolute best start in life, and I was proud of the recognition and gratitude that we received from the families of the enrolled children. I was living the life that I had dreamed of, and I wasn't prepared for the curve ball that was headed our way.
When I first received the call from the investigators regarding allegations that my husband had molested a child at our facility, I was appalled. Of course, I knew there was absolutely no truth to the allegations whatsoever…Nathan had been a trusted caregiver for years! He was a paramedic and a firefighter, a wonderful father, and he was great with all of the children that came through our program. Everyone we knew loved and trusted "Mr. Nate." You can imagine my horror when I found out from the authorities that he had actually confessed to molesting a 3-year-old little girl, the exact same age as his own daughter, in our preschool home.
Life quickly spun out of control from there. My facility license was revoked, and Nathan was sentenced to 8 years in prison, which in my opinion is not nearly enough punishment for the pain that he has caused the little girl and her family. My children have suffered greatly as well…they have lost their father very suddenly and tragically, not to mention traded our comfortable lifestyle and dual-income household for the not so lavish life that a single unemployed parent can provide. After the scandal that was created, my career, which I had devoted so much of my life to, was over. All that's left for my children and myself to do now is pick up the pieces and start over, which I'm learning is no easy feat for a single mom. Nevertheless, I will find a way, because now that I'm the only parent my children have, failing is not an option…I will do whatever it takes to succeed so that I can provide for them the kind of life that we once had. I know it isn't going to be easy, but I am determined to be an example of strength for my children. Just as my 4-year-old likes to repeat from her favorite movie, 'Finding Nemo': "when life gets you down…just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming…"
If I am chosen to receive a scholarship, I will be returning to school to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Communications. I will be attending classes while working full-time and caring for two small children on my own…it's going to take a lot of time, energy, and hard work, but I know that eventually I will accomplish my goals. I hope to develop an inner strength as a result of overcoming these obstacles, and to become the strong, independent woman that I need to be for my children.