Official Project Working Mom Blog : Capella University

Project Working Mom Scholarship Winner - Toni Zetzsche

Victoria — Wed, 20 May 2009 09:38:00 GMT

Toni Zetzsche

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Education — Leadership in Educational Administration
Capella University

As I sit here and think about what education means to me my head becomes filled with so many stories about how much education and working in education has enriched my life. I wish I could communicate in writing the excitement I feel when I think about the research and study involved in obtaining a PhD. I dream about becoming Doctor Zetzsche, Principal. It is so hard to compete with hard luck stories and others whose lives have been filled with huge obstacles and drama.

I have had a good life and hate to complain, since I have been blessed with a healthy child, another on the way and a supportive husband. We are not dirt poor, but we struggle daily to make sure everything is paid on time. I am nothing more than a passionate teacher, loving mother and dedicated wife whose entire life revolves around education and children. I would LOVE to see women like me, just regular women who are quietly phenomenal, that work hard to make good choices in life, receive these available scholarships. I think sometimes we're a bit over-looked!

In high school I was a mediocre student at best. My guidance counselor said my best bet would be cosmetology school! She said I "just wasn't college material" and that I would be wasting time and money. Being a little rebellious I did not take her advice. I went on to graduate from the University of South Florida with a criminology degree 4 years later. I bet you can guess what I think of her advice now!

After college I moved to the big city, Chicago, to be a famous detective… while waiting for a position with the police department I took a job at a school in a reading lab. I needed a job and it paid fairly well. The school was in a very, very poor area on the South side of Chicago. The kids I worked with were inner city, low income and very intimidating. I LOVED every second of it. I knew that this was exactly where I belonged. I had found my calling, my place in the world and knew I needed to be a teacher! It was really that quick—I just knew I would never leave the education field. Finding direction and feeling passionate about something felt like winning the lottery.

I called home to tell my mom and dad that I would be going back to school to pursue a Master's Degree in Education. They laughed. Now, I must admit that I have been classified as a lot of things…cute, funny, smart, stubborn, but never have I been classified as a serious student. My parent's skepticism gave me the push I needed. I finished graduate school (paying for it all by myself—with help from good ole' Sallie Mae) with Honors and most importantly with the love and respect of all my professors. I also received a big apology from my parents! They know now that I am a serious student. I had realized how lucky I was to be in graduate school and knew I had become addicted to education! Ph.D., here I come!!

Eight years later I am still dreaming about that PhD. I am currently a well-respected, successful teacher. I am still working in a low-income area with students who need a ton of love and guidance. I enjoy spending every minute of every day working to inspire my students to be more, do more and dream BIG! At my current school I work hard to be involved in administration. I am chairperson on several committees, coordinator of the tutoring program, Science Representative, team leader, mentor and much more. I have had many conversations with my Principal about going back to school. She has been urging me to go back to school for Educational Leadership. It is hard to admit that I just can't afford it.

I have put off going back to school because I have had to make some sacrifices for my family. My husband decided to go back to school to finish his bachelor's degree and become a teacher. I support his decision and know that our family will benefit in the long run. He worked for many years as a carpenter, but knew that the economy did not support his trade. With a 16-month-old daughter, student loans for my husband and another baby on the way, I have had to put off my dream. I know in my heart that taking out another student loan to obtain my Ph.D. in Educational Leadership would be selfish given our financial situation. Giving me this scholarship would be giving me the world. It would be life changing for my family.

My husband often feels guilty for being in school knowing how badly I want to be taking online classes right now. I know that I can accomplish this goal successfully online. I know that working online with Capella University I will have the opportunity to work at my own pace, in the evening when my little ones are fast asleep. I have proved my commitment to education time and time again and hope that you can hear and feel the passion that is connected to this essay.

I know that this degree with allow me to work in administration, make more money and make a big difference in the lives of countless children.

I have dreamed about having a PhD. for many years and feel excited to be able to apply for this scholarship. It has made me feel hopeful. Please know that you will be awarding this scholarship to someone who has worked hard to receive it. You will be amazed by my commitment and confidence. I can't wait to go back to school!

Project Working Mom Scholarship Winner - Michael Duran

Victoria — Wed, 20 May 2009 09:37:00 GMT

Michael Duran

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Business — Project Management
Capella University

After several phone interviews, 3 personal interview visits with a total of 6 different members of Management, I was gaining confidence each day that I would be awarded the job I wanted more than any other in my entire career.

In April of 2004, I was fortunate enough to be hired by the Proctor & Gamble, Professional Hair Care Organization as an Initiative Project Manager. It was the job of my dreams. Astounded by this opportunity I made every effort to perform beyond expectations. This was to be my last job, the last company I will ever work for, and the plans of buying a home for me and my daughter were in reach, because we just lost our home in a divorce settlement.

My starting salary was higher than any other starting salary I had ever received. Off I went to launch project after project for 4 straight years. Leading several projects to on time delivery, I was on my way to moving into an area of business that was in desperate need of initiative support. My leadership decided that I may be the resource capable of reclaiming the broken Promotional Events department, and building that organization up to the appropriate business criteria that was expected and required. From the start it wasn't easy, however, with knowledge and desire I led the execution team to establishing a base level process that assisted the Promotional business to realize a positive revenue making sector of our business in 6 short months.

One week prior to this past Christmas, I was told that the Promotional organization was consolidating to the new Distribution Center in Joppa, Maryland. Our Ontario, CA facility was shutting down the Promotional Hair Care facility. As a result, several jobs were lost including mine. What was once my dream job and the last job I would ever have was gone. P&G kept me on payroll until the end of January.

I have been rigorously applying for opportunities with several organizations every day for 2 months. It seems as though I'm caught in a tough situation. My education consists of only an Associate's Degree, but my experience is plentiful with over 23 years of Management. In order for me to make the salary that I desire I find myself competing with people with MBA's and higher education levels. If I step down a notch in salary, I have found through recent interviews that I'm over-qualified.

There in lies my dilemma. I have the knowledge and more experience than most applicants applying for the same jobs to make the salary I feel relevant, however companies are passing on my résumé credentials based on the lack of education. I can step down and make less, but that just isn't me. I need to pursue what big business is looking for and obtain a level of education that makes my credentials appealing to hiring Managers. However, I have financial limitations keeping me from perusing what I feel is in reach for me and my career. In these tough times where unemployment is at another record high, I need to enhance my competitiveness and advance my education so I can compete with others in the same salary range.

I'm a single father of a 10-year-old girl that lives with me 100 percent of the time. While using both the Father and Mother philosophy with my Daughter, we live moderately in a townhome in Santa Clarita, California where jobs are scarce.

I am reaching out to this scholarship opportunity for support to further my education so that I may have a fair chance at a career that meets my desire for success. Being unemployed and not having the means to afford obtaining even a Trade Certificate is a difficult position to be in, particularly when I know I have what it takes to be prominent with my occupation. I have worked too hard to settle for less than what I know I'm capable of achieving.

During this downtime I'm making a point to teach my Daughter that with hard work and persistence, anyone can achieve what their heart desires. We will get through this together one way or another because my Daughter knows her Dad will never quit. What was once a promising career and future is now bleak based on the educational challenge that my résumé lacks as a credential.

I believe that successfully completing a Project Management Professional (PMP/PMI) Certificate I will break the barrier to demonstrate a willingness to continue my education and become superior within a Project Management role. I also strive to mentor and coach what I have learned through my experiences directly through to co-workers in order to become more successful as a team.

I believe the door is always open and great things come to those who believe in themselves and never put aside hard work to achieve desired personal success. Thanks you for the opportunity to apply for this generous offer in scholarship. Your organization is doing something positive for people in pursuit to better their lives, careers, and futures. I admire the efforts of this project and hope that you can vision a Dad looking for support to build something more than average for his family.

Project Working Mom Scholarship Winner - Monique Bostic

Victoria — Wed, 20 May 2009 09:36:00 GMT

Monique Bostic

Master of Science (MS) in Human Services — School Counseling
Capella University

I have the faith of a mustard seed and this contest is only proof! Project working mom is the answer to my prayers. And let me just tell you I am sitting here at 11:41 PM at night just shaking my head, because as I peruse this web site and all the video clips announcing your contest, I've never seen any of them. I do like to watch the Tyra Banks Show, but only get to do so on a day I might be sick from work. I just happened to check my email on my yahoo account and saw the link for this contest on the main yahoo page. The caption alone made me quickly open up and check it out. God is so good, because as soon as I saw what this was about I knew this was the answer to my prayers.

My name is Monique Bostic and just yesterday—yes, yesterday I was trying to figure out ways to be able to go to graduate school. Ways which included how I would find the time to go to graduate school and how to pay for the tuition. There were only two problems with all the figuring I was doing—money and time.

They say what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger. As an economical (cheap) form of therapy, I started writing. I say cheap because I literally used two 5-Star Notebooks and a pen, to write a full length novel about women with infertility issues in their marriages—how cheap is that? It was all I could afford at the time. Infertility is highly stressful event too, so the therapy I received writing about fictional characters was phenomenal. So now I also write Christian Fiction novels part-time. And even though it has been a blessing to have my novels published, I only get paid twice a year. And since I am not at James Patterson or Steve Harvey status, I can't live off that small income alone. Time for me is a major factor, especially when thinking about trying to go to school the traditional way. I work five sometimes six days a week from eight to five. With my commute I don't get home most nights until six, and that's if I don't make any stops on the way home.

The time my little girl and I have at home week nights is limited. And the quality time is almost nil. By the time we do get home — there are four things that are a constant for my child (1) dinner (2) bath (3) a little down time for my child (4) her bedtime story. Occasionally we have to add homework to the list, when preschool teacher assigns it. I kid you not, I checked as recently as yesterday, on the Internet, the times and days for traditional classes for a Master's Degree in School Counseling. Most of the classes are only offered after 4:00 in the evening and as late as 9:00 at night, during the week.

I did mention that I am a single mom, right? These options are not good for me and in a nutshell, the traditional route for going to graduate school would be pretty difficult and out of the question right now.

I must say that, that information did not discourage me from my quest for ane even higher education. At work between my clients, I started searching online for schools which offered online Master's Degrees in Counseling. I also started typing search words for scholarships, because I knew that even if I did find a college, I'd still have to fund my education.

My search was halted when I got busy with clients. I mean hey, even though I am living paycheck to paycheck, my job is paying my bills—and the clients come first. I'll tell you what did not get halted yesterday, was my faith. I prayed to God and told him I wanted to go to graduate school and that I wanted Him to make a way. As far as I was concerned, that was it—God would make a way. And as I type this essay I know He has to be making a way for me.

Okay I am pretty excited and I've already used over 750 words in this essay to give you my testimony. I would like to make sure I cover all the questions you've asked to complete this essay.

(a) My life, education and career goals — Currently I am a single mom who works full time as a Nutritionist, counseling women, infants and children in the federally funded WIC food and nutrition program. I have been doing so for over 12½ years. I have a Bachelor's degree in Nutrition from North Carolina Central University. As a nutrition counselor, I love talking to clients about not only nutrition but I've also found myself informing them about various community services, referral sources as well as different avenues to try to find employment. I have to say that I didn't really know what I was going to major in while in undergraduate school. I changed my major three times before settling on becoming a nutritionist. I wish I'd had a school counselor to really sit down with me to help me find out what my best fit would be. I took me almost 20 years to figure it out, but over the years I now know that I want to be a counselor, specifically a school counselor. I want to be able to help people, especially at a young age figure out what they want to be and do in life. I want a Masters in School Counseling.
(b) How education will ultimately enable you to achieve those goals — I have two goals which can be achieved upon obtaining a Master's Degree in School Counseling. Number one I'll be able to obtain a position in a school system which will enable me to spend more quality time with my daughter. And number two, I'll have a job that I will not only love doing, but also feel fulfilled at the end of the working day, knowing I've helped someone else realize their own potential.
(c) Why online education is the right choice for you — An online education will give me so much more flexibility than a traditional classroom with out the stringent location, day and times. Online is the right choice for me because I can still get the things I need to get done at home at night done with my child and still be able to obtain the information for my online degree. I don't have to think in the back of my mind that I am taking the little bit of time that I do have with my daughter away from her, while feeling guilty.

I want to obtain my Master's Degree with the online opportunity. And I am not writing to this essay with rose colored glasses on. I have been told that online classes are often harder than the traditional classes, but I am ready for the challenge. I have faith in God and I know every thing happens for a reason, like my logging on to the Internet late on a Friday night, when I would normally be enjoying my quiet Mommy (Me) time, sitting on the couch watching one of the latest DVD movie releases in peace. It is sort of like the Visa commercial, this time of the night is priceless.

Thank you and many blessings to you all!

Monique Bostic

Project Working Mom Scholarship Winner - Shirley Jackson

Victoria — Wed, 20 May 2009 09:35:00 GMT

Shirley Jackson

Master of Science (MS) in Education — Leadership in Educational Administration (For Licensed K-12 Teachers)
Capella University

My name is Shirley Jean Jackson and I am so very interested in becoming one of the lucky winners of the working moms and dads scholarships for several reasons. One reason is for my parents who were never able to go to college themselves. The second is for my sons, to prove to them that despite previous set backs in life, when optical come your way perseverance will allow the opportunity for success if the willingness to try and the drive to succeed is there. Third, I would like to acquire the scholarship because I have wanted this for a long time because teaching and administration came naturally, as I tutored my siblings, helped my parents in directing my siblings lives and began management when I was just a teenager. Finally and today most importantly, I want this scholarship because I truly want to make a difference.

Clarence and Christine are my parents, though they found a way to be successful, they were unable to complete high school until later because they were raising eight children. My dad only had a sixth grade education until I was about 12 years old. He went back to school to encourage one of my brothers who wanted to drop out of high school. Though my father was doing okay financially, he wanted us all to know the importance of an education so that we would have it a little better in life. He completed his high school diploma in one year I believe and my oldest brother went on to complete school and eventually college.

My mother was a nurse's aide for years but could not get to the next level for many years because she was a black woman and there were few opportunities for her to go back to school. She had an eleventh grade education, but later went back to become a LPN, trained to become an RN but was not allowed to pursue the career until she was over 40 years old. Back then black females at least in our little towns were not allowed such a position. However, later in her 50's she became a supervisor and was satisfied with the success.

I would like to do this for them as they were instrumental in my wanting to be successful in life. However marriage and other issues curved my opportunity to go to school which is a story in itself. The second reason I would like to win the scholarship, is for my sons, my youngest seems to be loosing the drive to excel. He is only sixteen years old and doesn't have a lot of motivation. He doesn't understand the struggles people went through to allow him the opportunities he has today to acquire and education. I want him to understand the importance of doing your best and striving to be successful in everything. I also have a nephew that I raised from 3 weeks old, (I call him my son as well) who dropped out of college his junior year and I am hopeful that this will encourage him to return to school as he is 30 year old now and thinking he is too old to go back.

I will finish my BA on June 15 and I would like to continue on to complete my Masters Degree in an effort to show him it is not too late for him as he is only has a little more than a year for completion. Like my dad, I believe this is a worth while cause to set this example for the boys; I am hopeful that he will go back to school. He has spoken to me about it after seeing me go back for my BA. I believe this will be the motivation they will need, because if I can finish my masters at 53, they can do what is necessary to be successful to complete their education.

The third reason I would like to receive the scholarship, is because I have always wanted to be a teacher and an administrator. As a young teen I took care of my siblings, by organizing the house, taking care of them, making sure they got up on time, ate breakfast, when off to school and assisted with their homework, while my parents worked. In addition, I began work at an early age when my parents separated because my mother's salary was too small to support herself and 5 children. It was necessary to help buy clothing and other goods for my sister, three brothers and of course me so that we did not look badly going to school.

My mom did her best, but when we first moved to Florida after the separation, she did not make much money, so I volunteered to assist. The situation gave me a good work ethic, caused me to be more responsible and of course made me grow up pretty fast as I was the oldest child in Florida, which was quite a change from being the over protected sister and daughter back home. By 16, I was made manager of a shoe department in a local store and by 20 I had been married divorced and had lost two children that were born premature. These were difficult times and school was not in the picture for me at that time. However, it made me stronger. I then helped my mom to buy a house and took in my 3 week old nephew who is the 30 year old that I previously spoke about. I had some success, but whenever new management came to a job they would demote me and make me work to get my position back. It was generally because they saw me as a young woman and at that time it was difficult to be a manager with a child and of child barring age. There were still some prejudices regarding women in key positions who were of child bearing age. I seemed to have three strikes against me, one I was young and looked even younger, two, I was female in a male's world and three, being black back then did not always get me places easily. However, I stuck in their. The fact that I had no degree was generally the reason I was told I had to be demoted. However, eventually they would see my work ethic and how I was a benefit and promotion would come again, anyway. It was frustrating as that slowed my progressive plans for success down tremendously. Teaching and administration work was the work I enjoyed so I stayed. Often I was allowed to do training and development in these positions, so I learned to be okay with that, but I always wanted more.

You see I always did much of the work, trained many people that would eventually become my boss because they had degrees. At age 19 I taught at Nova University in a home based preschool program while managing Sears Portrait Studios at night and on weekends. I have also worked as a substitute teacher for about 10 years. The only thing in my way was a degree. This brings me to my final reason for wanting the scholarship.

I really want to be a teacher and administrator of a school so that I can be in a position to truly make a difference. I have always seen the big picture in business, being able to determine points of action that should take place from the top down. My goal is to get into the (AP) Assistant Principals program while teaching and working on my Masters in Education Leadership, acquire my PHD and eventually become a principal. All that prior experience can only be an asset now so I have not regrets.

I currently work at an alternative school where children really need people like me to assist them in areas they may not be able to receive elsewhere. Most of our children have legal or moral issues and we are working on the education and behavioral change that will help them to become good citizens. My principal thinks that I am a great candidate for administration and is backing me with moral support and as much on the job training as allowed without a degree. I see the big picture and it is my belief that once I have finished the education and training I will be able to bring all the hard work, organization, administration, training, development and motivational skills previously acquired in my career and life time of working with children to that of principal of a school. Schools today need people who are strong leaders, with a big heart, great plans, and variety of skills. I plan to be a guiding example to the staff and students I will lead.

My father is deceased, but my mom is healthy at age 86, I would like to have this completed while she is still here to see that the hard work ethic she gave her children did not go to waste. My plan is ambitious but attainable. I will finish the Masters, in Education Leadership, the PHD in Administration within the next three years, as I already have 13 credits towards my master's degree already.

It takes approximately three years to complete the leadership program. Therefore I will work to complete my masters in a little more than a year which will leave nearly two years to complete my PHD. All will be completed at around the same time three years making me eligible for leadership. Yes, it is ambitious, but realistically attainable.

So in conclusion, I truly want this scholarship for my parents who were not able to go to college, my boys to keep them on track for success, for myself because I have always wanted to teach and be an administrator and most importantly, for the children and my community because I want to make a difference to the children and staff I plan to lead. It is important that our schools have people that want to help and work to ensure our children are successful. I am one who is ambitious, experienced and realistic about the roles of teacher and administrator.

Project Working Mom Scholarship Winner - Adriene Active

Victoria — Wed, 20 May 2009 09:34:00 GMT

Adriene Active

Master of Science (MS) in Psychology — Evaluation, Research, and Measurement
Capella University

My goal is to obtain a Master's in Psychology with a specialized interest in Research, Evaluation and Measurement. Through my research of possible colleges, Capella University is the only educational institution which meets my academic goals with regards to research and evaluation in the field of Psychology. Online education will provide me with the flexibility I need to maintain a full-time job and continue to be the awesome mother I am to my three girls.

My academic experience consists of a Bachelor's in Social Work (May 1997) obtained through the University of Alaska, Anchorage. During my college years I was a single mother of two young girls; working approximately 30 hours per week; and carrying no less than 12 credits per semester. I was determined to complete my bachelor's prior to my girls becoming young adolescents. Upon beginning my college career my girls were almost one year old and two and a half years old. Thus, the time I was afforded to work, attend class, study and complete homework was limited. I spent many sleepless nights in order to complete class work; maintain my employment; and be a mother to two young girls. I was blessed with loving grandparents and godparents who helped me with my girls, mainly during mid-terms and finals, so I could solely focus on academic studies.

My girls have since grown up, now 17 and 19 years old, and I did add another girl to the clan (she is five years old). I am determined to continue my academic pursuits by starting in the Capella Master's of Psychology program. My long-term academic goal is to obtain my Ph.D. in the combined fields of research, psychology and indigenous studies. I want to contribute to professionals and traditional elders who are striving towards wellness for Alaska Natives and American Indians. I am half Inupiaq (Alaska Native) and half Jemez Pueblo (American Indian).

The current Alaska Native population is comprised of younger people, more than half (55 percent) are under the age of 21. The current Alaska Native social ills contributing to the destruction of Native villages, families and individuals are rising at alarming rates. Therefore, I feel the need to expand my knowledge with respect to research, evaluation and measurement and combine western scientific knowledge with traditional healing processes.

I have dedicated my professional and personal life to working towards betterment for Alaska Native peoples and within my own family. My professional experience has grown immensely since I received my degree. I have many intelligent mentors who have led and nurtured my professional growth towards fulfilling professional goals. My professional career began as a high-risk youth social worker (intermittent village support) and I have matured into Program Management and Policy Development. The boards and committees I have been asked to serve on have grown from basic educational support (community) to statewide and national representation. I have served in many leadership roles within these boards and my professional experience.

I am at a time of my life where I am able to commit myself to learning and fully appreciate my academic pursuits. I am capable to committing more time for my academic studies and realize the importance of obtaining an above average Master’s education and willing to dedicate time and effort to learn at my full potential. I work for United Way of Anchorage as a Community Liaison/Planner for a SAMHSA Underage Drinking prevention grant and I am employed full-time from home.

I just log on to my computer and report to work for the day, no matter what time it is! I do have obligations for meetings, etc. however, for the most part I am able to organize my own hours.

Please consider me for a scholarship for a Master’s of Psychology with a specialization in Research, Evaluation and Measurement.

Project Working Mom Scholarship Winner - Lisa Seel

Victoria — Wed, 20 May 2009 09:33:00 GMT

Lisa Seel

Doctor of Education (EdD) — Educational Leadership and Management
Capella University

I find myself at a crossroads that I never dreamed that I would be experiencing. I did what I was told would bring me success and financial security. I left a rural steel and coal-mining town in Western Pennsylvania, traveled to Philadelphia, worked my tail off and put myself through not only a bachelor's degree but also two master's degree programs. Following my bachelor's program, my career was stumbled upon at first but ended up being an industry that provided much personnel satisfaction.

I've spent the past 15 years working with urban, disadvantaged, neglected and/or abused children and their families through positions in the fields of foster care, behavioral health and education. During these 15 years, I have worked harder than most to move up the career ladder and up the salary scale. From my meager beginnings as a counselor for emotionally and behaviorally challenged children in Philadelphia, PA at a salary of $15,000 in 1993 to my last position in 2008 as program director of an education program for special needs preschoolers in Chester, PA at a salary of $62,000, I've had to work not only a 40-hour work week but an additional 10-30 hours per week consistently in the evenings and on the weekends just to keep the pace of the work demands. Outside of the long hours, I've struggled with the emotional and physical toll of working with people whose problems and needs seemed insurmountable in a system rot with dysfunction, bureaucracy and lacking of resources.

I found myself at a crossroads in September of 2008 when my employer of 10-years tossed me aside like unwanted junk mail. What I had believe to be meaningful values... dedication, loyalty and commitment to the company... I quickly learned were meaningless. After being employed continuously since I was 12-years-old with a stellar record behind me, I found myself unemployed. Over the last 5 months, since this fateful day, I have focused all of my energy of job hunting. For you see, I am the breadwinner of my family, the stable salary that meets our monthly bills and provides the health insurance for my family members. Without my job, my family's safety and security are now on shaky ground.

To date, I have applied to no less than 240 job ads for positions across a wide range of industries from human services to education to banking to corporate enterprises with no serious leads toward success in securing a position that meets my family's financial and insurance needs. I am finding that the degrees behind me are meaningless. Employers nowadays want a prefect package. They want candidates that fit job descriptions 100 percent. They do not want to train or mentor new employees. They want additional certifications and licenses that I don't have. So, I have found that the degrees that I possess don't mean squat in today's business world unless I can sway the hiring manager into believing that I have the experiences sought to the minute detail. This has been easier said then done. As I stated, 240 applications sent with only a handful of responses that proved to be all dead-ends.

So, I've been left with the question of what to do to solve my current problem for the long term. At this crossroads, I don't want just any job. I've done this before. I want to be able to move my career in a direction to obtain the position that I've desired for sometime but haven't pursued because of my lack of resources. I want to work in a higher education environment in a professional position, which also affords me the opportunity to teach someday in the future.

I have always love learning and would love nothing more than to go back to school. In order to achieve the above stated goal; however, I need to possess a doctorate degree. But life has not been as good to my family and I as I have tried to be to my family and society. With $58,000 in present student loan debit, all of our savings exhausted while we raised my niece and two nephews during a 5-year period when my sister-in-law was drug addicted (2003-2008), a husband whose career is in its infancy due to his need to stay at home for many years prior to this to care for his disabled and now deceased mother (1997-2007), the daily costs of raising our only daughter (2 years old) and one nephew (18 years oold) who is still in our care and our checking account now dwindling to cover our monthly expenses while I've been unemployed, I don't see any foreseeable means of covering the associated costs of returning to school anytime soon without an award such as yours.

Please help me to do this for myself. I've given and sacrificed without want for most of my life. This is the first time that I've put myself out there and asked for help from someone else. Writing this and applying to this contest has taken a great deal of courage. Although I may not have a story as tragic as some other applicants, my desire and need is just as great.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. It is greatly appreciated.

Project Working Mom Scholarship Winner - Sarah Pierson

Victoria — Wed, 20 May 2009 09:31:00 GMT

Sarah Pierson

Master of Science (MS) in Public Health — Management and Policy
Capella University

"Sarah, you are going to have to finance your own education." I can still see my father's face. The sadness in his eyes as the disappointment washed over my face. That I had forgotten such a crucial part of the college equation was devastating to me. The topic of paying for college had never come up, and I just assumed that my parents had been putting away some sort of money, as many of my classmates parents had. I do not want to have this conversation with my children. I think about getting my master's degree every day. Because every day I contemplate how I will provide for my two young children.

I am the oldest of five children who grew up in a working class family. I admired my father, who would work 12 hours a day at his father's awards shop, assembling trophies and plaques. I grew up in a poorer, inner city neighborhood where most people had a high school degree, at most. Very few had college degrees. I wanted better for myself. I would be the first in my family to get my college degree. My drive was enhanced by watching my parents struggle to make ends meet. My father dropped out of college when he was a sophomore, to assist his father's business when my grandfather became ill. My father never went back to pursue his dream of becoming a lawyer. He could have, as he is incredibly intelligent. My mother never even thought about college. She met my father after high school, got married, and started her own family. The thought of going to school never crossed her mind, as there were more important things on which to spend money. Although I admired my parents and their hard work, I wanted to have better.

When my classmates began to look at colleges, I eagerly joined them. I dreamed about moving away to Chicago or New York, studying hard, and getting a good job. My dream changed a bit the day that my father told me that there was no money for college. I was on my own.

I struggled to complete my degree from the very beginning. Mostly because I was working so much to pay for college, I didn't have time to devote to studying, and I found myself unprepared. I received my first "D" ever in my first semester, and I was embarrassed. I vowed to work harder. It wasn't that I was disinterested, I was just overextending myself. I loved learning, and would get so excited with each new class, as there was so much to learn. I tried to work jobs where I could study while I was working, so I could do better with my grades. The whole time, I dreamed about what was next, and what I would study for a master's degree. I could recognize, even then, that a bachelor's degree was only a first step.

Meanwhile, I had fallen into an emotionally abusive relationship. As my self-confidence slid, so did my grades. I started working more and pursuing my studies part-time in an effort to balance things out. I started working as a teacher assistant in an early childhood classroom. The pay was meager, but I loved kids, and I found working with kids with special needs incredibly rewarding. I quickly worked my way up the ladder, so to speak. I was a hard worker who was passionate about what I did, and it did not go unrecognized. I was promoted to a home visitor position, where I worked with a program that served children at risk for abuse and neglect. It wasn't long before I was coordinating the program, supervising the home visitors and the teachers that worked with these children. I loved the job and the families I was able to help, but something didn't feel quite right. While my promotions spoke greatly of the confidence that my supervisors had in me, I felt ill prepared. I wanted to do my best, and I often felt like I was swimming in an endless sea.

Although by now I had received my BA in child psychology and sociology of law, I knew that I needed to go back to school to get the tools I needed to make me a stronger supervisor. I had also discovered that the part of my job that I really enjoyed was the public health aspect of what I was doing, promoting healthy lifestyles for parents in order to better their children's lives. I was intrigued by the science and research of my field, and decided I wanted to go back and study public health. But again, the money would prove to be a barrier.

I was making very little money in my salaried position, despite my often 60-70 hours workweeks. I had now left my abusive boyfriend, and was in a healthy relationship with a man that is now my husband. We wanted to buy a house and start our lives, and we wouldn't be able to do it on my pay. I searched for a new job in the same field, only to be told that while impressive, my credentials were not sufficient. When I investigated, I found that the people that were awarded these positions had a master's degree at least, and sometimes even a doctorate. I was disappointed. I then decide to leave my job for a lucrative nanny position. I figured the job would last a year or so, I'd save enough money to buy a house, and then I could go back to school. I am still a nanny. I work part-time so that my husband and I can juggle childcare. We are making ends meet, as long as nothing happens. We have a house that is worth less than what we owe on it, thanks to the economic events of the last few years. Even before the economic downturn, I didn't have the money to go back to school.

With the economy in the state that it is, I can't justify taking on school loans at this time. My husband works in a field that even before the downturn, furlough was something that was always on the horizon. It is a word that is now used almost daily in my house. I know that my time as a nanny is limited, as the children that I work with are getting older. To find another position with equal pay would be difficult, as I have been with this family for four years. If my husband were to be furloughed, we would be left without health benefits, as this is not something that is available to me in my current job.

I want better for myself, my children, and my husband. I want to be able to provide for my children without worrying about what happens next. Above all, I want my children to look up to me and see that I have been successful, and dream of the same for themselves. I want to make a difference in the lives of people, especially parents of young children. I want to have a positive impact on my community. I want to make sure that people have the information that they need to live healthy, productive lives. That is why I am so excited to learn about Project Working Mom. If I am awarded a scholarship, I could go back to school for my master's degree in public health, which would give me not only the chance to broaden my knowledge base, but to also qualify me for a job that would help me to meet my goal of making a difference in my community.

I took multiple classes online and through independent study at the end of my bachelor's degree, and it was such a great fit for me. I was able to continue working, which was a necessity, and could complete my class work when it was convenient for me. I was also able to use precious time to study, instead of commuting. As a mother with two young children, an online degree is even more appealing now. The cost of childcare while I would commute and attend class adds to the financial barrier that already exists. I will also be able to preserve precious time that is spent with my children, helping them grow into amazing individuals. Thank you for the opportunity to further my educational, family, and career goals. What a blessing it would be to me and my family if I am able to obtain my master's degree in public health through a scholarship with Project Working Mom.

Sarah Pierson

Project Working Mom Scholarship Winner - Stacey Owens Howard

Victoria — Wed, 20 May 2009 09:30:00 GMT

Stacey Owens Howard

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Education — K-12 Studies in Education
Capella University

My name is Stacey Owens Howard and I am a first generational college graduate. Now I start with that very important statement because according to statistics the odds of me completing college were suppose to be slim to none.

Both my parents are high school drop outs reared during a time when providing for your family came first and education was second. My mother has a tenth grade education and spent her life working in a factory making parts for vehicles. My father has an eighth grade education and has spent his life building a janitorial business. At the age of five my parents divorced and my mother began the profound task of raising four small children as a single parent. Of my siblings two received a high school degree, one dropped out of school and I was the first to attend and graduate from college.

Although my parents did not complete their educational journey, they both knew that it was the ticket to a better life and always encouraged all of their children to strive to obtain an education.

During my fifth grade year, I encountered a teacher who inspired me to want to become a teacher. Mrs. Moore made learning fun. She was passionate and compassionate about her job as a teacher, building relationships with her students was important and she taught me that you can do anything that you put your mind to. I still remember days when Mrs. Moore would let me stay after school and help her with different classroom tasks after she helped me with my work. She even gave me a ride home knowing that my mother did not drive and we did not have any transportation.

I made a promise then that one day I would teach and pay it forward by touching the lives of the students that I taught. I graduated with a BA degree in Elementary Education and began to accomplish my goal of helping students. During my eleven years of teaching I was blessed with two beautiful children and a wonderful husband.

My oldest child struggled through school and was identified with ADHD/ODD. School was not a safe haven for him. I often had to fight for support and for his needs to be met. I was often faced with teachers telling me that ADHD was over diagnosed and that his problems were just him being lazy. Despite the fact that I had evaluations from medical doctors and was receiving community support from mental health, and the fact that I too was an educator, my child suffered for many years. Many doors were closed and he grew to hate school. After several years of marriage my husband could not handle the daily stress of raising a child that had severe outburst, violent behaviors, and defiant behaviors so I soon found myself divorced and in the role of single parenting.

I can go on for hours describing the financial struggles of dealing with medical expenses, tutoring expenses, medicine expenses, and the adjusting to a single income home but instead I will focus on the frustration of watching my child go through years of bad educational experiences. Countless meetings with teachers who flat out said no to intervention strategies who would actually say things like, "I have 30 children in my class and I don’t have time to do anything extra." So when I asked, "Well he has been tested and proven not to have a learning disability, and he continue to show up so what are you going to do with him?" They would often respond that it was his responsibility to want to do better. This was the turning point for my career goals.

I started in Education with the goal of providing children with great educational experience that would touch their lives forever. Now I wanted to be in a position where I would continue to touch the lives of students on a broader basis by being in the position to touch the lives of teachers. I wanted to take the experience with my child in be in a position where I could create environments that were conducive to learning for all children. To do this I enrolled in a Master of School of Administration program and completed my Master's degree.

Now I am in a position where through leadership I can have a positive influence on situations similar that what I have experienced as a parent. But this is not enough; my ultimate goal in life is to continue to find researched based alignments between good practical teaching strategies and the effects of positive student/teacher relationships and student success with a focus on ADHD students. I then want to take on the role of Educational Consultant and share these strategies with school systems around the world. I know that by the time I accomplish this goal it will not help my son directly, but hopefully it will prevent other students from growing up thinking schools in the twenty first century are bad places.

Online education is right for me because of the flexibility and ability to complete the program while remaining close to home. My son will be a senior next year and still require a great deal of my time to help him complete the first stage of his educational experiences. My daughter will be a freshman and will require my time in helping her to adjust to the transition from middle school to high school. Receiving this scholarship will be a great financial help considering that I am still paying on $28,000 worth of student loans and my son will be in the position of starting college in the near future. It will also allow me to complete my doctoral degree and afford me the opportunity to use this time to research what I have learned through my years of parenting.

Project Working Mom Scholarship Winner - Lisa Johnson

Victoria — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:25:00 GMT

Lisa Johnson

Master of Business Administration (MBA) - Marketing
Capella University

I've been a mother half my life.

For many to say that, it is not so shocking, or amazing, if you will. At this point in my life — age 33 — however, it is surreal. I've had children since I was a child.

While I would never regret my decisions or wish that I hadn't finished growing up as my first son was just blossoming, I do sometimes wonder, "What if?" only in the sense that if I had the chance to go on to obtain my master's degree, would I be able to provide more for my children — a nicer home, better clothing, a stronger role model?

Once I had my first son at age 16, I knew dropping out of school or foregoing college were not options because higher education means higher salaries and more career opportunities. I raced through college, obtaining my bachelor's degree in three years because I knew I had to get into the workforce as soon as possible to start making a living for my family. Wanting to be a newspaper reporter and editor since I was in seventh grade, I chose the field of communications. While I was accepted at Syracuse University and could have spent five years in school to earn the bachelor and master's degrees together, I had to stay closer to home (Niagara University) for my family and choose a less expensive alternative because my parents were in no position to help with college expenses.

While I've enjoyed relative success in my field, the road has been rocky. Raising two children on one salary is difficult, but knowing that you've hit the pay-scale ceiling in the field (unless you're willing to relocate thousands of miles away from home) is disheartening. At times, I've had to swallow my pride and accept help, such as enrolling my children in Child Health Plus (sure, I pay my taxes for such help, but the stigma is still attached) because I could not afford health insurance. I also went without coverage for eight of my 10 working years because of the extreme cost compared to what I was pulling in. While I was one of those millions in the statistics of workers who do not have health insurance, I was forced to turn to Medicaid for help when I was diagnosed with cancer in 2004. The options were either ignore the stigma or incur a $25,000 hospital bill.

I'm also seeing that in such a harsh economic climate, a bachelor's degree is no longer enough to make it farther in my field. The pay scale is still about ends meet, so I thought going back to school was just a pipe dream because I would not be able to afford to pay off another college loan. (Plus, after the extreme joy felt upon finally making that last payment on my first, $11,000 student loan, I never wanted to have that type of debt again.) This scholarship would give me the opportunity to offer my children more help in their futures as well as to allow me to grow in the communications field, learning new skills and opening myself up to more prestigious job offers.

Obtaining riches isn't the goal of going back to school, but rather, the goal is to reach a comfortable income level at which I can afford the basics for my family, save for retirement and stash something away for my children upon my passing. Without a master's degree, I'll be lucky to be able to accomplish the first goal. I am grateful for every learning opportunity that I can get, and this scholarship would allow me to learn more in my field while helping to secure a stronger financial footing.

As my mother taught me by going to Capella in her 50s to obtain her master's degree, I want to show my children that it's never too late to learn more, even if it's in a structured, educational setting. An online school would be perfect for me because I would want to work obtaining my master's degree around my obligations with the children and my full-time job. Working on this nights and weekends and realizing the dream would do wonders for my career.

By going back to school, I also hope to teach my children a deeper lesson in determination. They've watched me fight for a better life for all of us to this point, and I hope to teach them that we can always have better if we're willing to work hard for it.

Project Working Mom Scholarship Winner - Sandra Nunez

Victoria — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:49:00 GMT

Sandra Nuñez

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Human Services — Management of Nonprofit Agencies
Capella University

I am a forty-eight-year-old Mexican-American woman, mother of two, grandmother of two adorable grandchildren, and wife of thirty-one years, to my high school sweetheart. I consider being raised in a border town community, being not only bilingual and bicultural — but also having the special insight of being culturally competent — a blessing.

Having experienced first-hand the opportunity of living amongst poverty and experiencing all the socio-economic disadvantages associated with this groups underprivileged position and status, I feel I have the personal linguistic and cultural insight to be one that can help uplift many individuals from their disadvantaged socio-economic position. In addition, having almost twenty years of health care reimbursement experience, and having focused my graduate studies on cultural competence in medical practice, has provided for me, the professional and academic support, that race and ethnicity among U.S. populations, correlate persistently with health disparities.

So how are we to deal with these disparities? By becoming more involved in the recreation of the planet, through edifying works, the physical health disparities may possibly be transformed. But before this can take place, humanity must first transform the moral, spiritual, and social health of the planet, something I have definite plans of contributing to during my lifetime. Your scholarship program can help make this happen for me.

My degrees (I will humbly mention, all three, were Magna *** Laude) from the University of California, Irvine, and Los Angeles campuses, with majors in Anthropology, Social Science, and Latin American Studies I credit to Divine Providence as they were the result of awarded scholarships and fellowships that made it all possible for me. Thus far, my most significant academic accomplishment has been my induction as an honorary member to the highly distinguished Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.

I have enjoyed the blessed spiritual journey life has offered me, with its hardships and its triumphs, with its sorrows and its joys, and particularly traveling to distant lands, meeting new friends, and learning from their different cultural experiences. While my faith and my family have been central pillars in my life, I am now (that my children have grown) in a position to dedicate myself more completely to the service of others. In addition, my husband is looking forward to retirement in a few years and we have both considered the service of the underprivileged as a way of making our post-retirement years most productive and meaningful. This new opportunity, to accomplish my academic preparation online and with the much needed financial support, would be a dream come true for me.

By learning to manage a Nonprofit Organization with a Doctorate degree in Human Services Management, I will help empower those with genuine need in a way that encourages them in a dignified way. In many cases, it is shown that many such beneficiaries go on to serve in similar community or global service projects. While I already possess the human and spiritual passion, knowledge, and skills to serve others, I lack adequate specific academic preparation in Nonprofit Management. The focused academic program with its valuable lessons would provide for me the necessary skills to help empower underprivileged men, women and children of all ages, through education and sustainable development projects. I believe I have what is required to complete such rigorous academic program.

Whether or not you find me to be a good match for your scholarship program, I commend you for your outstanding work and dedication. I know it will be a blessed soul that is awarded such honor and I know this soul will always reciprocate your noble decision, in the favor of others. I wish these individuals great success in their academic, professional, and civic endeavors as well as genuine discernment for the committee in charge of making the awards-decisions.

Cordially,

Sandra Nuñez

Project Working Mom Scholarship Winner - Alyssa Ohleyer

Victoria — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:41:00 GMT

Alyssa Ohleyer

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Education — Leadership in Educational Administration
Capella University

As a student who was almost left behind I am passionate about making school count for every student in each of my three schools. I am a school social worker in Colorado, my journey to this place in my life has been one of struggle and reward. The children I work with sometimes remind me of my own experiences, but often bring with them new challenges that education is just beginning to understand.

Working in the largest school district in my state, I also see the challenges faced by our administrators in implementing the new IDEIA and adapting to the changing needs of our school age population. I am effective in my job in the schools, I feel I can do even more and am looking toward a PhD to get me to the position where I do the most good.

My own history as a student got off to a very rocky start. Following the death of my father at age four, my mother remarried and we moved to Colorado. At that time, depression was not identified in young children and once I started school I was identified instead as dull and oppositional (today I would have been identified as twice exceptional, depressed and reactive attachment disorder). I was not reading by the end of second grade, but did not qualify for Special Education because of the discrepancy model that is still used in my school district up to this year.

My mother enrolled me in a summer school that taught phonics and I was reading when I entered third grade, but barely. School was a torture for me up until I was sixteen when I was diagnosed with Dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorder. Finally, the problem was not ME but things that could be treated and compensated for! I graduated high school, then college and in my semester in the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver, I got my first set of straight A's. I had a master's degree at the age of twenty-three.

The MSW has taken me full circle and I now work in the same elementary school I attended. But this is only one of three schools I serve, last year my caseload reached 60, I expect it to grow even larger this year. The challenges faced by schools are very different now; even then they were five years ago.

The population of children diagnosed with disorders in the Autism Spectrum is exploding and will continue to grow now that Autism will be routinely screened for as part of the annual exam for two-year-olds in the US. New diagnosis like Bipolar Disorder and sensory integration issues are challenging schools that had not seen children with behaviors this confounding in the past. As school budgets tighten, more and more students with complex and frustrating behaviors are being served at their home school. This has its pros and cons, usually better for the student but disruptive to the rest of the school.

I am one of those people who can say I love my job! There is nothing more rewarding that helping my students be successful in school. As a social worker, I am trained to look at systems and be creative in solving problems and changing behaviors. I see creative solutions to problems the school system itself faces. I am a problem solver and feel that administration is the next logical step in my career and my passion. A PhD in Education Administration would be an excellent fit for my goals.

I live in a small town in Colorado about forty minutes from Denver. My husband and I are raising our first child together, she is almost two. He has an older daughter who is turning nineteen and starting college herself. He worked in the construction industry up until February of this year, when he lost his job. He is now home full time with our baby girl and has returned to school in Denver, pursuing a degree and licensure in secondary education.

With two family members in school and being the sole bread winner, I figured I would have to put my plans for further schooling on hold until my husband was finished with his. However, the opportunity to work toward the degree online would be ideal as I do not have the time (or the gas money) to travel to Denver or Boulder where the closest programs are taught. A scholarship would mean I could move toward my dream of a PhD without placing my family in a financially precarious position.

Working Mom Power! Thank you for taking the time to read my entry, and for giving working moms opportunities to be their best!

Alyssa Ohleyer, MSW

Project Working Mom Scholarship Winner - Michelle Eriksson

Victoria — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:35:00 GMT

Michelle Eriksson

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology — Clinical Psychology
Capella University

Have you ever dreamed of what you would do if you won the lottery? If you have, then you will understand what it would mean for me to be chosen to receive a full online scholarship. Most people when they dream of what to do with their new found millions may think about quitting their jobs, buying a lavish new home, a new fancy car or even vacationing in Europe with no expense spared. Believe it or not, the first thing I think of using the money for is to finance my doctoral degree.

Obtaining my doctorate is important to me because it is the only natural remedy for staying in touch with what is new and exciting in clinical/educational psychology. I would earn it while engaging in research, investigating innovative theories and developing a hypothesis for my dissertation that would potentially be used by school districts nationwide in assessing the learning needs of those students on the Autism spectrum.

Being in education is a privilege and also a responsibility. If we want our youth to see the value of lifelong learning, we need to engage in it ourselves. I can't put into words how important it is for me to have this opportunity without the financial burden to get this degree. Think of all the kids I could help!!! Without this scholarship, I will not be able to afford it. I would be okay with that though because my time and funds go to support the hopes, dreams and aspirations of my sixteen-year-old son. He was diagnosed with high functioning Autism/Aspergers before anyone had any clue what Autism Spectrum Disorders were.

I can show I am the type of online learner who will not quit or be deterred in my pursuit of obtaining my doctorate. I know this because I have already shown I can and did finish my master's degree despite the unexpected and tragic death of my first child to SIDS in the winter of 1989. In the spring of 1991, I graduated with a Masters in Counseling Psychology. I then learned I was pregnant with my second child and had planned to spend the next few years attending to his care. I soon learned that this miraculous son I was so blessed to have was not like the other babies. He was completely different than my first child in both temperament and personality. To make a long story short, my son Josh was to have a Pervasive Development Disorder now known as High Functioning Autism (HFA)/Aspergers (ASD).

From May 1, 1991 until the present, my life has been devoted to my son's physical, social, and educational development. With the death of our first child and the chronic social and emotional struggles with our second child, my marriage of sixteen years did not survive. I have spent the last fifteen years investigating and researching how to best help him. What drove everything I did for him was my belief that his education was paramount. I was told he would never be in a regular educational classroom, but his scores showed he was above average intelligence.

He did not have behavioral problems whatsoever in or out of the classroom, but he was not popular either; he simply saw the world from a different vantage point. I taught him that different does not mean bad. Every school year from first grade on would hold its own difficulties and hurdles to overcome. Every night and every weekend to this day, I spend at least two hours a night working with him on his academics to ensure I know what he needs to do. I would help him learn to organize his work in a way that worked for him. We would go over each and every assignment to make sure he understood the requirements of the assignment and how to navigate through the language road blocks. Some information he would retain, but most of what he learned he had to relearn and relearn. I would quiz him, do math for hours and read out loud to him daily just so he could keep up. At the same time, I fought the educational bullies of the schools he attended.

Josh had some wonderful teachers who were willing to work with him and he thrived in those classes. Then there were the responsibility teachers as I affectionately refer to them. Teachers who did not understand what HFA was, let alone how to facilitate a positive effective learning environment. I usually am on a first name basis with the superintendents by the end of his stint in their respective districts. That is how important education is to me.

I have not had a vacation in over five years. If I am not working with him on his academic/social development, I am working to help those in the educational field understand what simple adjustments ASD kids need to be fully integrated students within the classroom.

I am happy to share with you that my son Josh is now sixteen and a junior in high school. He has always been in a regular educational classroom. He does have minor accommodations for academic areas that are typical for HFA students, but he maintains a 2.69/3.00 average. Josh has far exceeded any of the negative long range outcomes predicted early on, but that does not change the fact that he has autism and is limited in various ways. Most of all, Josh believes in himself and knows he has strengths/weaknesses like all other kids.

His strength of character, having endured so much adversity, is evident when he is confronted with the social pressures of being a young teenage male. He is in some ways quite naïve with challenges in some of his basic skills, while simultaneously very wise and intuitive in other ways. He does tend to be the target of bullies, but he responds with an astonishing sense of logic that would rival those who do not have HFA.

Current research now shows that early intervention is the key for a positive long term outlook. That is what they say now. Back fifteen years ago, with very little information about HFA, parents were left to wade through what limited information was available. There are no words to express how exhausting and, at times, hopeless it felt to spend so much time, effort and financial resources on the hope that all those efforts would lead to a positive resolve for Josh ten years down the road. This is especially true when the experts were not so encouraging and/or really did not possess much knowledge. It was pure faith and a strong belief that if he could get the education he needed, he would have a chance at a future.

Anyone who knows me will attest to my desire to get my doctorate. I even applied and was accepted to the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Walden University back in 1997, but I could not afford it after all was said and done. It was either my sons needs or the doctorate. I could not afford to do both. I do not mean to sound like a martyr by any means either. Its just the way it was.

When I learned of the Project Working Mom, I was elated with hope and excitement. I read everything I could about it to make sure I was reading it correctly. I thought to myself, "Oh my gosh, if I could get this scholarship, I could do it." I could fit the studying in with my other work and home responsibilities. It would be a win/win for all. This scholarship in essence would be like winning the lottery. Due to my work schedule and home responsibilities, obtaining my doctorate online would enable me to complete courses online while still being physically present in the home.

As a school counselor, I spend my days advocating and encouraging all my students to go for their dreams, despite whatever obstacles they face. I encourage them to not give up, but find an avenue with a sustained belief in themselves. I would use this scholarship to further my knowledge and education, in addition to researching ways to enhance the educational lives of all students with a special focus on those who suffer from neuropsychological disorders.

Finally, I believe learning and education are defined by the strength of character it takes to see what was and what can be. By opening our minds in new ways, we can discover new avenues for exploration, while marveling at those educational discoveries that form the foundational basis for all we know. Yet none of it could have happened if education was reserved solely for the wealthy or connected. For those in history who had some of the greatest discoveries did not possess the heaviest wallets; but rather the biggest dreams for a better tomorrow.

Thank you for your consideration.

Michelle Eriksson

Project Working Mom Scholarship Winner - Lori Brosseau

Victoria — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:16:00 GMT

Lori Brosseau

Master of Science (MS) in Education — Early Childhood Education
Capella University

This Scholarship Could Change My World

If I am awarded a scholarship to realize my goal of becoming a special needs teacher it will change my whole world. The world of a middle-aged, working mother with two small children does not allow for much day dreaming. I am a very practical person. I am a practical nurse. It took a lot of grit to get this far.

At the ripe old age of twenty-eight I felt washed up and worn out. Waitressing at 24-hour pancake houses in a brown polyester skirted, orthopedic shoed, support-hosed back braced, smile-through-the-pain-to-get-the-tip drudgery was all I knew ever since high school. It amounted to ten years of rent and necessities paid with no benefits and no future. I had been told by an English teacher that my writing was so horrific that it was unrealistic to suggest that I should have a refresher course or even retake all of high school. Miss Green, you need to start over at grade school, she said. I had believed her and that is how my career in waitressing had started.

In 1995 after some supportive friends and family members told me that I was actually pretty smart, I started taking classes at the local junior college. I wanted to be a school teacher of children like the ones I had met while volunteering with the Special Olympics and the adults I had helped at Camp Swampy (a summer program in Arcadia for mental-challenged adults). However, it was suggested to me that nurses were in high demand and becoming a nurse would take less time and academic skill. I was still unsure of my worthiness to be a teacher and lead a class full of little minds in learning. Also, the local hospital would pay tuition reimbursement for nursing, so that decided it. I took a job as an in-house transporter at Sarasota Memorial and began nursing school.

After the collapse of my seven-year marriage, the signing of huge student loans (just for the cost of living) and working two jobs around a full-time nursing program, I regrouped to stay afloat and opted for the cheaper, quicker licensed practical nursing program.

In September I will be 41-years-old; my kids are three and five. I am a darn good nurse but not the teacher I had dreamed of being. I still am paying that student loan and the academic credits earned I bound-up into a psychology associate's degree so that they aren't wasted. I have taken classes here and there for my bachelor's of human development but after my first born came and my husband was laid off from work the first time, all that stopped. With my husband laid off again, now, and the debt piling up, it seems that was a pipe dream.

Online courses would make it all possible: I could work full-time and study at night, I could confer with class mates on the Internet and I could go at my own pace. I need feedback to know if I'm headed in the right direction. My brother to online courses and his professor sent detailed critiques of his assignment and suggestions for his research. He loved it and it did not interfere with his working hours as a paramedic.

If I was awarded the scholarship so that I could pay for school it would change my whole world. Not just when I finish and can do the work I feel has always been my calling; all along the way would be better. I love to learn and I miss taking courses. My kids and I are always pulling slimy stuff out from under rocks and gathering cocoons to observe together. The completion of my education would be a great example for both my children (and I would be only the second person in my extended family with this distinction). I learn so much through them and have the joy of teaching them at each opportunity but without adult academic stimulation, I am afraid some of my mental skills are wasting away. Beyond that, even if I was to die before receiving my master's degree, I had all that hope, that promise to hold on to until then. (I don't think Ill be kicking the bucket anytime soon, though.) In the event that I am passed over for this gift, I will try, as I have always tried, to find some of that dream in bits of other tasks. At present I am sort of a caregiver educator in my nursing position.

I will continue to do the best I can wherever I am, no matter what I am doing. Thank you for allowing me this chance at the scholarship. Until the contest is over I with have the hope of winning.

Project Working Mom Scholarship Winner - Yaffa Brautigam

Victoria — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:01:00 GMT

Yaffa Brautigam

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology — General Psychology
Capella University

I am a CARN, a registered nurse with my certification in addictions as well as a recovering addict.

I had serious health and pain issues in my child-bearing years that contributed to a ten year long addiction to Percocet. After a hysterectomy, D&A counseling, and involvement in and faithful attendance at Narcotics Anonymous meetings, I'd finally gotten clean.

At 44 years of age, I decided that I'd had enough of hospital nursing, but it was difficult to find work that didn't involve just passing medications and documenting symptoms.

My passion was reaching out to still sick and suffering addicts, helping them to get help, get clean, and rebuild their lives.

I applied for a job as an ICM (intensive case manager) trainee at Hamilton Health Center, a nonprofit medical corporation in inner-city Harrisburg, PA. Their maternal addictions program, "Baby Love" was looking for people with licenses or degrees to work with mothers who were addicted to drugs.

When I interviewed for, and then was offered the position, I was terrified. On one hand, I would have the fulfillment of my dream and be able to really get my hands into the drug and alcohol field. On the other, I would make about 50 percent of an RN's salary and would no longer be working as a "nurse," which had been my identity all of my working life. It was my husband who encouraged me to follow my dream, and it was he who rejoiced the most when I fell in love with my job, my clients, and the fact that I was FINALLY making a difference.

When I started thinking about a degree in Social Work or Drug and Alcohol Counseling, my husband was extremely supportive. We'd been married 21 years and had seen each other through graduate school (his PhD) and an associate's in nursing degree (me), and knew that we could handle me returning to school, but were far from able to afford it without both of us working.

Together we made the plan to have me return to a traditional university and take one or two classes at a time until I was able to finish. We knew it would take a LONG time, probably about 6-9 years, but we were willing to make the necessary sacrifices of time and money to see my dream come true. I planned to begin in September of this year.

Three months ago, my brilliant husband of 22 years contracted a sinus infection while I was taking my mother to Rome to fulfill HER dream. By the time I landed back at JFK, my life as I knew it was forever changed. Chaim had developed a virulent strain of bacterial meningitis and died. Not only did I never get the chance to say goodbye, I was now the sole support of our three sons, ages 10, 9, and 7.

I was able to see him in the hospital and hold him one last time before the surgery team came to harvest his organs. I got through the immediate days afterwards with the support of good friends from church, Narcotics Anonymous, my counselor and co-workers. With their help, I was able to arrange his memorial service, put our home up for sale (couldn't afford to keep it), move closer to my job, and rebuild our lives. I did it slowly, one day at a time, without a relapse. I not only remained clean, but quite a few fragile, tender, newly-recovering addicts in my home group of NA as well as many of my clients were able to get clean and STAY clean because they watched me do it.

I did it with the grace of God and the 12 steps of NA. I did it with the conviction that relapsing would not be the way to honor my husband's memory or make my pain go away. I did it because I had three beautiful children to carry on his memory, and wanted to keep their lives as normal as possible.

Now I am left with only my memories, but still want to make the dream we conceived together come true. I know that he had faith in me, and because of that, I have faith in myself. With or without a scholarship, I WILL DO IT, but a scholarship would make it so much easier. I hope that you will consider me.

Respectfully submitted this 23^rd day of June, 2008.

Linda D. "Yaffa" Brautigam

Project Working Mom Scholarship Winner - Tamiko Booth

Victoria — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:59:00 GMT

Tamiko Booth

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Education — Leadership in Educational Administration
Capella University

Hi, my name is Tamiko Booth. Here's a little something about my life. I'm a 32-year-old single parent of one adorable inspiring, gentle-hearted six-year-old little boy. We reside in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. I was born and raised in the small town of Moss Point, Mississippi. My childhood was nothing out of the ordinary. I didn't get everything I wanted, but I got everything I needed. Upon graduating from Moss Point High School with Honors, deciding where I would attend college wasn't really painful. There weren't many options, because I knew I wasn't going to get too far away from the nest. Family is important and staying close to them was a priority.

I chose to attend the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, which is about one hour and 30 minutes from my home town. I obtained my B.S. in Sports Medicine with an emphasis in Exercise Science. I took a break and enlisted in the United States Air Force Reserve.

I left for an entire semester of college, went through basic training in San Antonio, TX, completed training for my ASFC, and returned home to enroll in classes for the next semester. My military experience ended in an honorable discharge after 5 years due to medical issues.

I got married at the age of 25 and within months, promptly became a proud wife and mother. The honeymoon period ended before I could say, honey I'm home. I was married four years and it ended in divorce. My ex-husband was incarcerated. Now that I've been labeled as a negative, common statistic, one would think that digesting such a disappointment would send me into a mental haze. It didn't. The real horror has to deal with the guilt of modifying the two-parent household that my son and I had become accustomed.

I was raised with both of my parents in one residence. They are still married. I have to be both a mom and a dad to my son. I have to be a driver to all sporting events, a playtime buddy when he wants to play catch, a cook when he's hungry, and a provider to fulfill wants and needs, a disciplinarian when he needs guidance and a nurturer when life lets him down. I have to be every woman all in one breath. I wouldn't trade it for anything, but its been a struggle to maintain a healthy, well-rounded environment while being a single parent and coordinate my professional career collectively.

I've had to transition from managing with two incomes to surviving with only one. This transition has definitely posed a stronger financial strain and effort on my part. While my divorce was in the works, I had to come up with a plan that would accommodate both my son and I. I knew that it wouldn't be easy. I needed more money if we were going to survive. I was only making $23,000 a year. I was obligated to taking care of a child, paying the mortgage, child care, clothes, food, care payments, you name it. I was on my own.

Like anyone else, I don't like to expose my failures, but I needed help. I ended up filing bankruptcy; negative statistics number two. My grandmother offered to keep my son for a year so I could get back on my feet. She took care of him during the week and I got him on the weekends. That was hard for me, but I had to sacrifice that time with him to secure a better future for us. I soon applied to an alternate route program that allows individuals with a degree to pursue certification to teach in a specific subject area. I was accepted. Within one year of my divorce, I received my licensure for Special Education.

I started teaching in a low-income area that was forty-five minutes one way from where I resided. I loved it, but the drive was draining me. I had to find something closer. Still underpaid, I became employed for a mental retardation facility that's closer to my home, as an Academic Teacher. Though I loved what I was doing, I wanted more out of life. I wanted to go back to school. As you already know, money was an issue, but I could receive financial aid. I didn't need to accumulate anymore bills for myself, but I had no other choices. My son was back in the home with me, so now I needed another plan for child care because I could only do night classes at a local university, so I thought.

I started researching online and guess what I found? Accredited universities were offering degrees through distant learning. I thought, "It's no way I could get a degree from across the world!" I was wrong. I enrolled with ease, financial aid was set, and I started posting messages on the message board. I was in class, earning my masters degree! I was able to work, be a mom and be a student around a schedule I created. The mastermind behind this idea had the working class people in mind, thank goodness.

The program I entered was only supposed to take 15 months to complete. I ended up withdrawing from the school because of Hurricane Katrina. I didn't know when I would be able to attend class again. Honestly, I really wasn't thinking about it. I just wanted my life to get back to normal. I was a blessed individual through this entire ordeal. I didn't lose any family members, my house, or my employment. I suffered major damages, but I'm still here, that's what's important. Once everything began to normalize, I resumed my studies at Kaplan University online. I received my MATL in Education with an emphasis in Special Needs in 2007. I'm very proud of that. I received a promotion. I am now an Academic Teacher II.

I started out as a Recreation Therapist, making $23,000 a year with a bachelor's degree. My salary has doubled since completing my master's. Within five to 10 years I see myself as the Director of the Special Education Department of the Department of Education. I would love to pursue my doctorate degree. It would be something beyond my highest thoughts for myself. I am the only person in my immediate family that has a degree. The only thing that was expected of me was to complete high school. My parents never did. I've over exceeded those expectations and determined to go higher. Where I'm employed the individuals I serve are anywhere from mild to profound mentally retarded. Notice I said career and not job because I believe a job is what a person does. A career is what a person loves. I cant see myself in any other profession. This is where my heart is. I feel that teaching is a part of giving back the blessings I've been given. I feel that it is my duty and responsibility to care for those who are in need of someone to reach out and make a difference in their lives. I want to look back on my life and be able to say that I've made a difference in someone's life. I'm committed to helping change the world, one person at a time.

I could give you a bunch of statistics and data that you could reference about how the percentages of individuals, especially minorities, completing education is slumping. I'm not interested in that. To be honest, if education was offered to everyone for free, there would continue to be people who would not engage that opportunity. I'm trying to redesign my life. I want to turn those negative images about me into a positive. Actually, I've already done that because a negative times a negative equals a positive.

I'm very passionate about reaching a higher level, not just in education, but in life. When I reach out to grasp something and its beyond my reach, the sensible thing to do is to stretch out farther, or find something to climb on that will get me closer to the desired object. The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of climbing is a ladder. I was taught to ask for something I wanted. I want this scholarship. So, I ask you, would you be my ladder, because I'm on my way to the top and I truly appreciate your consideration. Thanks for caring about working moms.

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