In my late twenties I found my passion to help others and was attending college full-time with my mother’s help. I am a single mother of three. My mother opened her home to us, watched my twins when I was in class and paid my tuition. It goes without saying that I could not imagine being able to complete my education on schedule without her.

Unfortunately, Mom had a stroke right before the spring semester of my junior year. I had no idea what I was going to do. My family could still live in her home, but finding childcare and covering the costs of school seemed unattainable. I was blessed to have a mentor who had recently heard of the Mentors Foundation and helped me apply for a scholarship.

The help and support from my mentor and the Mentors Foundation was incredibly beneficial as I faced the challenges of the spring semester; the academic load, the struggles of my girls starting preschool, and the emotional turbulence my entire family felt at the loss of my mother from our daily lives. She was receiving care at a neurologic rehabilitation center located states away.

I am thrilled to be able to say my mother’s prognosis is much better than the doctor’s initial expectations and I have successfully completed my junior year. Because of the Mentors scholarship I am still on track to be graduating in May, 2015 with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing degree. Knowing that my mother and children will be there to see me receive my diploma motivates me each day. My degree will not only allow me to support my family independently, but it allows me to live out my passion of helping and serving others. The nurses who were assigned to my mother not only cared for her, but also forever touched our whole family’s lives. They took the time to walk me through the critical care practices they were using to help save my mother and gave me great nursing advice. They, too, became mentors. I saw first hand what a powerful impact nurses have on not only their patients’ lives, but on their whole families. I feel fortunate that I was able to find my future profession; it allows me to be able to do for others each day what they did for us.

I am so appreciative to the Mentors Foundation for the support they have given me, and the lasting effects their help will have on my family. I would be honored to help support others who are struggling to find their passion, achieve their goals, or need advice. Please feel free to contact me through the Mentors Foundation and I will be glad to support you any way I can.