Welfare Kids Not For Long by Ashley

Welfare Kids Not For Long by Ashley - November 2015 Scholarship Essay

As a single mother of three children the aspect of my education that I am most thankful for is all of the support that I receive. I am so thankful that there is help with child care, there is help for tuition, that there is help for me to invest in myself to better provide for my children in the long-run.

Every morning I wake up to three beautiful children. They are my life and they hate to be woken up to go to school. So every morning I fight with a two year-old about wearing pants, I instruct a three year-old about the daily routine he seems to have forgotten overnight, and I explain to a grumpy five year-old why we must go to school every day. We load into the truck filled with gas borrowed from a credit card and run a gauntlet to get to school on time. You see my oldest cannot be dropped off too early because they will not take him and it is barely soon enough to ensure that I reach school on time. After he is successfully through the gym doors we take off towards the community college. Luckily it’s highway straight there but it is still highway through a bustling city.

The kid’s daycare is actually right on campus which is where the support begins. If I had to go anywhere else to drop them off I would not make it to class on time. They even thought of nifty drop off parking that I can’t use because if I do I won’t find an actual spot to leave my car at all day. Believe me when I pull up I see about twenty spots and if I don’t get one immediately they are all gone by the time I drop the kids off. So we get out of the car and walk across the parking lot but I still think I couldn’t be luckier.

However, kid drop-off never seems to go well. If it is not one it is the other. Somebody is always crying about wanting to stay with mommy. I can’t really blame them. We do not get nearly enough time together but I believe that they will understand when they get older. I always feel guilty for leaving them but I also know that they have a lot of fun and learn so much when I am gone. They are always excited to show me what they have made throughout the day. Without the support of the lead teachers who organize activities for the kids all day and teach them new things the kids and I would be in sore shape. I am so grateful for the staff of the daycare.

I would not be able to do any of this without financial backing however. In the aspect of child care there are several programs in place that believe that I should receive a higher education in order to have a higher chance at providing for my family on my own in the future. As a result, the child care for my two little ones in the daycare is of no charge to me. I do not have the words to explain how much this means to me.

The school itself is also very supportive of my goal to one day provide for my children on my own. I receive tuition assistance that does not cover everything but it certainly help cut down the amount of student loans I have to take out. I am also incredibly grateful for the opportunity I have had to work on campus. During my free time I work as a peer-tutor in the business department. This program is so great because it helps me pay for expenses for my family outside of school and I get to help other students.

At the end of the day I spend 45 minutes gathering all of my children and returning home. I make dinner immediately and sit down in my own place with my children to eat. Rarely do I worry about money even though I know my debt is getting larger. Because thanks to all of the support we receive we have a roof over our head, food in our bellies, and I can focus on building a better future for us.

Although the assistance I receive does not cover every aspect of my education it does make it worth going to school. Prior to going to school I was offered a job as a first-assistant manager. I turned it down in favor of school because I knew that I would have support and I knew that my children and I deserved better. Receiving so much help seems to put a stigma on us but I believe that my education will help me get off assistance sooner. I am so grateful for everything that everyone does to support my goal. So here’s to the teachers who interact with my children the way I would if I was able to be with the all the time. Here’s to the institutions that invest in me in the pursuit of my goal. Thank you.