Danielle in Ten Years by Danielle

Danielle in Ten Years by Danielle - March 2025 Scholarship Essay

In ten years, I'll be 42! I hope to have a little family, a happy relationship and financial stability. My education will be integral to the stability aspect.
I am currently a full-time dental assistant who often lives paycheck to paycheck. I have never had financial help from family or a partner, so I decided to take care of myself!
Growing up in a religious household I was encouraged to marry young. I got married at the age of 20. It ended up being an unhealthy relationship and I was divorced five long years later.
That experience gave me the strength to start chipping away at my prerequisites for nursing school. I just finished my last one and am getting ready to apply within the next few months. I continued to work fulltime during, taking on one class at a time.
Looking over the last ten years, from the shy, sheltered 20-year-old who thought she could rely on a man to take care of her, to an empowered 32-year-old who can take care of herself. I am proud of the woman I've grown to be and can only see my life improving greatly over the next ten years. If I had chosen to remain stifled and controlled, I would never be able to see the potential I possess.