#riseabove by Robin

#riseabove by Robin - April 2018 Scholarship Essay

As a single mother of two children, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in my late 20’s seemed like an unattainable dream for a few years and I took a three year break from school to focus on providing for my daughters. Even so, I have come so much further than my parents did in college and have a vision that goes far beyond graduation. This is my personal inspiration for #RiseAbove, but it lends itself to many other students’ challenges as well. There is so much to be done, and earning my first Bachelor of Arts in Applied Linguistics is the initial step. In an attempt to make ends meet, my daughters and I live in a spacious basement studio, I work part time at a homeless shelter in Atlanta and I recently dove into freelance photography for flexible scheduling. Linguistics has become my obsession. My aim is to empower others with English, an international language that has many ties to business and academia.
As a single parent and full-time student, there are heavy, unique challenges and everything is a balancing act between meaningful use of time, finances breaking even and excellence in all of my classes no matter what it takes. There is child care, a work schedule, and deadlines of all shapes and sizes that must be met. At times this has seemed like an insurmountable task and humanly impossible. Even still, I must continue to rise above it all. Those pesky challenges, (logistics, time and finances,) have lent themselves to learning opportunities that have proven my strength and self-confidence. In essence, they are the very things that push me to rise above my circumstances, and continue working headlong at those big goals.
Teaching students around the world with my two daughters and experiencing those cultures with them is the first beautiful outcome of taking a top-down approach to goals and simply rising above daily barriers. The second motivation encompasses teaching but expands to other types of service. After I obtain my first bachelor's degree and gain some teaching experience, my goal is to obtain a master’s degree in Non-Profit Leadership so that I can offer resources to individuals in the community who need help rising out of an unhealthy or limiting situation. Whether that is ESL/EFL classes, a contact for a local domestic violence shelter, or offering counseling, I plan to teach others how to rise above circumstances and knock down their barriers. Over the past ten years I have learned that sometimes we are in a position to help someone, and sometimes it is us who needs the help. There is no tally, only shoulder-to-shoulder empowerment as we all strive for better.
There are undoubtedly many qualified applicants who would benefit greatly from this scholarship. All I can do is humbly throw my hat into the ring and hope that my transparency resonates with you in some valuable way.