Persistence is Key by Shanah

Persistence is Key by Shanah - May 2014 Scholarship Essay

“If you want to prove to people that you’re worth taking a chance on, then you need to finish your degree Shanah.” This was told to me by the teacher that I worked with when I was a TA for Special Programs in a middle school here in North Carolina. At that point in my life, I had left school a few years before not completing my bachelor’s degree because I was floundering and didn’t know what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go with my life. This teacher inspired me to go back to school and finish my degree because she had tremendous faith in my ability and my intellect to do so. With her guidance, I went back to college and finished my 4 year degree in 2 years. It took some work and major dedication on my part because while I was in school I became pregnant with my first child and got married. I worked part time and stayed home with my son and still took a full 18 hour load in school and made the Dean’s List 3 semesters in a row before finally graduating with my degree in 2007.

My two children are now in elementary school and inspired me to go back to school to get my Master’s in Nutrition because of how much I love to educate others about food. My main area of interest is educating and making resources available for those of us in the lower income bracket because this is where the education is needed the most. I know in my county, recipients in the SNAP program do not have resources available to seek guidance from a nutritionist or registered dietician without paying for it out of pocket. This is something that these participants cannot afford and therefore do not actively seek out. If the education is made available then it only increases the knowledge which in turn increases the chances of making smarter food choices which increases quality of life.

As a single mother now who has been on food stamps for a few years and whose children are on Medicaid, I understand how hard it is to get ends to meet. When you’re struggling every day wondering where the money is going to come from to not only pay the bills but feed yourself and your children, sometimes the quality of the food gets thrown by the wayside in lieu of quantity of food instead. This is where I would like to come in, once I complete my Master’s, to help educate. Marrying my love of educating with my love of food and nutrition, I can make positive changes not only for myself and my family but for the community around me.