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Heather Meeks is the only mom of a phenomenal four-year-old. She’s additionally a first-generation faculty graduate, a social employee, a beneficiant volunteer in her group, and about so as to add “graduate scholar” to her resume.
However 4 years in the past, issues weren’t wanting as vivid.
After months of physician visits, Heather’s new child daughter, Payton-Elaine, was identified with silent aspiration, bronchial asthma, and laryngomalacia. This required journeys to Arkansas Youngsters’s Hospital for a number of surgical procedures and value Heather quite a few sleepless nights.
Additionally throughout this time, Heather was leaving an abusive relationship — and attending lessons as a first-generation faculty scholar on the College of Arkansas Group Faculty at Morrilton. “For the primary 12 months and a half of my faculty profession, my future felt hopeless,” she mentioned.
Then in 2019, Heather discovered Arkansas Single Father or mother Scholarship Fund. It not solely supplied her with a versatile scholarship for 3 years but additionally emotional help as she navigated life’s challenges.
For instance, when the pandemic hit, ASPSF gave her a laptop computer so she may proceed her lessons nearly and maintain her daughter secure from the coronavirus. With laborious work and perseverance, she achieved a 3.4 GPA whereas taking 15 credit score hours in Fall 2020.
“I got here throughout the Arkansas Single Father or mother Scholarship Fund in 2019, they usually’ve been at my aspect ever since!” she mentioned. “They instilled optimism in me and impressed me to pursue objectives I would had since I used to be a toddler. Having somebody on the sidelines encouraging my each transfer was extremely useful.”
Heather graduated in December 2021 with honors at Arkansas Tech College together with her bachelor’s diploma in psychology and started working part-time as a social employee on the Salvation Military in Russellville, making about $30,000 yearly. In August, she begins a full-time job at Lake Level Restoration & Wellness as a restoration remedy specialist to assist people get better from substance abuse.
However that’s not all! Heather additionally volunteers with ASPSF to help different native single mother or father households and Pope County’s CASA program to assist abused kids discover a secure and everlasting house. And this fall, Heather plans to pursue a grasp’s diploma in scientific psychological well being counseling.
“I’m grateful for this group that has constructed a basis of hope for my tutorial future,” she mentioned. “Thanks a lot for all you’ve got performed for my little household. We are going to endlessly be blessed by this wonderful group!”
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