“There is so much assistance for people who really want to be successful and self-sufficient.”
Megan K. explains that time management is the key to her student success. As a single mother of an 8 year old girl, a full-time Mesa Community College nursing student and a part-time employee in the processing department of a busy Valley laboratory, fine-tuned organization keeps her on top of her myriad responsibilities and obligations.Ten years ago, a 17 year old Megan arrived in Arizona from Aurora, Illinois to attend Arizona State University. After a year, she dropped out of school, got married and became a mother in quick succession. Years later, after some life altering experiences, Megan found herself a single mother without a college education. She knew she needed an education to support herself and her daughter and after researching the nursing program at Mesa Community College, she knew this was the fulfilling career that she wanted.While working full-time, Megan went back to school part-time during the summer of 2004. Going back to school was a struggle that added financial pressure to her increasing credit card debt…that is, until the day she found out about scholarships.Megan recalls, “I really wanted to pursue a career in nursing, but I needed a computer, books, so many things, which I didn’t know how I was going to purchase, until I learned about scholarships. At that point, everything just fell into place!” Megan has received several scholarships and emphasizes that, “there are scholarships out there, like the Otto and Edna Neely Foundation Scholarship, that helps single parents like myself…there is so much assistance for people who really want to be successful and self-sufficient.”An added bonus to Megan’s busy life is modeling for her daughter the importance of living a well organized life, developing good study habits and the need for higher education. “My daughter knows that our structured routine gives us ample time to do all that we need to do, and I think that I’m giving her valuable life lessons for her educational future as well!”