Tuesday Howard would by no means have made it to her commencement ceremony with out the assistance from Arkansas Single Mum or dad Scholarship Fund’s supporters.
Household funds had been rocky throughout her final semester of school. Whereas her single guardian scholarship helped pay for a few of her payments, Tuesday barely had the assets to pay for her remaining semester and hold her household afloat. And when commencement day arrived, Tuesday realized she had no gasoline in her automotive and no further money to refill the tank.
“I could not go, and there was nothing I may do. I had no option to get there,” mentioned the one mother. “Then, the craziest factor occurred: I received $100 verify within the mail, and it was from ASPSF.”
Due to beneficiant donors, ASPSF despatched every Fall 2022 recipient an “inflation fighter” stipend verify. And with hers, Tuesday was in a position to attend her commencement.
“It was simply $100, but it surely was a life-changing second,” she mentioned.
Twenty years after beginning her faculty journey, the one mother from Fort Smith walked throughout the stage to obtain her Bachelor of Utilized Science with an emphasis in skilled research and organizational management from Arkansas Tech College.
“I lastly did it,” she mentioned. “It was a protracted highway and lots of arduous work, however I needed to be the instance to my youngsters.”
POST-GRADUATION
Named the ASPSF Might 2023 Scholar of the Month, Tuesday mentioned the kindness from ASPSF employees, donors, and volunteers motivated her to cross the end line and full her bachelor’s diploma after 20 years of intermittently enrolling in class.
“I might particularly prefer to thank all the donors who make this chance potential with out even figuring out who I’m or if I’ll succeed,” she mentioned.
“There have been earlier makes an attempt the place life and motherhood received in the best way of my training and it needed to be postponed, however now 20 years later I’ve lastly achieved this objective with their assist.”
Tuesday wasn’t the one one within the Howard household to graduate in 2022. Her son Genusis graduated from highschool and enrolled in ATU’s engineering program. And Tuesday’s daughter Myshael graduated from nursing college.
Since finishing her bachelor’s, Tuesday has been working within the accounts receivable division for a meals trade firm.
Her long-term profession objective is to open a nonprofit that educates and informs mother and father on tips on how to advocate for his or her youngsters at college. Her youngest son is epileptic and immune suppressed, and he or she desires to assist different mother and father navigate particular training companies to get one of the best training for his or her youngsters.
High picture caption: ASPSF Scholar of the Month Tuesday Howard (left) and her youngsters attended A Live performance with Trey Taylor (middle) final fall. Trey will return to Fort Smith for his third annual ASPSF profit live performance on Aug. 12, 2023.