"You have been assigned this mountain to show others it can be moved" - Mel Robbins


After 13 long years of domestic violence I finally ended the cycle 8 months ago.  My children will no longer know their mom as a victim, and no longer will I feel like one.  I am now on a mission to pick up the pieces after more than a decade of anxiety, depression, neglect, shame, and crippling insecurity.   I want to make a life for my children that they will be proud of, and to start I am going back to Lesley University (where I started my undergrad 16 years ago) to finish my bachelors degree.  Thankfully I only have 9 credits left to complete in order to walk the stage come May 2020.  I picture myself being handed my degree by the dean (I am most definitely ugly crying at that point) as my children cheer for me in the crowd and I imagine how much of an impact that will make on their future. 

My mission after I complete my bachelors degree is to be in the field of social work/domestic violence prevention.  My greatest regret in life is allowing the abuse to occur, and never reaching out for help.  It is the most shameful feeling I have ever felt to walk around with bruises and have to lie about where they came from.   Also to have a secret life where violence is so prevalent,  and to constantly be protecting my children from witnessing it was beyond brutal for my entire being.

To be abused by a person I loved was also one of the most confusing situations I have ever felt.  It ruined my self esteem, my ability to trust, and overall my sense of security in this world.  I sustained these conditions for far too long while being pregnant, then raising two small children.  They are the sole reason I am alive, and the sole reason I want so much more from this life and by the grace of God they are the most amazing, well adjusted kids.


I don't want anyone to have to go through what I went through, and to find a way to support and counsel women like myself would somehow make this entire experience worth something much greater than my years suffering.  


Currently I work two jobs to support myself and my children without any financial assistance from their father.  I am a caregiver for a 94 year old couple which has become something so much more than a job to me, they are family at this point.  I also work at a wellness center helping people regain their health and happiness through education, detoxification, and supplementation.  I would love to continue these jobs for the duration of my career but neither of which pay enough for me to afford a home of our own (we currently live with my parents which is a blessing), and that is something that I yearn to provide for my children.   I know that a degree will open so many more doors for me that have been previously closed due to my lack there of.  

Since my classes start January 21 2020 I will need to provide payment to the Lesley University in Cambridge MA by January 15 2020.  

I would be so beyond appreciative of any monetary support for the completion of my degree.  It would mean a whole new life for me and my little family, and I will be eternally grateful for the support.  Thank you so much for your time to read my story, that alone is helping the cause of Domestic Violence Awareness that I feel so strongly about.