<div>Hello friends, this feels vulnerable and daunting but it's something I know I need to do.
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<div>As you know, I've been in school for a long time while trying to work and raise two young kids. I began my PhD in 2017 but I had to drop out after only a year because the expense was much higher than anticipated. I began again in 2021, during a global pandemic, while pastoring a small church.
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<div> I finally finished the PhD in April and my defense is in the UK on June 22nd.
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<div>Sadly, my school is in the UK bc there are no schools in Alberta that offer my PhD. I have taken on over $50,000 CAD in student loans (I managed to cover almost half of tuition on my own). My work as a sessional instructor is inconsistant contract work with limited options for more without the PhD in hand. I still owe my school $5000 and I cant graduate until Ive paid. 
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<div> Ive experienced significant poverty this last year while getting divorced and surviving on a sessional income.
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<div>I started bible college at Ambrose University in 2005 and met the man I'd one day marry on the very first day. I could never have predicted how many obstacles I'd face as a religious scholar in Alberta while experiencing religious abuse, coercive control, and self-limiting beliefs about marriage and motherhood.
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<div>My kids' dad and I have been separated many times but our divorce process officially began in Jan 2024. My mantra has been, "end the 'marriage' to save the 'family'". 
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<div>The reality is, I don't have the finances to move out of the family home and I cannot take over the mortgage on my own without more income or help from co-signers.  This means, the kids' dad and I are still living in the same house. It's been extremely difficult, and unsustainable.
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<div>I can no longer afford my monthly legal fees to keep my lawyer and we are now heading into the summer with no child care and 2 amazing kiddos home from school. 
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<div>I'm hoping my friends and family, who've been there through some of the tough times, will understand the heart of this fundraiser. Even if you can only contribute $20, every dollar helps get me through these next steps towards having my PhD in hand and a smooth transition into two homes for the kids. The kids' dad has a family member generously paying for his legal fees and Im hoping my community can rally around me and help me keep up with the process by allowing me to keep my lawyer. 
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<div>You can give anonymously or reach out to me directly and if giving $$ isn't something you feel good about right now. A letter of encouragement or a meal delivery would truly mean the world to us during this time.
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<div>For those who believe in this and want to support me, I'll keep you informed every step of the way to ensure you feel good about investing in this cause.
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Sarah Poffenroth

robert crosby-shearer

Anonymous

Jason Eisbrenner

Corinne Watt

Christopher Lantz

Jonathan Puddle

Terry Pascal

Matthew Montgomery

Luke Aylen

Gregory T French

Ceri Deosun

Help Nikayla Get To the Finish Line

Help Nikayla Get To the Finish Line

Still $3,155 to go. Help us build momentum.