Send kids to see Mom graduate with her Masters

I was 23 and just about to finish my associate degree when I found out I was pregnant. I knew that the only way I could ensure a future for my son was to continue to pursue my life’s passion of becoming a therapist. I graduated with my bachelor’s from UW-Tacoma when my son was 2 years old. Once entering the work field, I quickly realized that to provide my son with a life that is more than scraping by every week, I would need to continue my education and pursue becoming a Mental Health Therapist. In 2019 started my online master’s program for clinical mental health with a focus of Neurocounseling at Bradley University in Illinois. I looked all over for a master’s program that I could do while being a single mother and delivering amazon packages out of my car. Once I saw that this program was connected to neuropsychology I signed right up. My passion is for neuropsychology and using brain-based techniques and neurofeedback for mental health issues.

Over the course of the next 4 years, I ended up taking a few semesters off to be with my son during covid, after spinal injuries from ten years ago almost paralyzed me, and for a horrific pregnancy and beautiful delivery. I am now one semester away from graduation and I promised myself way back then that I would make it happen by the time my son was 8 years old. He will be nine when I walk the stage.

That is where You come in! Our small family of four is currently living in a 37 ft travel trailer due to inflation, unpaid internship, and getting out of debt so we can purchase our own home some day! Due to our current situation, there is no room in our budget to afford the flights, hotel, food, and car rental, to send us out to graduation. The only reason I am writing this is in the hope that with your help my 9-year-old son can see his mother graduate college. After spending his entire life watching mom do homework, class time, residencies, and being at the park while mom worked on her computer, he deserves to be at this graduation just as much as I do. Would also love for my husband and daughter to come with as well

Graduation is December 16th at Bradley University in Peoria Illinois, we are located in Washington state. From my research 4 flights, one rental car for the weekend, hotel, food and accidentals, the trip would be estimated at $2,400. Anything you can contribute would be incredible! If you are unable to contribute (we get it!) sharing this story is more than enough! Thank you so much for helping my family come see me graduate, and give my son the opportunity to see ‘mommy’s school’ to completion <3