Returning to College: From Welfare to Winner

Returning to college has been a lifesaver, giving me hope for a better future when it seemed there wasn't a future at all. I am a welfare mother, working my way towards a new beginning. My education has given me the ability to hold my head high and see a light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

How did I become a welfare mom? Plain and simple, it was my divorce. I married a man who was later diagnosed bi-polar. The end of our marriage came when he refused to stay on his medication and would not keep steady employment. When he moved out, he disappeared into the night, leaving me with our daughter, a mortgage, and all of the credit card debt. My ex husband has never paid the child support or his portion of medical bills for our daughter, leaving me the sole financial support for her. I was a waitress at that time, not earning enough to keep up with the mortgage. I was forced to either sell our home or lose it to foreclosure. I chose to sell and quickly moved us into an apartment. It was then I had to turn to welfare.

The mountain of debt and heavy workload of trying to support the both of us caused a tremendous amount of stress. When you are broke and on welfare, you become isolated. The money just wasn't there to go out with friends, join clubs, play sports, etc. My time was spent at home, with sometimes with not enough gas money to get to work. Over time, old friends don't call as much and loneliness and boredom become a large part of your life. I began to lose hope and become depressed until I met someone who encouraged me to go back to school. He told me I was smart and talented, boosting my confidence. I saw nothing but hard work and poverty ahead, so at 38 years old, I went for it, scared as could be but very hopeful.