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I am the 2%, or My Life as a Teen Mom
Posted by educatedsinglemama on 2012-05-14 02:58:09
I was raised by a single parent and grew up in a town where most families were on some sort of government assistance and could barely make ends meet. I was always taught to value what I had and that hard work will always bear its fruits. My high school was filled with kids who didnât care about getting an education. I was a introverted ânerdâ who took Honors and AP classes and saw education as a way to get out of a town that didnât have much opportunity for growth. While I valued my education, I was also bored to death, even in my âaccelerated classes,â so I stupidly acted out and started to party as high school kids do. I ditched class to drink and dabbled a bit in drugs because there was nothing else to do. Even as I partied, I still managed to remain on the honor roll for all 4 years. Fast forward to the beginning of my senior year, our class had 250 kids and throughout the year approximately half of the student body dropped out at one point or another, giving up on their 14 year investment in their education. I made it to the end, but while everyone was excitedly responding to college acceptance letters, I had to throw all of mine out. Why? I was pregnant. I fully accept responsibility for my actions, but sex was not talked about in my household. I had no idea I had access to birth control or condoms and foolishly made a mistake that would change my life. I went to my prom and graduation 3 months pregnant without anyone knowing aside from my family.
The summer after graduation was spent brainstorming options and finding a job to help support my unborn child. I decided to keep the baby, thinking I would give it up for adoption. I was too immature to take care of myself, and now a baby? No way. As the months progressed, I fell in love with the baby and decided to keep her and raise her with the help of my family. I was excited but deep inside I was depressed. I really wanted to go off to college and live the life of a student living on campus, making new friends, staying up late to cram for midterms and possibly travel a bit. I couldnât do that anymore and the thought of experiencing college in any other way didnât entice me. I also knew if I didnât get an education, Iâd be stuck in a cycle of dead end jobs all my life. I knew I didnât want to struggle like Iâve seen my family fight just to put a decent meal on the table and keep the lights from getting shut down.
I started college two months after my daughter was born. She was perfection and an incredible motivator. Iâve always thought that she deserves something better, beyond what I can give her but I decided to try my best to give her an amazing life. Since I just had a baby, I wanted to explore the opportunities I had outside of a traditional classroom in college. Luckily, the local community college offered online courses which only required me to be in class on the first day, at midterms and during finals week. I did this for a year and a half until I took every online course possible. Then it was time for full immersion into college. Here came daycare and having to balance college life with working and a small child.
My average day in college looked like this: weâd have to wake up at the crack of dawn so my daughter and I could ride a 45-minute bus to school. Unlike most of my classmates, I had to dash straight from work to class or go to work right after class so that I could pick up my daughter from school at a proper hour. I was very fortunate to land a job in a small office as an office assistant during college that would later prove invaluable. The pay was ok, but I was allowed to tailor my schedule to be compatible with my changing class load every semester. After our day was done came another bus ride. Once we got home, Iâd have to make dinner, pack us lunch for the next day, prepare her backpack with extra clothes plus wash and prepare a dayâs worth of bottles for my daughter. After I put my daughter to bed was the only time I had for homework. Iâd stay up until about 2am every night doing my reading assignments or writing papers only to have to get up 3 ½ hours later to start my day again.
I did this every day for 5 ½ years.
Was it worth it? Heck yeah. I got my bachelorâs degree on my wall as proof. I am the first person in my family to ever get a degree. I have multiple relatives my age who ended up dropping out for various reasons yet I managed to graduate (with honors!) while juggling a small child and a demanding job. Aside from raising my daughter, this is what Iâm most proud of thus far. I read online that less than 2% of teen moms attain a college degree before age 30. Iâm stoked beyond words to be a part of that 2% (Source) I hope that this struggle and success will set an example to my daughter and show her that hard work does pay off.
After college, I worked a few jobs that I wasnât too keen on. Too corporate, too stuffy, too bureaucratic to evoke any change and make an impact. I wanted to wake up every morning and feel inspired to go to work. I didnât just want a paycheck, I wanted to engulf myself within organization so that I could kick ass and take names. I also wanted a 401(k), health benefits and life insurance so that my bases could be covered in old age. But mainly I wanted to wake up invigorated every morning and be able to pay my bills. After college, my daughter and I moved into our first home. I loved waking her up in her room filled with the girliest of things. I was a proud mamaâon my own, college educated and living life as an independent woman.
Independent but unfulfilled. That is, until I was introduced to the CEO of my most recent employer. We hit it off immediately and within two week was offered the chance of a lifetime. I was invited to join his multimillion dollar company and close-knit team as his right hand. Iâd learn all the inâs and outâs of running a business in a dynamic industry and receive a nice salary. After a bit of contemplation, I decided to resign from my stuffy job to join a company I was proud to be apart of. My job was great. It was flexible, nurturing, educational and insightful. In a few short weeks, I was in the trenches with my boss handling everything from sales to contracts to finance to HR. That is, until the company suddenly went out of business. I wonât get into the details but I was told Iâd have a month before we were all let go. This was the job I wanted to settle in and dedicate years to, not just a job really but a mission to which I was dedicated.
I was laid off in March with no severance pay as the company had nothing. I had a small savings which I tapped into as I began searching for a job. I had to file for unemployment for the first time, which was hard as Iâve prided myself on not having to use government resources to pay my bills. I have almost a decade of solid work history and yet Iâm struggling to find a job. Places are hiring but theyâre scarce and donât always offer pay that can support a family.
My bills are piling up and I have family and friends that are in no position to help me out. Unemployment can only pay so much and it isnât enough to put a home-cooked meal on the table or keep everything paid. Iâm in the process of starting up two businessesâone that peddles vintage finds and another that provides folks with stellar resumes to land their dream job so that I can increase my cash flow, but in the meantime, Iâm asking for any donations to my cause. Iâm willing to offer any services in return for a donation over $30 via paypal. Thereâs a button below where your transaction will be processed safely and gratefully!
Please pass this on and +1 it, favorite it, retweet it and share in any way possible! No action is too small or unappreciated.
Thank you so much for letting me share my story with you.
I am the 2%-My Life as a Single Mom
Posted by educatedsinglemama on 2012-05-14 02:58:08
I was raised by a single parent and grew up in a town where most families were on some sort of government assistance and could barely make ends meet. I was always taught to value what I had and that hard work will always bear its fruits. My high school was filled with kids who didnât care about getting an education. I was a introverted ânerdâ who took Honors and AP classes and saw education as a way to get out of a town that didnât have much opportunity for growth. While I valued my education, I was also bored to death, even in my âaccelerated classes,â so I stupidly acted out and started to party as high school kids do. I ditched class to drink and dabbled a bit in drugs because there was nothing else to do. Even as I partied, I still managed to remain on the honor roll for all 4 years. Fast forward to the beginning of my senior year, our class had 250 kids and throughout the year approximately half of the student body dropped out at one point or another, giving up on their 14 year investment in their education. I made it to the end, but while everyone was excitedly responding to college acceptance letters, I had to throw all of mine out. Why? I was pregnant. I fully accept responsibility for my actions, but sex was not talked about in my household. I had no idea I had access to birth control or condoms and foolishly made a mistake that would change my life. I went to my prom and graduation 3 months pregnant without anyone knowing aside from my family.
The summer after graduation was spent brainstorming options and finding a job to help support my unborn child. I decided to keep the baby, thinking I would give it up for adoption. I was too immature to take care of myself, and now a baby? No way. As the months progressed, I fell in love with the baby and decided to keep her and raise her with the help of my family. I was excited but deep inside I was depressed. I really wanted to go off to college and live the life of a student living on campus, making new friends, staying up late to cram for midterms and possibly travel a bit. I couldnât do that anymore and the thought of experiencing college in any other way didnât entice me. I also knew if I didnât get an education, Iâd be stuck in a cycle of dead end jobs all my life. I knew I didnât want to struggle like Iâve seen my family fight just to put a decent meal on the table and keep the lights from getting shut down.
I started college two months after my daughter was born. She was perfection and an incredible motivator. Iâve always thought that she deserves something better, beyond what I can give her but I decided to try my best to give her an amazing life. Since I just had a baby, I wanted to explore the opportunities I had outside of a traditional classroom in college. Luckily, the local community college offered online courses which only required me to be in class on the first day, at midterms and during finals week. I did this for a year and a half until I took every online course possible. Then it was time for full immersion into college. Here came daycare and having to balance college life with working and a small child.
My average day in college looked like this: weâd have to wake up at the crack of dawn so my daughter and I could ride a 45-minute bus to school. Unlike most of my classmates, I had to dash straight from work to class or go to work right after class so that I could pick up my daughter from school at a proper hour. I was very fortunate to land a job in a small office as an office assistant during college that would later prove invaluable. The pay was ok, but I was allowed to tailor my schedule to be compatible with my changing class load every semester. After our day was done came another bus ride. Once we got home, Iâd have to make dinner, pack us lunch for the next day, prepare her backpack with extra clothes plus wash and prepare a dayâs worth of bottles for my daughter. After I put my daughter to bed was the only time I had for homework. Iâd stay up until about 2am every night doing my reading assignments or writing papers only to have to get up 3 ½ hours later to start my day again.
I did this every day for 5 ½ years.
Was it worth it? Heck yeah. I got my bachelorâs degree on my wall as proof. I am the first person in my family to ever get a degree. I have multiple relatives my age who ended up dropping out for various reasons yet I managed to graduate (with honors!) while juggling a small child and a demanding job. Aside from raising my daughter, this is what Iâm most proud of thus far. I read online that less than 2% of teen moms attain a college degree before age 30. Iâm stoked beyond words to be a part of that 2% (Source) I hope that this struggle and success will set an example to my daughter and show her that hard work does pay off.
After college, I worked a few jobs that I wasnât too keen on. Too corporate, too stuffy, too bureaucratic to evoke any change and make an impact. I wanted to wake up every morning and feel inspired to go to work. I didnât just want a paycheck, I wanted to engulf myself within organization so that I could kick ass and take names. I also wanted a 401(k), health benefits and life insurance so that my bases could be covered in old age. But mainly I wanted to wake up invigorated every morning and be able to pay my bills. After college, my daughter and I moved into our first home. I loved waking her up in her room filled with the girliest of things. I was a proud mamaâon my own, college educated and living life as an independent woman.
Independent but unfulfilled. That is, until I was introduced to the CEO of my most recent employer. We hit it off immediately and within two week was offered the chance of a lifetime. I was invited to join his multimillion dollar company and close-knit team as his right hand. Iâd learn all the inâs and outâs of running a business in a dynamic industry and receive a nice salary. After a bit of contemplation, I decided to resign from my stuffy job to join a company I was proud to be apart of. My job was great. It was flexible, nurturing, educational and insightful. In a few short weeks, I was in the trenches with my boss handling everything from sales to contracts to finance to HR. That is, until the company suddenly went out of business. I wonât get into the details but I was told Iâd have a month before we were all let go. This was the job I wanted to settle in and dedicate years to, not just a job really but a mission to which I was dedicated.
I was laid off in March with no severance pay as the company had nothing. I had a small savings which I tapped into as I began searching for a job. I had to file for unemployment for the first time, which was hard as Iâve prided myself on not having to use government resources to pay my bills. I have almost a decade of solid work history and yet Iâm struggling to find a job. Places are hiring but theyâre scarce and donât always offer pay that can support a family.
My bills are piling up and I have family and friends that are in no position to help me out. Unemployment can only pay so much and it isnât enough to put a home-cooked meal on the table or keep everything paid. Iâm in the process of starting up two businessesâone that peddles vintage finds and another that provides folks with stellar resumes to land their dream job so that I can increase my cash flow, but in the meantime, Iâm asking for any donations to my cause. Iâm willing to offer any services in return for a donation over $30 via paypal. Thereâs a button below where your transaction will be processed safely and gratefully!
Please pass this on and +1 it, favorite it, retweet it and share in any way possible! No action is too small or unappreciated.
Thank you so much for letting me share my story with you.
http://educatedsinglemom.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/i-am-the-2-or-my-life-as-a-teen-mom-2/
I am the 2%, or My Life as a Teen Mom
Posted by educatedsinglemama on 2012-05-14 02:58:08
I was raised by a single parent and grew up in a town where most families were on some sort of government assistance and could barely make ends meet. I was always taught to value what I had and that hard work will always bear its fruits. My high school was filled with kids who didnât care about getting an education. I was a introverted ânerdâ who took Honors and AP classes and saw education as a way to get out of a town that didnât have much opportunity for growth. While I valued my education, I was also bored to death, even in my âaccelerated classes,â so I stupidly acted out and started to party as high school kids do. I ditched class to drink and dabbled a bit in drugs because there was nothing else to do. Even as I partied, I still managed to remain on the honor roll for all 4 years. Fast forward to the beginning of my senior year, our class had 250 kids and throughout the year approximately half of the student body dropped out at one point or another, giving up on their 14 year investment in their education. I made it to the end, but while everyone was excitedly responding to college acceptance letters, I had to throw all of mine out. Why? I was pregnant. I fully accept responsibility for my actions, but sex was not talked about in my household. I had no idea I had access to birth control or condoms and foolishly made a mistake that would change my life. I went to my prom and graduation 3 months pregnant without anyone knowing aside from my family.
The summer after graduation was spent brainstorming options and finding a job to help support my unborn child. I decided to keep the baby, thinking I would give it up for adoption. I was too immature to take care of myself, and now a baby? No way. As the months progressed, I fell in love with the baby and decided to keep her and raise her with the help of my family. I was excited but deep inside I was depressed. I really wanted to go off to college and live the life of a student living on campus, making new friends, staying up late to cram for midterms and possibly travel a bit. I couldnât do that anymore and the thought of experiencing college in any other way didnât entice me. I also knew if I didnât get an education, Iâd be stuck in a cycle of dead end jobs all my life. I knew I didnât want to struggle like Iâve seen my family fight just to put a decent meal on the table and keep the lights from getting shut down.
I started college two months after my daughter was born. She was perfection and an incredible motivator. Iâve always thought that she deserves something better, beyond what I can give her but I decided to try my best to give her an amazing life. Since I just had a baby, I wanted to explore the opportunities I had outside of a traditional classroom in college. Luckily, the local community college offered online courses which only required me to be in class on the first day, at midterms and during finals week. I did this for a year and a half until I took every online course possible. Then it was time for full immersion into college. Here came daycare and having to balance college life with working and a small child.
My average day in college looked like this: weâd have to wake up at the crack of dawn so my daughter and I could ride a 45-minute bus to school. Unlike most of my classmates, I had to dash straight from work to class or go to work right after class so that I could pick up my daughter from school at a proper hour. I was very fortunate to land a job in a small office as an office assistant during college that would later prove invaluable. The pay was ok, but I was allowed to tailor my schedule to be compatible with my changing class load every semester. After our day was done came another bus ride. Once we got home, Iâd have to make dinner, pack us lunch for the next day, prepare her backpack with extra clothes plus wash and prepare a dayâs worth of bottles for my daughter. After I put my daughter to bed was the only time I had for homework. Iâd stay up until about 2am every night doing my reading assignments or writing papers only to have to get up 3 ½ hours later to start my day again.
I did this every day for 5 ½ years.
Was it worth it? Heck yeah. I got my bachelorâs degree on my wall as proof. I am the first person in my family to ever get a degree. I have multiple relatives my age who ended up dropping out for various reasons yet I managed to graduate (with honors!) while juggling a small child and a demanding job. Aside from raising my daughter, this is what Iâm most proud of thus far. I read online that less than 2% of teen moms attain a college degree before age 30. Iâm stoked beyond words to be a part of that 2% (Source) I hope that this struggle and success will set an example to my daughter and show her that hard work does pay off.
After college, I worked a few jobs that I wasnât too keen on. Too corporate, too stuffy, too bureaucratic to evoke any change and make an impact. I wanted to wake up every morning and feel inspired to go to work. I didnât just want a paycheck, I wanted to engulf myself within organization so that I could kick ass and take names. I also wanted a 401(k), health benefits and life insurance so that my bases could be covered in old age. But mainly I wanted to wake up invigorated every morning and be able to pay my bills. After college, my daughter and I moved into our first home. I loved waking her up in her room filled with the girliest of things. I was a proud mamaâon my own, college educated and living life as an independent woman.
Independent but unfulfilled. That is, until I was introduced to the CEO of my most recent employer. We hit it off immediately and within two week was offered the chance of a lifetime. I was invited to join his multimillion dollar company and close-knit team as his right hand. Iâd learn all the inâs and outâs of running a business in a dynamic industry and receive a nice salary. After a bit of contemplation, I decided to resign from my stuffy job to join a company I was proud to be apart of. My job was great. It was flexible, nurturing, educational and insightful. In a few short weeks, I was in the trenches with my boss handling everything from sales to contracts to finance to HR. That is, until the company suddenly went out of business. I wonât get into the details but I was told Iâd have a month before we were all let go. This was the job I wanted to settle in and dedicate years to, not just a job really but a mission to which I was dedicated.
I was laid off in March with no severance pay as the company had nothing. I had a small savings which I tapped into as I began searching for a job. I had to file for unemployment for the first time, which was hard as Iâve prided myself on not having to use government resources to pay my bills. I have almost a decade of solid work history and yet Iâm struggling to find a job. Places are hiring but theyâre scarce and donât always offer pay that can support a family.
My bills are piling up and I have family and friends that are in no position to help me out. Unemployment can only pay so much and it isnât enough to put a home-cooked meal on the table or keep everything paid. Iâm in the process of starting up two businessesâone that peddles vintage finds and another that provides folks with stellar resumes to land their dream job so that I can increase my cash flow, but in the meantime, Iâm asking for any donations to my cause. Iâm willing to offer any services in return for a donation over $30 via paypal. Thereâs a button below where your transaction will be processed safely and gratefully!
Please pass this on and +1 it, favorite it, retweet it and share in any way possible! No action is too small or unappreciated.
Thank you so much for letting me share my story with you.
I feel like I'm drowning!
Posted by scareddad41 on 2012-04-27 12:58:25
Help with Tuition
Posted by StudentNurse2012 on 2012-04-16 01:58:40
Thanks,
Sleep Deprived Student Nurse
REQUEST FOR LIFE
Posted by pally on 2012-04-14 21:58:03
Greetings, Me and my family are farmers located in one of the most remote and rugged regions of Himalayas in India where there are no access to roads or transportations. Our home and fields are situated over the mountain approx. 3500 feet above sea level where the weather is unpredictable which makes farming very hard and life unbearable. All the farm work is done manually by hand by the members of my family. We normally grow garlic in small quantities which we sell to sustain the family for a whole year. As there are no access to roads we have to carry the loads on our backs at times 50 to 80 KG to access the nearest road which is couple of hours down the mountain and is a back breaking process. Even to get small food items we have to be going through this exercise everyday for our survival. Our everyday diet consist of five or six rotis (wheat flour and water mixed and roasted like a pancake) with mostly dal (gravy made out of pulse) with occasional rice two times a day. At times we collect wild vegetables from nearby forest to supplement our diet. Because of lack of nutrition our health conditions also suffer many times in a year. Here even today babies are born in the house. Birth is supervised by one of the older village woman as there are no doctors or any qualified medical people. In cases of emergency we have to carry the patient on our back to the road and any medical attention can be gotten 15 kms further down the road. This has resulted in many deaths in past years with young and old.
Since last two years due to changing weather conditions and untimely rainfall our fields could not yield crops properly. We are poor farmers just scrapping through life trying to stay alive. Added to these problems last year three of my family members one of whom is a six month old baby had deteriorating health conditions which needed hospitalisation and medicines which cost us major portion of the money we could earn by selling our crop. Normally we earn about 50,000 INR in a year by selling garlic and we grow small quantities of wheat and corn enough to keep the family through the year. Due to these sufferings and extra expenditure am now in great distress to be even able to buy seeds to grow crop in our field to sustain ourselves. To have one morsel of food has become a nightmare for all of us and we are nine members in the family with two small babies of 8 months and two years. The future of our survival looks very bleak given the conditions and lack of health and finance to tend the field.
I would be highly grateful if your goodselves would consider me and my family a worthy cause to extend your help to us with 5000 USD which I can use to buy necessary seeds for the crops, few essential medications, a mule for transportation, fix the leaking roof of our home, do little maintenance to our field for yielding more crop and get me, my family andour field back on track as our field is the only source of our survival. My family consist of myself, my sick wife, two sons and two daughters, 2 small babies and a daughter in law. I can provide you with my family snap, address and bank account details upon your heart permitting to help me as whatever I have stated above is genuine and true. Me and my family are seeking this help not because we are lazy but because of protracted and extreme conditions beyond our control which we have been facing since two years continuously under the circumstances outlined above. We need a helping hand to get back on our feet again as your generosity would go a long way in alleviating the sufferings of my family and bring life back into our lives.
Awaiting your kindness and response.
Warm Regards
Negi
ps : If this message is not meant for you plse pass it onto the concerned person. Respond to : pally_jones@yahoo.com
Tired of living in this old motorhome!!
Posted by msmith080 on 2012-04-02 18:58:30
I used to be the Assistant Manager at Little Caesar's here in town, but the owner is selfish, sexist, and overall a terrible person to be acquainted with. He fired me because I posted a sign asking people to call ahead for LARGE pizza orders (I.E. 3 or more pizzas) because Pizza Hut just opened up across the street and business sky-rocketed. It was impossible to keep up with the sales because they only allowed me to work with 1 other person during the busiest part of the day. I needed at least 2 more people just to stay ahead of the demand.
After the incident at LC, I applied for and got a job at a local restaurant. However, the management there has been screwing around with my schedule. Constantly changing it without notifying me. I wouldn't mind normally, but since they only let me work 1 day a week, I never know when the schedule gets changed and I can't even afford gas to get to work on the days that I'm scheduled.
I've exhausted all my options. I've been living in this motor-home for almost 2 years now and it's starting to get to me. If there are any kind souls out there, I could really use some help... My relationship is falling apart with my girlfriend. My boss has been promising to give me more hours since I started working there last year... I still only work 1 day a week though :-(
Help me open my dream of a crossfit gym
Posted by josh21wells on 2012-03-23 13:58:29
Too Busy Fighting for My Life to Notice the Government Bend Me Over
Posted by proudcitizen on 2012-03-22 20:58:26
A more in depth version of this is on Yahoo Voices and titled "Life Changing Health Issues, Social Security and Going Broke".
Spiritual Readings
Posted by Praise on 2012-03-21 13:58:04
No income for 1 month due to pay change and 3 kids to feed :-( please help!
Posted by Libby235 on 2012-03-18 18:58:19
I am listing as much as I can on eBay to try and make some money for food, but the direct debits and bills still have to be paid and I am so worried, I've never tried this before but I do know that I am willing to try anything as I have 3 beautiful children that rely on us to take care of them and the thought of not being able to do that scares me :-(
If there is anybody out there who can help us just a bit I would be so grateful, my poor hubby works so hard and feels so guilty and it's not his fault, he's done the work, they just won't pay him :-( in return I promise to help others on this page when our situation improves :-)
Can you help stop us falling into debt ? Thank you for taking the time to read this xx
Steven: An Aspiring Disabled, Student, Veteran, and Divorcee
Posted by youngidealist on 2012-03-05 01:58:00
Thanks for taking the time to read my request. I'm 30 years old, still in college and living with my parents. I've made a lot of great accomplishments in my life with far less support than most people who make it this far. Of course, with that said I've also made plenty of mistakes.
I grew up with a single parent, and another parent who visited annually just to stir up emotions and make my life miserable. When I was 18, I decided to work really hard to lose weight so that I could join the US Air Force. I had a strict plan that I was going to follow to succeed in life.
Unfortunately my superiors in the USAF would not accommodate that plan to independence as they forced me to find my own way from the barracks to work (a 40 mi drive), so I had to immediately struggle to get my drivers licence and I had to buy a car on an Airman's paygrade.
My income wasn't enough to afford the car and gas and other living needs that I was expected to pay, so eventually I had to leave the Air Force before my term was up (under honorable conditions). I tried to work as a civilian. The transfer was tough and I was vastly uninformed about what to do and what my options were. I'm the first first generation college student of my extended family.
After some petty jobs that would each take more than 10 years to be able to earn enough to live independently, I finally found a nice nighttime custodian job that was at least simple enough for that kind of pay. I was the night time custodian, but I was also a guy to have on call at this retirement home where I worked. If people's toilets flooded or a nearly deaf resident left their tv on past quiet hours (once I could hear one through 3 floors!) I was the guy to send up to fix it.
Having my first satisfying job as a civilian, I was able to investigate community college during the day, so eventually I enrolled and tried taking a few classes while working full-time. College was my saving grace. I never felt like I belonged anywhere until I first started to take college courses in math, science, and philosophy. I found the tutoring lounge on campus, made a lot of friends there, and I spent many hours cramming and helping those in need.
This soon led to me finding financial aid, making arrangements with my parents (my mom and my stepfather) to let me go to school full-time while I lived with them, and putting in my 2 weeks notice at work to focus exclusively on school.
My counselors advised that I pick where I want to transfer to and then figure out the details of how to get there after I got accepted. I think this was bad advice. While I ended up choosing to transfer to a university that had my desired major, Biophysics, it was 60 miles away from where my parents lived. My car that I had bought when I was in the Air Force also eventually broke down from not being able to afford maintenance while I worked, and was towed away for being in the public street for too long.
Finally, I got accepted to UC San Diego to work towards a degree in Physics with a specialty in Biophysics. When it came time to transfer, I got as involved as I could on how and when I was supposed to receive the financial aid so that I could go get an apartment and everything, and my school kept telling me, "you should get it tomorrow" until about 2 weeks into my first quarter when I finally got the support.
Despite this rocky start, I managed to get into a good shape for myself, making my way slowly but surely through school. Learning a great deal. Eventually when I felt the struggle was too difficult, I changed my major to Neuroscience before I began my upper division coursework.
So, as I settled into my schooling and struggled with maintaining financial independence on financial aid, I managed to get myself into maintaining a great aquarium hobby, owned two great little kittens from a street cat program, led as president of a student organization for one year, and eventually I got married. I also carefully learned about the stock market and managed to make some great gains with money that I had invested from financial aid savings.
In 2010, my gains were over 100%. That amounted to $2000 doubling itself, but still, that says a lot about me as a trader. However, 6 months into my marriage, she said she wanted out, grabbed the car that we both paid into (most of the money was mine from stocks; $5500 worth), and refused to pay her share of 2 months rent. That happened in December of the year of 2010.
2011 was a difficult year for me. I fought hard to maintain things, especially my head, but it was tough. I lost 45 lbs from exercising regularly, made lots of new friends, and I got some volunteer work experience in a Neuroscience lab. But I just couldn't focus well enough to maintain my finances and my grades, so I had to drop out and live back with my parents.
Despite how tough it's been, not finding work, struggling with the ins and outs of the VA, and just needing a professional therapist to talk to and help me keep my head straight but never being able to get one, I've managed to recuperate well enough and learn a lot more about this bottom floor of society that I've been so desperately trying to escape my whole life.
I've gone looking for opportunity in every direction. I've tried changing my career goals, collecting recyclables, writing online, trying any online scheme that didn't include me forking out money to get it, imagining what I could write as a novel, tried to make money through playing video games, making goal after goal after goal for myself, but still just not being able to get just the right amount of money to put me back on my feet.
I'll be going back to school in April at the risk of having to do it as a homeless person if the VA doesn't pull through for me. They recently approved my 10% service connected disability status and now I need to jump over a few more hurdles to get my more significant service connected disabilities recognized. I'm also seeing what the vocational rehab people can do for me despite the bureaucratic issues that are stopping them from helping me all the way.
BTW, this whole time that I've gone through life with common lower class difficulties, I've been disabled with a number of small conditions that all add up to a hard time. I have lower back issues that the military has yet to own up to. Community college found also that I have a learning disability which makes some intellectual tasks show up as lower than average ability for me while the rest of my intellect is high enough to expect that I could easily get a Masters Degree or a PhD. My biggest difficulty in school is that they don't give me enough time to show them what I know or what I'm capable of.
From working with special needs students as a tutor, I have proven to myself that there is a major problem in the education system. Most teachers never simplify the material into a clear picture of what they want to teach. If you want someone to learn something, the last thing you should be fuzzy on is what it is exactly that you want them to learn. We can't all work like intuitive Jedi or sophisticated parrots.
If you help me out, here is a list of the priorities of what your money will go towards, in order of their priority If you would like to request that I spend your donation on a specific cause, please let me know:
1. A working cheap economic vehicle.
I need something that I can sleep in and that will take me wherever I need to go. Preferably something that can stow quite a few recyclables as well to pay for gas, but not an SUV or truck or van (Unless that's all that is cheap of course. Not likely but you never know.).
I'll aim for great gas mileage, but I'm thinking that I should attend some police car auctions to see what the cheapest deal I can find is. This car would make a great shelter for me while I return to my far away school.
2. Investing on the stock market.
Trust me, I know how to fish. If you want to send me a request for proof I'd be glad to compose some evidence of my finest moments as well as my worst to show you that I can do well for myself on the stock market, even during the recession. What I could really use right now, is a little bait. Trading is good money for me, but to make enough to make gains worth more than the commission cost (about $10), you need about $300-1000 per investment. $300 is more for the high risk lottery plays on the market. I even made a blog about it if you would like to see:
http://www.squidoo.com/TheYoungidealistEconomyBlog
If you are willing, we can arrange something personal so that you wont need to worry about me putting the money you offer at high risk and blow it all. Might even be able to arrange something where I could make money for you to prove myself before accepting your donation. Whatever the case, I know we'd have to make it a personal arrangement to satisfy the current laws.
3. Working towards paying my debts to my friends.
My friends have been really supportive through these hard times, though they are starving students themselves. To keep up my morale they've bought me food, given me a place to crash when they could, and even paid to have me join them at fun local events. I have some money that I've promised them back, and I plan on making due on those promises as soon as possible.
4. Paying off my debts with companies.
I've had times where I couldn't afford to pay for rent and had to leave, like when my wife left me to live with her parents. These issues follow me on my credit score and I would like to work towards removing them so that I can turn my life around.
5. Getting a good start towards paying off my student loans.
I know I won't be able to pay them off before I find a good career with my degree. I would just like to have something to start making some automatic payments with and put that part of my bad credit score behind me as well.
6. Buying a home.
My mom never owned a home. No offense meant to land lords out there, but I really think the rental system is way out of line. My mom was always a hard worker. Way better than me, yet she could never own a home because she didn't have the money. Meanwhile, people with money could live in great big houses for less than she even had to pay.
I want a house to own. Probably start with a condo and seek ways to improve it and flip a profit out of it. Then I want to keep building up money from housing until I can manage to build an apartment building.
If I could, I'd like to make an apartment building near a university that offers cheap housing using the Japanese capsule model or something even more economic and more comfortable.
7. Making an online tutoring site meant to offer free tutoring and tutoring for tips. Imagine a site (I have yet to know of one) where people can collect their resources on a class, much like they collect info on ratemyprofessor.com, but also seek help from others who are taking the class or who have taken the class. Donors like you can offer money to tutors who post their notes and stories on the site, alongside ratings from other students that they helped.
Some tutors can offer their rates for help, sell their notes online for cheap, or just offer their help whenever they can and ask to be tipped through paypal if someone likes their work. My hope is that such a site could help to put an end to sophistry in the college system once and for all, making education easy and affordable for everyone.
8. After I have everything I'm hoping for above, the sky is the limit. But I would prefer to put the extra money that I don't need to good uses. I would spread a little philanthropy around, give to others in need on this site and through other resources.
I'd also look to teach others how to fish. I think a great way for the economy to be fixed would be if philanthropists made some really good employee owned companies. Make the place pay for itself, skim a little off the top, and walk away knowing that you really were a job creator.
I think that everyone who is capable of work and who chooses to work deserves to have their own independent living situation. I know that we are a long way from that, but I tend to be an optimist. I would like to try and make the world a better place, if nothing else.
Aside form financial help, I'm interested in anything else that I could get that's useful. Advice, Neuroscience Career connections, work, hobby or volunteer work that can easily become lucrative, I'm really all ears. Thanks again for taking the time to read my request. I hope you find it in you to help me out, even get to know me if you'd like. Bet you $5000 I can make you laugh. Did I win? >;) it was worth a try anyway.
Single Mother to Autistic 4 year old seeking any help to get back into school...
Posted by MusicallyMe on 2012-02-27 15:58:18
I had some unfortunate luck during my last few terms there. I found out I suffer from PTSD, my son was badly burned, I broke a rib due to pneumonia, and I began to suffer deep depression. Due to all of this I could not complete a few terms.
I looked to see if I had received my financial aid for the term and because of a glitch the computer said I had, so I paid for my books and classes. I then received a call saying I had not been awarded the money, and that I would have to pay every dime back even though it was their mistake for not telling me I was on academic probation.
This website is my last resort. I have dreams of graduating valedictorian, going on to graduate school, and of changing the world. I need a break. If anyone could help it would be a miracle. Any amount would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions you can reach me at (541)791-7290 or e-mail me at: deena.anne@yahoo.com. I won't let you down. God bless <3
Miss my love
Posted by missmylove on 2012-02-02 18:58:30
I have worked hard and paid for everything for myself since I was 15, coming from a single income family of 5 children- I'm well aware of the value of money. I'm also aware that to pay my tuition at Queen's University I need to work all summer to afford it. I'm desperately hoping to raise some money here that I can see her as soon as possible.
I have been absolutely destroyed since she left and burying myself in school and work barely makes it passable. I would do anything for this girl if I had the means to and I presently don't- thus I've been reduced to internet begging. I can verify all of these details if you're justifiably wary of scams. I'm just desperately hoping for some stranger philanthropy to give me an opportunity to see her- even if it's just for the summer months. I have been in 3 previous long term relationships (I'm 29) and I have never loved a girl more than her. Please help me unbreak my heart- I know she would love nothing more as well
Miss my love
Posted by missmylove on 2012-02-02 18:58:11
I have worked hard and paid for everything for myself since I was 15, coming from a single income family of 5 children- I'm well aware of the value of money. I'm also aware that to pay my tuition at Queen's University I need to work all summer to afford it. I'm desperately hoping to raise some money here that I can see her as soon as possible.
I have been absolutely destroyed since she left and burying myself in school and work barely makes it passable. I would do anything for this girl if I had the means to and I presently don't- thus I've been reduced to internet begging. I can verify all of these details if you're justifiably wary of scams. I'm just desperately hoping for some stranger philanthropy to give me an opportunity to see her- even if it's just for the summer months. I have been in 3 previous long term relationships (I'm 29) and I have never loved a girl more than her. Please help me unbreak my heart- I know she would love nothing more as well.
help me fulfill my dream and ride the waves
Posted by jexrex1098 on 2012-01-30 23:58:05
I am 25 and for my entire life, I have been fat. I don't mean this as in, a little on the chubby side; but obese. I can remember being in 5th grade, when our class had to get weighed and measured at the nurses office. The sinking feeling in my gut that came up when I weighed almost 200 lbs at the age of 10 is something that I don't think I will entirely forget.
Because of my horrible diet as a child (McDonalds, soda, you name it), I have spent my entire young life coping with being overweight and all of the horrible things that go with it: wondering if I'll fit in a seatbelt, wondering if I would break a friends bed or chair if I sat on it, or never being able to find a cute outfit to wear like all the other girls. When I was about 14, I was diagnosed with PCOS, which is cysts on my ovaries (contributing to my obesity, or as a result of, but they worked in tandem to make my life miserable). Without health insurance, I was never able to get this issue resolved, and with my poor diet, my weight increased. PCOS symptoms also include abnormal facial and body hair, which was (and to a degree still is) the bane of mine and any woman's existence. A woman should never have to feel so ashamed of her own body, and yet that is exactly how I've felt for as long as I've realized that I was different, and that looks mattered.
My highest weight as of 4 months ago topped out at 324 (thought I had reached 340 a year earlier but had lost some weight over a long period of time). Recently I began taking HCG (a hormone that helps regulate fertility and also helps with weight loss), and am amazed to report that for the first time in my adult life, I am 270 lbs. While this still is a lot, for me it is an incredible number to be at. Never in my life have I felt the fear of dying at 30 begin to be lifted, though I still have a long way to go.
So the point of my request: there are a lot of dreams I have that I feel like I am within reach of grasping. Some of them have already been fulfilled: I have been able to travel with my family, and this past year my parents helped me to finance a jeep. This is a huge one...I live on the west coast and have always wanted to live a surfer/beach lifestyle.
But how could a fat girl ever be a surfer? It's been my dream for the past 10 summers to learn to surf, with beaches only 15 minutes away. But every year, the fear stopped me, my weight stopped me, my inability stopped me.
I want this year to be the last year fear gets in the way.
With my weight going down, I've been trying to exercise. I've been attempting a modified version of P90X, and have been eating healthy and avoiding all the foods that got me where I am today. The problem is that financially, while I do work full time, I barely make enough to cover my bills (gas, car insurance, car payment, cell phone), and am not even able to help my hard working parents pay rent. So money for extras this summer is not really possible, but I CAN'T let another year go by without accomplishing this task.
I want to attend a surf camp this summer in San Diego, called Surf Divas. The problem? Surf lessons are expensive. I think to get me on the right path, I'd need at least 10 hours of lessons. At $82 an hour, thats $820.
The reason I want to fulfill this dream is to prove to myself and others that no matter where you've been, or how far your body is from being in shape, that the human body is remarkably capable of change. I would want to encourage anyone who doesn't think they are the right "type" to surf or do a sport that they can push their bodies to do things they never thought possible. And I sincerely believe that learning to surf will help me pursue my health and fitness goals long term, as well as truly set free the earth-and-sea-loving hippie that I keep snug and close to my soul. I live for summer and the ocean...and being able to ride a way would be life changing for me.
If anyone is able to donate or help support me in taking charge of my health and fitness...there would be no adequate way to thank you. I will send you a picture of me riding my very first wave as a token of gratitude, with a friendship bracelet made by me with a few shells from the beach strung on it. My way to say thank you for helping me to live a healthy life.
I'm a giver who rarely gets, but if you could change that, I would be most grateful.
<3
Trying to Start a New Life
Posted by midwestguy on 2012-01-13 19:58:32
Right now, here at the beginning of the year, I'm just trying to get a new start on life. I'm wanting to wipe out most of my debt so that I no longer have to worry and be stressed about that day after day and be able to concentrate on the more important things in my life. I've started clearing out a lot of clutter in my life. I've gone through a lot of my storage boxes and getting rid of things I no longer need. I'm selling my car that has been giving me issues since the summer and now needs a repair that will cost over $800. I'm making plans of moving to another part of the country which I feel has a lot more opportunity for me. I want to get more involved in the lives of our youth. I'm starting a website which gives tips on money management and plan to integrate a monthly email newsletter as well. I want to organize local meetups for youth to teach them about money. I was also recently hired as a tutor for an online tutoring company. And I want to get involved with Big Brothers too.
I feel that making these plans are the direction I'm being called towards. I feel it's right within my soul. And I feel there will be many positive aspects to this later on the down the road. But the truth is, I'm still in debt. I'm still trying to work on my financial obligations. The tutoring company I was hired with is a new company and was supposed to be live in January. But I was recently told there were some complications with the website and it may not be until March or April before we could start. So that was income I was counting on that's not happening right away. Add to that, I'm in the middle of moving and came across unforseen expenses that I was not expecting. Having no current job, I'm trying to find ways of paying for those. And since I'm moving, it's kind of difficult looking for a job. And since I have no job and no income, I'm really not sure how I'm going to afford a place to live once I do arrive.
So, as you can see, even though I've been trying to make some positive moves in my life, it's becoming increasingly difficult due to the lack of income and the increase in debt I have. So it would be a great help if you're able to make a small donation. Then I can start moving forward and changing my life for the better. Thanks so much for your consideration.
Leaving for Colombia in 29 days!!
Posted by crauschenbach on 2012-01-05 00:58:46
This February I have been so lucky to be invited to attend another delegation! This time the trip is to the cities of Cali and Bogota in the country of Colombia, one of the most beautiful and ecologically diverse parts of South America. Here I have the opportunity to spend time with rural Afro-Colombians and to learn about the women in positions of leadership who have helped support and strengthen their communities. Unfortunately because of the travel warning between the United States and Colombia, my school will not approve this trip as a study abroad experience. Instead, I found a professor who is willing to facilitate an independent study, where I can still earn course credit for the trip. Unfortunately, because it is not considered a study abroad program, I am ineligible to receive additional funding or scholarship money through the school.
Traveling is my passion and engaging in new cultures is incredibly fulfilling for me. Please help me accomplish my goals and follow my dreams!
Don't know where to turn
Posted by hootrje on 2011-12-28 19:58:20
New First Time Mother Having A Baby Girl
Posted by pearladams30 on 2011-12-22 13:58:21
nursing pillows
burp cloths
bottles equipped with newborn nipples
bottle brush
insulated bottle holder for diaper bag
nursing bras
nursing pads for bras
breast pump
diaper changing pads
diaper rash ointment
waterproof pads for changing table
rattles
any small toys
dirty diaper receptacle
wipes
cotton cloths
small thermos to hold warm water (for cleaning babies younger than 6 weeks)
plastic wipes holder(for the diaper bag)
packages of newborn diapers
pack of newborn t-shirts
6 one-piece outfits that snap at the crotch(long-and short-sleeve)
pajama sets
pairs of socks
pairs of soft booties
pairs of stretch cotton pants
bibs
cotton sweaters
knit caps
sun hats
zip-up sweatshirts
baby hangers
hooded towels
packs of washcloths
infant bathing tub
baby nail clippers
soft brush & comb
rubbing alcohol
petroleum jelly
digital thermometer
bulb nasal aspirator
receiving blankets
cotton blankets
cradle or bassinet with cotton sheets
crib mattress pads
waterproof liners(one for the bassinet and one for the crib)
crib & mattress
glider(rocking chair and footrest
dresser
hamper
baby monitor with 2 receivers
changing table
cool mist humidifier or vaporizer
lullaby cd's or audiotapes
stroller
sun shields for car windows
portable playpen
diaper bag
sling or soft front carrier
bouncy seat
baby books
digital camera or camcorder
playmat with toys attached
squishy baby ball
Family Needs Immediate Help, going to lose home in 2 weeks!
Posted by ontheedge on 2011-12-05 06:58:22
I feel so bad for having to ask for the help from the kindness of strangers, yet I am at a point where I donât know what else we can do.
Our lives have been so challenged with enduring so many things, and we always have struggled but survived, yet it gets harder every day...
Iâm hoping to find some compassionate people who can help us, with our financial troubles.
It seems that we have been challenged with so many unfortunate/unforeseeable life changing experiences in the past 6 yrs., ...
Which our family has endured, through all of it by working hard, and with our caring, we always help everyone we can, (being care givers in our home for terminally ill family, taking care of a homeless family with small children, surviving the struggles of major health issues, unemployment, losing close family & friends that are now RIP, we have always helped everyone we can, with whatever we have)....... yet now financially, we have put ourselves in a place where we are now desperately needing someone else to help us, who really understands and cares.
As well, with 2 young teenage daughters who are trying to start their own lives; it is so heart breaking when you want to help them, and just donât have the financial means to help them with what they need so they have a chance for a successful future.
My husband has now recently secured a full time job, and is working as hard as he can, yet it seems like we have just gotten to far behind to catch up; we at risk of losing our own home, my car was repossessed 2 years ago after losing my job, then the motor went in my husbands truck, so we have been left without a vehicle for a year now, our home is in need of repairs, we ran out of money for me to pay tuition for a college course that would get me back to work, as well there are other unpaid bills that have stacked up over the past few years too,........
...... it just seems that we are now going to loose everything that we have worked so hard for all these years.
We just need to find away to get back on our feet, and unfortunately we have no one else to turn to for help,
If any one can offer their help, it would be greatly appreciated.... no gift will be to small..
+ now if we don't come up with $1300.00 within the next 2 weeks, our home is going to be lost to back taxes.
Can someone please help us.....
From a Loving Mom,
Haliburton, Ontario, Canada
please contact by email, we do not have paypal account camp_highland@hotmail.com
who just needs to help her family!
Family is in trouble and needs HELP!
Posted by 2hmbl4myowngood on 2011-11-28 23:58:12
I need help to help some one else.
Posted by SammyM on 2011-11-15 22:58:42
Needing help with bills and school...NO BS
Posted by QB7519 on 2011-11-06 09:58:18
No lies
Posted by keitht06 on 2011-11-02 06:58:06
If only I could figure out how to rig the McDonald's Monopoly game so I could win that car. And does anyone even win that car? How would the millions of none winners ever know if someone did win that car? Just because they put someone in a commercial who claims they won it doesn't mean they didn't hire a actor to portray a winner....
Anything will help if you have it to help with.
