My dream is to graduate with my bachelor's in construction management and get a job with
a commercial construction company.
I didn't go any further in my college career because I got married.
My husband was special operations in the military.
We moved, I followed him, so it was just something I would just put off.
He was probably home a total of maybe two to three months out of a whole year.
He was just always gone.
The most challenging thing I've done in my life was the decision to leave my husband.
It's scary.
You have two children, you have no income.
I had to have a plan.
I needed to figure out how I was going to take these two tiny people and going and raising
them on my own.
My father really pushed and reminded me all my life how important it was to get a degree.
I was missing one credit to get my A.S. in construction management and he would remind
me every day, get that last credit and I finally did and when I did it felt amazing and then
I realized and he reminded me you can do more, go get a bachelor's and you can do great
things with it.
My motivation to go back to college was my kids.
I wanted to show them that no matter what happens in life, you can still do things.
Ultimately, I will have a career in building foundations for offices and hotels and schools
and hopefully also building a foundation for my children.
I wanted to be able to provide for my kids and I also want to teach them that in order
to provide, you're going to have to get a college degree and go to school and study
and work hard for it.
I've applied for everything that I could that I qualified for because I need the help.
And if you get a grant or scholarship for $100 or $300, that's $100, you're not taking
out of your bank account for the groceries you're going to buy for your kids or stress
about not being able to buy the book for the class in time.
Just financial burden in itself is lifted when you see that there is an opportunity
and there's people out there that are willing to help you go and finish your goals and get
further in life.
To the foundation, I thank them.
They're giving not only me an opportunity, they're giving me and my family a future.
They're supporting something so I can teach my kids and support my children and just give
them an opportunity to eventually go to college and get a degree.
My name is Andrea Avery, I'm a foundation scholar and I'm here because of you.
