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*Candice Madsen reporting*If you think you have an interesting "Today's Woman" topic, you can contact Candice at cmadsen@ksl.com.
A student in Herriman has won a college scholarship worth $20,000.
A few months ago we told you about Project Working Mom. Several online universities teamed up to award scholarships to mothers trying to go back to school. Kristina Allen's essay caught the eye of judges, but actually winning caught her completely by surprise. She said, "I applied just thinking it really wouldn't happen, but I had to do it. I had to at least try."
When Allen applied for a scholarship to go back to school online, she thought her chances were pretty slim. A week and a half later she received a letter. She said, "I opened it, and the first word on it was ‘Congratulations,' and tears just started flowing."
For Allen the $20,000 scholarship means the opportunity to finally realize a life-long dream. Part of the application process involved writing a 1,500 word essay. She said, "I remember crying while I was writing it. You just have all those emotions, reliving your life story."
Reliving her life was especially difficult for Allen. When she was 17, her stepfather died of a drug overdose, throwing her family into a tailspin. Care of her younger brother was left up to her. She also became pregnant with a daughter who was born with cerebral palsy. "There was no way to go to school at that point in time," she said. "It was impossible."
Despite all the challenges she faced at home, Allen managed to build a career for herself -- rising from receptionist to vice president at a finance company. But the job title wasn't enough. She said, "I have the title. I have the office, but I don't have the education to support it."
Kristina also wanted to be an example to her daughters. "That's probably the key thing to me," she said. "I always, always have ingrained that education is the most important thing in our society because it's through education that you are able to achieve your true potential."
Now, thanks to this scholarship, Allen finally has the chance to achieve her goal. She said, "I just feel so blessed with the life I've been given."
She will use the scholarship to complete an associate's degree online at American Intercontinental University. Her ultimate goal is to get a master of business administration.
For more information on Project Working Mom and educational opportunities available online, click on the related links.
