A scholarship from the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas (SPSFNWA) helped Carroll pursue higher education while raising his daughter as a single father. With financial support and community encouragement, he earned his degree from the University of Arkansas, attended the UAMS College of Medicine, and is now a Family Medicine Resident Physician with CoxHealth. His journey shows how scholarships for single parents can break cycles of poverty and create new opportunities for families.
Choosing Higher Education as a Single Parent
After a divorce, Carroll found himself navigating life as a single parent to his 11-year-old daughter, Madison. He had always been her father, but now the full weight of responsibility rested on his shoulders.
Every decision, every bill, every late night, and every early morning directly impacted the two of them.
One of Carroll’s biggest challenges was balancing financial stability with being a present father. Raising a daughter on a single income was difficult. To make ends meet, he often worked extra hours. Those extra hours helped pay the bills, but they also meant less time at home.
Like many single parents, he felt pulled in two directions, trying to provide while also wanting to be fully present for his child.
Through those struggles, Carroll began thinking about what their future could look like. He wanted more opportunities for both himself and Madison.
After several setbacks, he came to believe that earning a college degree could change the course of their lives.
That decision would eventually lead him to medical school. Along the way, however, something even more meaningful happened. Carroll says the journey helped him become a better father and a better person.
Finding Support Through the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of NWA
Carroll first learned about the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas (SPSFNWA) through a friend who had received the scholarship.
When he shared that he hoped to attend the University of Arkansas, she encouraged him to apply.
He knew pursuing higher education as a single parent would not be easy. Between childcare, housing, and tuition, the challenges were real. Still, he believed education could create a better future for his family.
When he learned he had been awarded the scholarship, he felt incredibly grateful.
The financial support allowed Carroll to rent an apartment near the University of Arkansas campus. Living nearby reduced his commute and gave him more time each day with Madison. Those small moments made a big difference.
From Psychology Major to Future Physician
Carroll began his college journey majoring in psychology. After three years, his goals expanded.
Growing up in poverty, his family did not always have access to quality medical care. That experience stayed with him. He realized he wanted to become a physician and help communities like the one he grew up in.
He added pre-med courses to his academic workload with the goal of attending medical school and becoming a Family Medicine physician.
After earning his Bachelor of Arts degree, Carroll was accepted into the UAMS College of Medicine.
Balancing Medical School and Single Fatherhood
Medical school is demanding under any circumstances. Doing it as a single parent required even greater determination.
Carroll balanced life as a father, student, employee, and active participant in extracurricular activities. Many days did not seem long enough to accomplish everything he needed to do.
Still, he kept moving forward.
The scholarship from the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of NWA helped relieve the financial pressure that many single parents in college experience. Carroll often used the funds to cover rent each semester, allowing him to focus on studying and preparing for medical school.
He credits SPSFNWA not only with financial support, but also with encouragement and guidance during difficult moments.
Community Support That Opened Doors
Two SPSFNWA donors played a pivotal role during a critical point in Carroll’s journey.
When he struggled to find physician shadowing opportunities, which are essential for medical school acceptance, they stayed engaged and worked persistently to connect him with a Family Medicine physician.
Their belief in Carroll opened the door to an experience that proved crucial to his acceptance into UAMS. That opportunity helped move him one step closer to his dream of becoming a doctor.
A Full Circle Moment
Today, Carroll is a Family Medicine Resident Physician with CoxHealth in Springfield, Missouri.
After completing his residency, he plans to return to Arkansas and practice medicine in a rural community. He wants to serve families who face the same barriers to healthcare that he once experienced.
Carroll grew up in generational poverty, but he believes that cycle has now ended.
At age 20, he once picked up college paperwork but never completed it because he believed he was not the kind of person who could earn a degree. That belief held him back for years.
Today, his daughter Madison is enrolled at Northwest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) and pursuing her own education without that same doubt.
He credits the support he received through the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of NWA with changing his family’s future.
Advice for Other Single Parents Pursuing Education
Carroll offers simple but powerful advice to other single parents who may be considering college:
“It is worth it. Time will pass, another day, another week, another month. No matter where you are in life, you can make lasting changes for your family.”
The Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas serves single parents in Benton, Carroll, Madison, and Washington counties who are pursuing higher education.
