The Strength of a Single Parent – Hillary’s Story
To society, she was just a statistic. A single mother struggling to beat the odds, burdened by poverty, limited resources, and the heavy weight on her emotional and mental health. The world labeled her as small, alone, useless, and worthless, and for a long time, she believed it.
Hillary’s journey began with a series of choices—some she regretted deeply. At just 20 years old, she became a mother for the first time. The relationship with her son’s father ended soon after, leaving her to navigate the overwhelming waves of postpartum depression alone. She felt lost in the darkness, making decisions that only deepened her despair.
But it was at 24 that her life took an even darker turn. She fell into a toxic and abusive relationship where she was isolated, manipulated, and stripped of her identity. For two years, she endured physical and emotional pain until, at 26, she found herself pregnant again. This time, though, something inside her shifted. She knew she couldn’t bring another child into such a destructive environment. So, with the last of her strength, she left.
Alone, scared, and feeling worthless, she stood at a crossroads. With nothing but her faith, she began to push forward, finding strength she didn’t know she had. Hillary enrolled in school, determined to build a better life for her children and to create a future where her ceiling could be their floor.
At first, it was all for them—her kids, her greatest gifts. But along the way, she realized that she, too, deserved to grow, to thrive. She started investing in herself, in her own potential. With the help of the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas (SPSFNWA), she began to see her worth.
The journey wasn’t easy. There were sleepless nights, missed moments with her children, and times when she wanted to give up. But SPSFNWA was there, offering support in every way possible—financial, emotional, and mental. When the weight of it all seemed too much to bear, there was always someone like her program director who became her lifeline, pushing her to the finish line.
Hillary graduated with a bachelor’s degree in African American Studies, Communications, and Human Development with Family Science. She found a job, earning more than she ever had before, and began mentoring other women who faced similar struggles. She was no longer the woman she once was—broken, afraid, and lost. She was strong, capable, and worthy.
Standing before a room of people, Hillary shared her story, her gratitude spilling over as she thanked those who had supported her journey. They hadn’t just changed her life—they had changed her children’s lives and the generations to come.
She knew the truth in her heart: she was no longer a statistic. She was a mother, a survivor, a warrior. And no label could ever define her again.
