The Question That Changed Her Life
Life hadn’t gone according to plan for Tammy. In 2012, she found herself a twice-divorced, flat-broke single mother of three, re-entering the job market after ten years as a stay-at-home mom. With no degree, limited skills, and a significant gap in her resume, her options were few. For years, she scraped by paycheck to paycheck, with no savings and no retirement plan, feeling like she was failing her family.
By 2017, Tammy’s oldest daughter had moved out, and her younger two children were in junior high and high school. She constantly stressed to them the importance of education. “You have to get good grades to earn scholarships,” she’d remind them. “Go to college, get a good job, and avoid struggling like me.”
One night, her teenage son pushed back. “If college is so important, why don’t you do it?” he asked. His tone caught her off guard. Then he softened and added, “Why don’t you go to college, Mom?”
Tammy shut it down quickly. “I’d love to, but that ship has sailed. It’s too late for me. But not for you—now get your homework done.”
He let the subject drop, but the seed had been planted.
A few weeks later, Tammy shared the conversation with a friend. Instead of laughing, her friend replied, “Maybe you can go back.” She told Tammy about someone she knew who had earned a degree with the help of a scholarship for single parents. Together, they Googled and found SPSFNWA.
The organization sent Tammy everything she needed: details, FAFSA guidance, and a clear roadmap for her first steps. For the first time in years, going back to school felt possible.
But SPSFNWA offered more than a scholarship. They became a lifeline, providing wraparound support: help finding other scholarships, a dry pantry for household needs, school supplies, holiday meal kits, Christmas gifts, and even free counseling for her and her kids.
While working full-time, Tammy began taking prerequisites at NWACC, determined to build a meaningful, stable career to support her family. Memories of her son’s birth injury—countless x-rays and swallow studies that helped heal him—inspired her to think, I want to do that. With SPSFNWA’s support, she was accepted into UAMS’s Radiologic Imaging Sciences program. X-ray school was intense, and when COVID hit during her first clinical semester, she completed her requirements in full PPE, worried about bringing the virus home to her children. But they made it through, and along the way, Tammy’s kids became quiet cheerleaders, doing homework beside her and growing more independent and thoughtful as their once-struggling household transformed into a loving, supportive family.In 2021, Tammy graduated from UAMS and began working in mammography—a field close to her heart because her mother was a two-time breast cancer survivor. Today, she gets to help save lives through early detection and is deeply grateful to SPSFNWA for helping her get there.
The son who challenged her to go back to school graduated from high school the same year she graduated from college. He earned a scholarship and will soon graduate from the University of Tulsa with a degree in Cyber Security. Her oldest daughter is married and thriving, and her youngest is overcoming health challenges while finding her own path.
SPSFNWA believed in Tammy when she couldn’t believe in herself. And because of that, she now stands proud of the example she has set for her children and is thankful for the donors who made it all possible.
