Category: Student of the Month

2/24/23

Returning to school twice, single mom never gave up on her dream of becoming a nurse

Deanna McHenry is counting down the days until her May 13 graduation. “I can’t wait for the moment I walk across that stage and tell my son that this was all for him,” she said. The four-time Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund recipient will graduate as a registered nurse from National Park College – her dream since she was 13 years old.  Once she has her diploma, Deanna plans to work at CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs and continue for her bachelor’s degre... Read More
Posted by Jen Para at 2/24/23
Student of the Month Student Spotlight Student Success Story

12/13/22

Single mom returns to school to give back to Boone County

Ferrin C. (left) receives her Fall 2022 scholarship from Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund Program Manager Kim Paul-Williams. For the past seven years, Ferrin C. has worked in Boone County’s nonprofit field, supporting family development programs to help low-income families find self-reliance. However, she found herself wanting to do more for her clients and her 10-year-old son, Jamon. She realized furthering her education would advance her career and benefit her clients. &ld... Read More
Posted by Jen Para at 12/13/22
Student of the Month Student Spotlight

11/14/22

ASPSF ‘has inspired me never to doubt myself,’ single dad says

Like many Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund recipients, William Pontius was nervous when he first applied to college. “I questioned myself if I could genuinely handle school while raising my son,” he said. “Regardless of how I felt, I knew I had to try.” And his hard work paid off! William graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Central Arkansas in May with nearly all A’s. He’s now enrol... Read More
Posted by Jen Para at 11/14/22
Student of the Month Student Spotlight Student Success Story

10/11/22

Single parent scholar helps invent life-changing device for professor’s father

Lisa James (center), stands with her two children, Macy and Brett.   When Lisa James and her team presented a device to help their professor’s father hug again, she had no idea it would be so well-received. The video of a man hugging his grandson for the first time in eight years went viral after Lisa’s Arkansas State University occupational therapy professor shared it on Facebook. Lisa said she and her teammates cried when they saw the video. “To see his reac... Read More
Posted by Jen Para at 10/11/22
Student of the Month Student Spotlight

9/2/22

Single mom studies early childhood education to create a brighter future for her family and community

Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund September 2022 Student of the Month Gabrielle Hunter wholeheartedly believes children are our future. “We have to be supportive and encourage them to work hard and strive for the best, to never give up,” she said. “We have to show them it’s true you can be whatever you want to be.” Gabrielle has been working with children for over nine years and is currently employed at Clarendon ABC preschool as a paraprofessional... Read More
at 9/2/22
Student of the Month Student Spotlight

8/9/22

Single dad ‘trying to change the family norm’ by going to college

Kendrick Jackson is Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund's Student of the Month for August 2022. Since starting his higher education journey, he and his daughters, Keniya and Kimmorah, have GPA competitions.  Single father Kendrick Jackson found himself sitting at home collecting disability checks to support his daughters, Keniya and Kimmorah. He had fainted at his factory job after having heart surgery and couldn’t return. Kendrick’s coworkers had urged ... Read More
at 8/9/22
Student of the Month Student Spotlight

7/19/22

ASPSF supports single mom’s dream of becoming an airline pilot

Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship's Student of the Month for July is Brandy Manning (left). She has a daughter and is pursing her bachelor's degree in aviation at Henderson State University.  Brandy Manning loves to fly.  “Being in the air is an incredible feeling,” she said. With the help of Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund, Brandy is inching closer to achieving her goal of becoming an airline pilot. In addition to tuition and fees at Henderson ... Read More
at 7/19/22
Student of the Month Student Spotlight