Twelve Steps to Graduate School

     Although the post of this articles may seem to detail steps one must take in order to gain acceptance to graduate school, I have to admit, it is very misleading. Throughout my life I have been exposed to the idea of AA's motto, "one step at a time". Either through loved ones in recovery or attending Allanon, I have found that this motto very much sums of my current point of view. 

     Seeing that all my goals are in reach has made me realize that I need to do everything I can in my power to make sure they come true. however, I have a huge road block in my life- my family's homelessness. The more that I work 7-day work weeks and the more I struggle to save for school, the more it has come to my attention that although I am taking care of my family, I need to begin to take care of myself.  Taking care of myself in the sense that I make sure that by the beginning of school, I at least have a bed to sleep in. For the time being, at my home, I do not have a personal area and if I want to sleep I have to sleep on the living room floor. This causes me such stress that the only solution I can think of is literally living in libraries and cafes on my down time from school and work. When I think about this a become fraught with fear, I remember life can only be taken "one day at a time". 

     My scholarship search is very much motivated by my belief in taking my life one step at a time. For everyday that I continue to apply to scholarships, I feel that I am making a dent in the amount of debt that I will have when I finish my doctoral program. I also feel, however, that simply working, saving and applying to scholarships is not enough in this economy. Although I would love to be one of the lucky few who believes in the idea that "the sky is the limit", it seems that every star in that sky costs 49.95 before tax. For this reason, I have found a new passion in creating a foundation for students such as myself.

    Although a lofty goal, and, one that will not truly be accomplished until I am out of school, it is very important to me that something be created for students experiencing foreclosure, homelessness and the effects of psychological homelessness. Not having a place to call home contributes to anxiety, depression and the inability to feel comforted because you know you do not have a place to call your own. For families around the country homelessness has become a reality. And, in a state requiring more people to acquire higher levels of education to solidify employment, homelessness makes it almost impossible to focus on anything let alone earning a post-secondary degree. The home that my mother owned for 20 years and raised me in, was on Ramsell st in San Francisco, California. For that reason I have decided to name my future foundation, "The Ramsell Foundation". Although it will take years for this dream to be accomplished, I will continue to take my life one step at a time until I reach my goal.

120 Scholarships and counting......