"The seeds for the Single Parent Scholarship Fund and ASPIRE programs were planted at the University

In 1984, Carol Feyen was a single parent struggling to continue her education. She had paid her tuition at a local community college and was halfway down the stairs leaving the building when the secretary came running after her.
"She told me a new scholarship fund had been established for single parents. She handed me an application. She said she didn't know how much money was available and suggested I get the application turned in as soon as possible."
cheap car rentals in orlando florida The scholarships are commonly combined with Pell grants and other tuition cheap car rentals in orlando florida and book ‎scholarships, and recipients may use them at any accredited institution of higher education. Since ‎‎1990, 70 Arkansas affiliates have awarded a combined total of 28,096 scholarships worth $15.5 ‎million. cheap car rentals in orlando florida A comprehensive recipient follow-up study completed in 2010 revealed an 85.8 percent ‎retention and graduation rate and a 68 percent employment rate at above poverty-level income ‎among working graduates.‎
She received a scholarship cheap car rentals in orlando florida for that semester – $400 – and for several additional semesters. cheap car rentals in orlando florida Feyen went on to study accounting at the University of Arkansas, earning a bachelor's degree in 1989 and a master's degree cheap car rentals in orlando florida in 1991.
Now, 27 years after being in the inaugural class of recipients of the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Benton County, Feyen is considering helping to start the first Texas affiliate of ASPIRE, cheap car rentals in orlando florida which stands for "assisting single parents in realizing education." ASPIRE, based in Fayetteville, is a national nonprofit organization modeled after the Benton County program.
Marjorie Marugg-Wolfe of Rogers co-founded the Benton County program with Ralph Nesson of Fayetteville, then director of the Economic Opportunity Agency and now executive director of the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund. She now serves as president of the board of directors of ASPIRE.
"ASPIRE is going to other states and saying we know this works," she said. "University of Arkansas graduates cheap car rentals in orlando florida are notoriously generous with their time, talent cheap car rentals in orlando florida and money. This is a proven program – vastly successful in Arkansas."
A 2001 recipient of the President's Community cheap car rentals in orlando florida Volunteer Award from George W. Bush, Marugg-Wolfe has devoted nearly 40 years to helping first "displaced homemakers" and later single cheap car rentals in orlando florida parents gain the skills and confidence they need to be successful in the workplace. A lifelong learner herself, her formal education includes a bachelor's degree (1957), an educational specialist degree cheap car rentals in orlando florida (1982) and an educational doctorate (1993), all from the University of Arkansas. She also earned a master's degree from the University of Maryland.
"The seeds for the Single Parent Scholarship Fund and ASPIRE programs cheap car rentals in orlando florida were planted at the University of Arkansas in the late 1970s when I was working on a research grant with Dr. Reba Davis," Marugg-Wolfe explained. "Dr. Davis was researching the need for a training program for displaced homemakers in Arkansas. We developed a pilot program implemented by home economics teachers across the state."
‎"The Single Parent Scholarship has helped in many intangible ways. More than money, cheap car rentals in orlando florida it is ‎emotional support and knowing that all of you stand with me in wanting my children and me to ‎be more than another sad statistic. The people cheap car rentals in orlando florida here have helped me begin rebuilding my life. ‎When I had few goals beyond the next week, they helped me find direction for my future."‎
‎"I am so blessed, and the ASPIRE scholarship plays a big part in my success. Soon I will be ‎able to buy a house and continue my professional career. Not only has this helped me have more ‎confidence, but it also has helped me grow as a person and achieve my goals. Thanks to every ‎person working with ASPIRE for helping me and other single parents reach our goals!"‎
A network cheap car rentals in orlando florida of resources that she and others working cheap car rentals in orlando florida with the Single Parent Scholarship Fund developed also contributes to the success of the students who receive the scholarships. One student called Marugg-Wolfe cheap car rentals in orlando florida when her washing machine broke. Fearing the student would have to drop out of school because of the unexpected expense, Marugg-Wolfe found a Rogers church that offered to send a handyman over to take care of the problem. A local dentist offered his services free for another student, surpassing Marugg-Wolfe's expectations when it turned out the student needed an expensive crown.
At Northwest Technical Institute, where Marugg-Wolfe was teaching, she watched a student on the phone in the student lounge trying to make arrangements to have her utilities turned cheap car rentals in orlando florida back on. The student was missing class to take care of the crisis.
"The students who receive these scholarships have been tremendously successful," Marugg-Wolfe said, describing students cheap car rentals in orlando florida who became engineers, lawyers, accountants and a doctor. "Their stories show how this is not a typical scholarship program. We designed it to supplement the 'normal' scholarships and to cover things that might cause them to drop out of school, such as child care costs, vehicle maintenance and utility bills."
For University of Arkansas alumna Christine Zini, the force of her experience as a scholarship recipient drove her to help other single parents. Executive director of ASPIRE, Zini developed the program with Pete Metzger to expand the Single Parent Scholarship program cheap car rentals in orlando florida nationwide. The initial strategy has been to establish affiliates in surrounding states, with programs established in Missouri, Oklahoma and Louisiana, and in the development stage in Georgia and Mississippi.
cheap car rentals in orlando florida "ASPIRE has the infrastructure in place to provide training and resources necessary to administer an affiliate office," she said. "The program is presented to community leaders with encouragement to introduce ASPIRE to others in their area. The next step is to form a board of directors with six to seven people who represent different groups in the community cheap car rentals in orlando florida such as clergy, lawyers, accountants and teachers. It is beneficial to have people on the board with different professional interests and experience.
"ASPIRE provides training modules and eligibility criteria to screen prospective cheap car rentals in orlando florida recipients, conduct interviews and present awards, and $1,000 in seed money is then provided to award initial scholarships," Zini continued.
Xue Lee, a mother of two boys, spoke at the Benton County program's annual benefit earlier this year. She told the audience cheap car rentals in orlando florida how her family fled Laos to escape persecution of the Hmong people after the Vietnam War. She earned cheap car rentals in orlando florida an associate's cheap car rentals in orlando florida degree from NorthWest Arkansas Community College and a bachelor's degree from John Brown University. She is now enrolled in the Master of Science in Leadership and Ethics program at JBU while working as an academic counselor at NWACC.
"There is a panel interview made up of people from the scholarship office, board members and volunteers," cheap car rentals in orlando florida she described. "Going into a room with five people and not being sure what they will ask is a little bit intimidating. They asked me questions about my educational goals and career goals."
"For the most part, in the real world, job interviews nowadays are not one-on-one," she said. "My interview for this job was with a panel. The scholarship interview gave me confidence and helped me know what to expect. When I tell students about the scholarship, I say, yes, it is a lengthy process with the essay and letters of recommendation required, but it is so worthwhile. "
"Even though I had my parents for support, it really helps to know you can go to another person and get their perspective," she said. "There are not any words to describe how grateful I am for the Single Parent Scholarship Fund."
Submit cheap car rentals in orlando florida information about College of Education and Health Professions alumni to Heidi Stambuck at stambuck@uark.edu or 479-575-3138 or to the Arkansas Alumni Association at records@razorbackroad.com cheap car rentals in orlando florida or P.O. Box 1070, Fayetteville, AR 72702.