Amanda is a renewal JRF Scholar currently working towards her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education at Ohio State University. Her goal is to become a teacher. Amanda graduated high school early in order to pursue college but later dropped out in order to become a stay-at-home mom. Since then she has faced many trials and tribulations. Amanda’s first husband struggled with addiction and became abusive. She and her two daughters escaped and are now safe. Amanda’s oldest daughter has struggled with mental illness. Being a teacher will allow Amanda to not only better financially support her family, but the schedule of the job will allow her to better support her daughter. Amanda knows that being a teacher is what she was put on Earth to do, and she cannot wait to make an impact in her students’ lives.

“When I debated going back to school, the biggest concern was our family’s income. I would not be able to hold down a full-time job and go to school. Adding in the amount of time that my daughter’s issues required of me, I had to choose between work or school. I took a leap of faith and trusted that we would be okay financially, even if I had to take on student loans. My Jeannette Rankin Scholar Grant had a tremendous impact on my financial situation this past year, allowing me to focus more on my schooling and family and less on the balance of my accruing student loans.”