Spring 2024 Daniel R. Bacalis, P.C. Striving Solo Parent Scholarship Winner

Alexis M. Willis

Alexis’ essay is an excellent testament to a brave single mother focused on pursuing her goals while ensuring those goals correspond with her daughter’s best interests. Alexis understands that not only will pursuing a master’s degree set her apart in her field, but it will also put her in a position to support her daughter better. Alexis is an exceptional young woman and a worthy recipient of our Spring 2024 Striving Solo Parent Scholarship.

Read Alexis’ Essay:

It has always been my goal to gain a masters degree in my field of study. However, after having my daughter, I had to make adjustments to my goal in order to ensure that I was an active parent who was able to provide for her and myself. After being a single mother for four years, I would say that I am at a place in life where I could revisit that dream and make it a reality not only for me, but for my child as well. With a master degree, I can gain better employment as well as increase my position in my field.

Prior to beginning this journey of going back to school, I considered the time it would take to gain this degree as well as the time I would have to put into school. Being a single mother, time is very important because I pride myself on being a present parent and spending time with my daughter. We’ve built this routine over the last two years, and making adjustments will definitely be a challenge for the both of us. In order to combat those challenges and make sure that we both adjust to the changes being made, I’ve begun using visual calendars as well as utilizing our down time to do things together that I know she likes to do. I’ve also become more organized with prepping things beforehand to alleviate some of the wasted time we have over the weekends.

Being a single parent, in my experience, inspired me to do a lot of things, pursuing a higher form of education is only one. I want to not only provide better for my child, but I also want to be that example to her that no matter what obstacles she may face, she can live out her dreams and be whatever she wants to be. I also want to show her that gaining her education is important. I’ve begun instilling in my child that knowledge is key, and it doesn’t matter what she chooses to be, having an education can always take her far. By furthering my education, I know that I can be a better provider as well as use what I learn while earning my degree to be a better parent as well.