RR Scholarship for Survivor N

Mission

Resilience Rising combats the commercial sexual exploitation of children and women in the United States by providing residential and mentoring programs with opportunities for safety, healing, and empowerment. For more on our mission, click here.

Scholarship Program

Education is a valuable tool for breaking cycles of poverty and empowering women with options outside of sexual exploitation. Through our residential and alumnae mentoring programs, education is emphasized as an invaluable achievement that no one can ever take away. Survivors are supported in obtaining their GED or high school diploma and subsequently encouraged to pursue higher education related to their passions by attending community college or vocational certification programs.

As all of our clients have grown up in the foster care system, the majority lack continuous, formal education and come to Resilience Rising years behind their peers. Once in spaces of higher learning, imposter syndrome often makes them doubt whether they belong among peers with conventional educational journeys and supportive family networks. Resilience Rising provides not only academic support but also emotional encouragement to help these youth persist in school. For more on our mentoring program, click here.

Our alumnae mentoring program provides academic tutoring, GED study guides, school supplies and books including laptops, assistance with navigating school and financial aid applications, and financial scholarships to eliminate prohibitive barriers. Resilience Rising helps youth apply for student loans, pell grants, and private scholarships. Resilience Rising's scholarship funding complements any funding each student receives and ensures that insufficient finances are never a primary factor for not pursuing education. Our scholarship funding is paid directly to the institution, and student accountability is monitored through delaying subsequent funding until each class has been passed successfully.

Survivor N

Survivor N was the first to successfully discharge from Resilience Rising's residential program. She was the first in her family to graduate high school, and she invited Resilience Rising staff to attend her graduation. Survivor N has exceptional skills in hair, make-up, and fashion and would often look like a work of art at our residential program. We frequently encouraged her to pursue her passion in esthiology. As an alumna, she once said, "With all those strong women staff, you make us believe that anything is possible for us, no matter where we came from.”

In Her Own Words

Resilience is the outcome of successfully adapting to difficult and challenging life experiences, and being able to bounce back and grow from them. I wish to tell you my story. I was 13 on the run, naive, scared, and mad at the world. I would put myself in vulnerable situations resulting in getting exploited mentally and physically. The weird thing is at that age you believe your in control. I was first exploited by my aunt. At 14 she introduced me to using your assets for financial gain to a 36 year old man who thought I was 16 to sound older, which come to think about it is so crazy because even that is still young! Luckily I ended up in juvenile detention which led me to the RR group home.

Arriving at the group home, I was hopeful, scared, and excited to be out. Would I succeed? Would I go back to my old habits? Will I stay or go back on the run? But once I given myself the chance to grow, I realized I had all the support I ever needed. I had strong female role models who embraced creativity, diversity, activism, female empowerment, and most importantly love. After settling in, it was entry time. I sat down with Gillian [founding director] it was game time. She asked what's my favorite things to do, what's my school goals and helped summarize a plan on the best way to help me achieve them. I started to go to therapy to help me with my mental health and take as much advice as I can bring that I've been diagnosed with BPD, anxiety, and depression. I was back in my favorite sport boxing. I was in a all girls school which included my faith, God. Yes it wasn't always peaches and cream. I didn't like when I was mad and wanted a walk that I had to have staff with me. But truth is it was for the better having someone to vent to and not be tempted to run.

To this day those three months in the group home were the best three months of my life. I felt so much love, hope, and mother figures around. I would go back in time to be there again. I was the first girl to finish the group home program and was so happy I accomplished something! I was transferred to my cousin's place and continued to do good, finishing probation at sixteen, getting an apartment, and continuing my education graduating at eighteen! Now being twenty bought my first car ever! I've been doubtful of my capability of doing things I want to do but I had this epiphany that I'd rather fail and know I tried then regret and wonder if I could've succeeded.

I have always had in Bratz name, "A passion for Fashion!" I love scissors, glitter, and glue. I love transforming my old clothes to new hip ones. But I wholeheartedly love love love makeup. I love how you can wake up and alter yourself into anyone you want whether it's special fx makeup, different makeup looks for your mood or even to be subtle and enhance your facial features. But to pick up a brush and get those butterflies in your stomach knowing your creating art is the best. In as short as 5 years I can be a badass makeup artist and feel genuinely happy with my career and financially stable. The only thing in my way from going to the most anticipated school for me Aveda is educational funding. I don't ask for all of it to be paid but if you happen to have anything to spare I would appreciate it and make you proud to see what I end up doing after I get my license and certificate! Thank you for taking your time to read my story. I would like to show all young ladies like me can come from abuse and still be as successful and happy as anyone else in the room and know that they too belong.

Impact

Survivor N will be attending the esthiology program at Aveda Institute. She received a $5,000 federal pell grant and $4,000 in student loans. This RR scholarship is for the remaining balance of $5,409. Her first quarter begins in March, 2023. Resilience Rising will provide updates on her academic journey to scholarship donors. Your donation is tax-deductible.

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