As a mom in college many of my choices have to be incredibly practical. I appreciate the practical options available to me because I need to be practical in decision making as I have more than myself to care for. However, I believe that moms in college can sometimes stifle their own goals and aspirations unnecessarily because they think themselves as not allowed to dream big. They think that their dreams might be considered selfish.

But what if we dared to dream? What if we reached outside the practical and aimed higher? While it may not be practical, and fulfilling some dreams might be a challenge for a mom in college, that doesn’t mean that I (and you) shouldn’t try. Often times we look at a mountain of a challenge in it’s entirety, instead of just looking at the first few steps. Or we get so caught up in the climb that we lose sight of the goal.

The fact is, moms in college are quite limited when it comes to opportunities relating to internships, scholarships, and pretty much anything that ends with “ships” and I think it’s a bit unfair. Yes, I know life isn’t fair, but has anyone really challenged the standard when it comes to awards and internships? I know there are moms out there that made ambitious moves, I just know it. I want to be one of those moms, I want to shoot for the moon and I want to change things for nontraditional college students.

With all that being said, I wanted to tell you all that I am applying for a rather prestigious scholarship. I am not ready to tell the blogging world just yet which one it is but I want to tell you I am going to try. And what if I fail? What if I don’t win? That is OK. But what can I lose if I don’t apply? What can I lose if I do?  The point is, if I don’t dare to dream I won’t fulfill the dreams I have kept hidden inside me as a nontraditional student. I refuse to be labeled as not a good fit because I am a mom, or because I am “just” a nontraditional student. There is no such thing as being “just” a nontraditional student and I urge each of you reading this to acknowledge the importance of your presence on your college campus. As for the scholarship, I am determined to at least be seen by the committee and to give them something to think about when it comes to recipient selection. Will there be obstacles to overcome if I am selected? Yes. I simply want to be allowed the opportunity to overcome those obstacles. 

I am going to shoot for the moon because I know I am just as capable to win this scholarship as the students profiled in previous years. I know that winning might bring some difficult challenges, but I am no stranger to overcoming difficulties. I am going to dare to dream because I know that my dreams will not harm my children, but influence them.

I am going to dare to dream because I want each mom in college (today and in the future) to believe themselves capable of fulfilling their dreams.