Leticia Beistegui
South Mountain Community College
Student

My name is Leticia Beistegui.  I am single mother of two teenage boys and have been for over eight years.  I am originally from Phoenix, AZ, but had been living in Texas for over fifteen years, until I moved back home with my son’s, now over three years ago.  While I was in El Paso, TX, I didn’t have much education and wanted to so much to have one, I realized I did everything backwards, and I will say backwards not that I did everything wrong, because that would mean my boys were a mistake, and they weren’t and they are not.  Backwards, in the sense that “I” was supposed to obtain an education before having children.  Well, I have noticed that so many of us do the same thing. 

I think when we are young, a lot of us don’t stop to see “future” or what’s in front of us, as we don’t see farther than our own noses.  We think it’s so cool, we have a husband, kids, we are going to have our home and then reality hits, unless you are lucky of course, then you start wishing you could have done things differently.  In my case I realized that I was a single mother, of 7 and eleven year old boys.  The worst part, no education, and dead end jobs.  I finally found something that I could work with, as it afforded me the opportunity to work all day while my boys were in school and had to be back home on time to make dinner.  I had to get up at 3:30am to be at work at 4am and left my boys by themselves to get ready and have breakfast before going off to school.  I worked from 4am to 3pm Monday thru Friday and sometimes called in if needed on my days off.  I did this for just about three years, plus donating plasma two times a week for extra cash for gas and take my kids out to eat once a week.

I finally decided it was time to come home, thinking and truly hoping things would be better for us, as I at least had my Father here.  It took me over a year to find a decent job and through all this remaining in school.  I started at Gateway Community College, where I completed one semester and only two classes, as I was not yet considered a “resident” of AZ, until after being here for a year, that was news to me, so in one year I was only able to do 2 classes per semester, as this is only what financial aid could cover.  While in school, I got into the work study program, as I couldn’t find any other job to work around my school hours.  At this point, although I needed to support my sons, getting an education was super important to me, so I decided to take the school loans to make ends meet.

I struggled for over a year, what I didn’t think I would if I moved back to Phoenix.  I thought so many times of moving back to Texas, where at least my kids had some friends and was all they knew.  But somehow, I felt I had to be strong and remain.  I prayed much about it and asked God to guide and give me the strength to go on, which he of course did, as he always has.  I am in my third year at South Mountain Community College and all my struggles and debt that I may be in, is all worth it, I would do I all again.  I have been through much hardship as a child with no family for love or support.  But God has been with me along my struggles giving my love, strength and the courage to overcome and go on.  He has given me two wonderful sons who are my drive; they are what keep me going wanting to better myself as a human being.  They know of my hardship and struggles as a child.

I feel and truly believe that by me continuing my education will not only give me knowledge and eventually a better paying job, but most importantly, it will show my sons that if mom can do it, so can they.  I work full time.  The job I have now, I truly believe it was God sent.  He has been so very good to me and I am very blessed to have him in my life and in my boy’s lives.  I still have a year at South Mountain if all goes well, and if I was to be given the opportunity to receive this scholarship, it would so greatly help the debt I am in, from the few previous years.  It would definitely take away some of the financial burden and pressures I have incurred throughout my time back home to phoenix.

I am a firm believer, in that things happen for a reason, and I believe that the hardship I went through in my life had eventually brought me back home to make something of myself and show my kids that it is never too late.  I am hopeful to get this scholarship, but I also know that whomever else may get it, will be so deserving of it, not to say that I am not, but maybe someone else needs it more than I do.  If that is that case, then I will just leave it in God’s hands, and may it be what he may want it to me.

Thank you so much for your time and attention to this matter, it is so greatly appreciated.