A million reasons

10/13/2023

12:14 am

I sometimes ponder this very question.

If I had million dollars, who would I give it to and why?

I have always been a big supporter of gaining an education with the caveat that it doesn’t only have to be a four-year college or an Ivy league education.

There are so many ways to get an education or gain a new skill. It just depends on how hard do you want to work for it. A person needs to know their “Why” for everything they do.

If I could establish a scholarship fund it would be for the everyday average person. It would not depend on your status, situation, or age but it would depend on how would it change your life?

This special scholarship would encourage those who think they are “stuck” in their current situation to find a different way.

This “fund” would help them with tuition, housing, books, fees, and provide a stipend for them to attend without worry. I think that is the biggest motivator for people who take out student loans to complete an education. Those other “things” that need to be managed every day. Life happens and sometimes you run short, cars break down, medical emergencies, and the list could go on and on.

I think back to when I was new single mother coming home after Air Force Active Duty. I knew that I would need to make more money in order to support me and my child.

I found this program that would help me attend school and pay me minimum wage to attend. It was a grant program for Native American Students.

I went to this private vocational school for a year to learn programming and coding. I finished the program at the top of my class and was given the top internship position. This particular company only took the top person for their program and provided a letter of recommendation.

I was very excited for the opportunity until the day I arrived to meet the director over the program. He laughed at me and said “This has to be a joke!” He stated that women did not belong in programming or coding.

He made me sit outside his office while he called my school to argue with them. They informed him that I was indeed their top student. He refused to train me.

Instead, I sat at this desk and made phone calls to company employees to survey tech issues. He had another programmer that tried to show me some things but then he stopped. The director threatened to fire him if tried to teach me anything.

I had to stay there for two weeks to stay eligible for my internship and to keep my minimum wage pay. The school was trying to find me another company to go to because that situation had never happened before. I was the first ever female student to be at the top of the class and they were not expecting that backlash.

I finally had enough after that first week when one day he told me “You should go find a husband to take care of you and your kid.” Everyday, I had to listen to him talk about how the school had “gone downhill” and “accepted anybody”. It was too much.

They never found me another internship and I never worked in that field. I had two interviews and got the same treatment during the interviews. This was well before I finally started standing up for myself and talking back. I have learned so much since then about labor laws and discrimination.

I digress, this was about what I would do if I had a million dollars to give away.

There will always be a million reasons to do the right thing and to help others.

If I could make someone else’s life a little easier, less stressful, and help them reach their goals that will always be the perfect reason.

Thank you for stopping by!

Have a great week!

Peace, love, happiness, and good vibes, always!

Suzanne