10thdraft.Talbots
- 1. Talbots Scholarship Essay Amy E. Ling Thirty years ago I earned an Associate’s Degree, but then was forced to put my dream of a college degree aside while I worked to put my husband through school and attend to family obligations. A few years ago, my two children graduated from college and began successful careers. I had remarried a wonderful, supportive man who felt that I should finish my Bachelor’s Degree. Unfortunately, two short months after we were married, my second husband was diagnosed with leukemia. For the next five years I cared tenderly for him until last year when he died in my arms. When Greg died, I had a job at the North Valley Public Library. I knew that the position would not provide an ample income – I’d always be living hand to month, nor would it allow for an adequate retirement. Rather than procrastinate while opportunity passed me by, I immediately met the challenge head on and created an educational and financial plan for my future. I returned to school and began to pursue my dream of a degree in social work, knowing that in lighting the lamp for myself I would also eventually be able to brighten someone else’s path. A degree in social work will provide me with not just a living wage, health insurance, and retirement income, but also the qualifications, skills and confidence to pursue a meaningful career that will enrich my life, and the lives of many other women. I have consistently demonstrated the conviction to see projects to fruition. The Spanish Language Outreach Program I started nearly five years ago is an example of my tenacity and desire to serve others. In 2008, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation brought to the Montana a daylong training seminar on how to engage Hispanic communities at libraries. I left the conference inspired and eager to begin a Spanish Language Outreach Program, despite advice from many community leaders and even co-workers who thought the program would fail since they believed there were few Spanish speaking people in our area of northwest Montana. Initially discouraged but still determined, I realized the Gates Foundation training had given me the tools to seek out these individuals. I diligently sought to locate people (especially disadvantaged women) whose first language was Spanish, establish relationships, and help them access the many resources available to them through our public library and other community organizations. Contrary to predictions, I discovered numerous women who were looking for direction and interested in joining the group. I created a weekly gathering called the North Valley Public Library Spanish Conversation Group, also known as “Reunion en Espanol” for Spanish speakers to brainstorm about problems and create solutions. The lack of affordable, quality child care and jobs, especially those that provided even minimal health care benefits, were recurrent themes in our sessions. I engaged a native Mexican teacher to provide free
- 2. English as a second language classes. I assisted primarily women in the creation of resumes, job searches, and computer software training. In 2011, I received the first annual Montana Library Association’s Outstanding Support Staff Award, largely due to the success of our Spanish Language Outreach program. My full-time position at the library has placed me in contact with many underprivileged, low- income women. These women, and the obstacles they face to provide for their families, have had a profound effect upon my life. For instance, the recollection of my encounter with a vulnerable, precious toddler, the child of a single working mother, left home alone, who innocently opened the door to me, is a memory that has haunted me. It made me realize the extent of family support needs in the community, the social inequality and injustices that still exist. I sought out other ways to develop a support systemfor people in the community, especially women, by creating the library’s volunteer program, the first of its kind in the library’s 108 year old history. I developed a volunteer manual, an application form, a skills assessment, training guidelines, an orientation program, and an annual recognition event for the volunteers. The volunteer program created opportunities for people to learn marketable skills that would open doors in today’s economy and has led to employment for some. This program and the Spanish Language Outreach program are solutions to local problems and these programs are now well established and sustainable. These two programs have become an integral part of the library and have recently been duplicated elsewhere in Montana. The next innovative project I would like to tackle with the help of Talbots, is a Stevensville Mentoring Program. Stevensville is a very rural community in western Montana that is characterized by recent increase in unemployment to 9.6% and climbing (Hamilton, Montana Job Service, 12/2011) due to severe downturn in the construction industry, a high percentage of high school drop outs (Promoting Power, www.all4ed.org, 2012) and a lack of entry level positions in the local job market (Hamilton, Montana, Job Service, 2012). Consequently, I see a need for teens and young women to develop mentoring relationships in order to successfully complete high school and pursue an advanced education in order to earn a living wage. According to the National Mentoring Partnership, with guidance or mentoring, women in poverty are more likely to: Stay in school. Improve their self-esteem. 46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs. 27% less likely to start drinking.
- 3. In addition, Mentors provide teens with a valuable place to spend free time. Mentors teach young people how to relate well to all kinds of people and help them strengthen communication skills. Mentors help young people set career goals and start taking steps to realize them. Mentors can use their personal contacts to help young people meet industry professionals, find internships, and locate job possibilities. Mentors introduce young people to professional resources and organizations they may not know about. Mentors can help their mentees learn how to seek and keep jobs. The Stevensville Mentoring Program will be serving at-risk young adults by matching them with adult volunteers. Those participating in our program will be referred by counselors, teachers and others in contact with teens and young adults. “At-risk” means that these young people are experiencing problems at school work, at home, or among peers. “Mentees” will generally be 13-23 years old and in need of a positive, supportive adult in their lives. “Mentors” will be adult volunteers to serve as a friend and role model who will focus on self-esteem, decision-making, career planning and communication skills. The estimated time spent together would be average of three hours a week, spending time together doing activities such as visiting businesses, going to libraries, reading, as well as fun things like attending concerts or games. I became interested in starting a mentoring program when I created a Talent Search data base at our library. When I gathered the information on the wide variety of skills, expertise, and knowledge of people in the community, I was surprised to discover that most were eager to share their talents with others. I believe these individuals could serve as the foundation for this new mentoring program. I envision our program becoming a beacon for young people seeking guidance to help them plan for their future. Our mentoring program will be a resource that is not as formally structured as the school environment, one in which they can select their own mentors, even try several until they find the right relationship, where they can explore their interests and eventually discover their passions leading them to a viable career. I believe I am especially deserving of a Talbots scholarship. I have been a driving force in creating innovative, successful, sustainable programs as solutions for some of the problems facing women in my community. A scholarship from the Talbots Foundation would greatly facilitate completion of my Bachelor’s degree, allow me to reduce my current work schedule, and focus on my studies while establishing the local mentoring program.