Scholarship Highlight: Support helps single mom pursue Nursing degree

Erika Roman, 39 years old, attends El Paso Community College Major to get her Associate of Applied Science in Nursing.

Meet Erika Roman, a 2014 recipient of the Women’s Fund of El Paso scholarship. Erika currently works for Las Palmas Medical Center as a Certified Hyperbaric Tech and a Registered Medical Assistant. Her goal is to obtain her bachelor’s degree in nursing and begin her career as a nurse in the same hospital.
 
“I work for Las Palmas already, so it would be easy for me to transition into the nursing department on any floor (of the hospital),” she said. As a single mother, her biggest accomplishment thus far has been seeing her two older children prevail in their studies and careers despite coming from a divorced family.
 
One of her sons also attends El Paso Community College and is studying to be a physical therapist. Her other son recently enlisted in the United States Navy. “I am a single parent and having these boys come out on top when coming from a divorced family is a big accomplishment,” she said.
 
She counts her mother as her biggest influence in working hard for not only herself but also her family. “When I was 15, my mother and father got divorced. She worked full-time and raised her three daughters as best as she could while battling alcoholism. I learned to be a hard worker from her and I thank her every day for what she has shown me”.
 
Coming from a single-parent household herself and navigating the difficult path of raising a family on her own, Erika has continued to persevere in her quest to improve her family’s future through education.  “The scholarship from the Women’s Fund benefitted me by helping me get books and helping with bills at home so that I would not fall behind while attending school,” she said. “I thank the Women’s Fund for helping me and others to accomplish our goals.”
 
Since its inception, the Women’s Fund of El Paso has awarded 145 college scholarships to local women in our community. To find out how you can help provide these scholarships to women in need, click HERE.

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