If You Have The Will...

Here is a wonderful story I came across that shows that if you want to go to college (or in this case, send your daughter to college) if you have the will and determination, there is a way to achieve it. While I'm planning ahead so that this won't be an issue when it's time for me to go to college (and encourage all of you to do the same), it's another example of how creativity and good old hard work can go a long way to get you where you want to go:

Her daughter, Shewanda Dawn Russell, a 1991 graduate of Monessen High School, earned a scholarship to attend Spring Garden College in Philadelphia to study architecture, but was devastated when the school closed.

Her daughter not only lost her scholarship but her credits as well, and Russell says to this day they still don't know what happened.

A single mother, Cherie Russell welcomed her daughter back home, but contemplated how she could afford to send her to another college.

So she recruited some friends, Ida Allums, Chris Jordan and Mary Hall, all of Monessen, to help her set up fundraisers. They sold everything "you could imagine" to send her daughter to Tuskegee University...

It didn't stop there. The inspiration that the effort they put in to making sure her daughter went to college inspired others and it has now been turned into a non profit organization to help others wanting to attend college. It's a wonderful story that shows the possibilities when you are committed.

It sure shows that putting away a bit of money now isn't near as difficult as many might make it out to be. I am happy that my parents chose my uncle to help out in this area - wouldn't it be nice if every adult would put the same effort toward a child to improve their future?