NORCROSS, Georgia – Ashworth College today announced that Vanessa Herring, a mother from Lithia Springs, GA is the recipient of a national “Project Working Mom…and Dads, Too!” full-ride scholarship. Herring will pursue a Professional Plumbing Program at Ashworth College, an accredited online institution. Ashworth College is one of the five participating “Project Working Mom…and Dads, Too!” schools to help send parents back to college – tuition free – in these tough economic times.
This latest Project Working Mom campaign, the third in a series, received more than double the number of applications submitted in the first two rounds held in 2008 combined. This year generated more than 315,000 applications, including some of the most gut-wrenching, heart-warming and inspiring essays as part of the process.
Lithia Springs mother, Herring, is one of about 60 parents to receive the “Project Working Mom…and Dads, Too!” scholarship;
“My mother had to work the tobacco and cotton fields in Florida, which took precedence over obtaining an education. However, she was determined to complete high school,” Herring explained. “At the age of forty-seven my mother received her GED.”
Encouraged by her mother’s example, Herring believes earning a degree will give her options and opportunities for furthering her career. “In today’s world of globalization, to be competitive a degree is necessary,” she added. “It gives you leverage and it allows you to negotiate certain salaries as well as obtain promotions.”
“I long for a better career and I know a career diploma from Ashworth College will help catapult me to a new and great beginning.”
“Partnering with Project Working Mom…and Dads Too! has been a fantastic opportunity for Ashworth College to help make a difference. Through education, we’ve been able to help deserving, hard-working parents improve their lives,” said F. Milton Miller, Ed.D. and Ashworth Vice President, Education.
“A college degree or career diploma can set an employee or business owner apart as a professional -- demonstrating business knowledge to peers, potential customers and employers,” Miller added. “Education can take skills - and income - to the next level.”
Each of the “Project Working Mom…and Dads, Too!” scholarship recipients will receive a scholarship to complete an online degree program tuition free. The overwhelming response to this scholarship opportunity and the stories of sacrifice and determination from the applicants have been a stark reminder of the struggles parents face in balancing life, work and school and how online education can help people achieve their goals.
“Going back to school isn’t easy, but without the right degree you may get passed over for a job or promotion,” said Helen MacDermott, the content director for “Project Working Mom…and Dads, Too!” who is also a mom going to school online. “This campaign was designed to remove the barriers so people can go to school at their own time and pace and don’t have to worry about the costs. We’ve helped make dreams come true and it’s been an honor to be a part of these campaigns.”
eLearners.com, an online education resource that connects prospective students with online learning providers, first created “Project Working Mom” in January 2008. The initial campaign received more than 50,000 applications and awarded about 40 scholarships. That campaign was quickly followed by “Project Working Mom 2”, which received more than 72,000 applicants and awarded more than 50 scholarships. All campaigns combined distributed an estimated market value of more than $6 million in full-ride scholarships.
