The Dynamic Duo

In case you have not been following the UltraMom career/job/life saga, here is an update. In two weeks I will jump with both feet into the very challenging Nursing Program at Great Basin College in Elko. The toughest thing is that I will have to quit my job at the prison to make this work, though I will get to flex my hours and keep on working through September. Besides loving the job, it contributes 1/3 of our income plus my discounted health insurance, all of which will soon be going away in hopes of a better future.
I submitted several scholarship applications, including one for $250 from a local women’s philanthropic organization called the P.E.O. I met the one qualification for applying: I am a woman.  I got a phone call from them as UltraDad and I were attempting to leave Portland sans help from my flaky GPS.  It took a few minutes for me to put it all together, but the gist of it was that they wanted to meet me. We set up a time to get together for coffee at a local coffee shop in a couple of weeks. Yes! I must be in the running!
I arrived at the cafe ten minutes early, scanning the crowd for possible PEO members. I struck gold within minutes; soon I was munching fresh fruit and sipping iced tea while chatting with six very nice, interesting women. An hour and a half passed quickly as we talked about my goals and qualifications, and numerous other subjects.  I soon learned that this was not a scholarship but a sponsorship.  This would be the first time the PEO had helped a student in their own backyard, and they wanted input as to who would be the lucky recipient, as well as an ongoing relationship and some accountability. Apparently, donating a scholarship at the college precluded many of these conditions. As we parted they promised to let me know in a couple of weeks. They called back hours later to let me know that I was their designated sponsoree! I was thrilled.
Several weeks later, I met four of these women at the local newspaper office; they wanted a picture of me receiving my check. We posed outside, me in the middle flanked by my benefactors. I held a corner of the check as Nancy, the sponsorship committee chair presented it to me. Afterward the photographer asked for names and titles so she could correctly label the photo. When it was my turn, I said “I am Kathy McDonald, the one receiving the scholarship.” I heard Nancy give a little gasp.  “I think it is important that we call this a sponsorship,” she said, “and what is your name again?” She was staring down at the check, so I did too. It was made out to “Kathy Crawford.” I tried to bring humor into the situation. “I really am Kathy McDonald; I have picture I.D...or if it’s easier, I can just change my name.” I couldn’t help but wonder if they may have confused me with someone else, say the woman whom they had really selected to sponsor.  After some confusion and apologies, Nancy lined through ‘Crawford’ and inserted ‘McDonald’ initializing her change.  I had no trouble depositing my check.
I am invited to come early to the next meeting to meet more members and report on my progress. Ah well, if my progress isn’t up to snuff, I can always blame it on Kathy Crawford.

UltraMom