Quirkyalone

Every so often, something random and serendipitous happens that lifts my heart and makes me feel more hopeful about humanity. A few weeks ago, I was reading the corporate bios describing the founding team of the company where I work at my “regular job.” In addition to 25 years of corporate experience, Dianna Mullins mentioned that she is “the founder of the Beverly Mullins Scholarship fund at UC Berkeley, giving scholarships to single parents for the past six years.” Intrigued, I sent her an email saying “Cool! What’s that all about?” Later I buttonholed Dianna in the corporate kitchen and she explained.

Dianna set up the Beverly Mullins Scholarship fund to honor her sister, Beverly, a single mother to Jacob Mullins. Over twenty years ago, while Beverly was in her mid-twenties and in Mexico learning Spanish for a summer, she fell in love with her Spanish professor Pedro. She went back to visit and they conceived Jacob. She was a full-time college student at the time, and he was a musician, artist, and dancer, working on his masters and heading towards his PhD. She decided to have Jacob and they tried to find a way to be in the same country to raise him, but they couldn’t find a solution. Pedro was also primary caregiver of his single mother who had raised his sisters and brothers.

Back in the U.S., Beverly raised Jacob on her own and struggled to complete a sociology degree at UC Berkeley over a period of six years (sixteen years total since she first began). While at Berkeley, she became a major advocate for adult re-entry students, including single parent students and their kids. After Beverly received her degree, but before Jacob graduated from high school and got accepted to Yale, among other top schools, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and died peacefully six months later. Pedro was present when Beverly passed away. Dianna says, “He was the love of her life – and we believe she was of his. One year after she died, he married for the first time. A year after that, he and his wife had a son. So, Jacob now has a little brother. His family continues to grow.” Jacob visits Pedro every summer now in Mexico and helps him with a nonprofit that he started.

To honor her sister’s commitment to helping older students, Dianna set up a scholarship fund to support re-entry students (26 years or older) who are also single parents. The award is up to $5,000. The deadline to apply is March 31. Learn more and download the application form here.

Not too many people know about this opportunity, so I’ve been telling other single parent bloggers and now I’m telling you and asking you to spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, or even through real-live, in-person communication. Please pass this along to anyone you think might benefit from this opportunity, or would know someone who would.

Related posts:

1. File Under Shock and Awe: Arkansas Bans Single People from Becoming Foster Parents

Tags: scholarship fund, single dads, single moms, single parents