Alumni Alliance: Alisha Breeding

In her own words, 2015 Alumna Alisha Breeding shares how the single parent scholarship helped her earn her bachelor’s degree. Today, she works at the ad agency Stone Ward and volunteers with Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship to give back to the program that gave her so much hope.

In the middle of my junior year of college, in 2013, I found myself facing an unexpected pregnancy. As I weighed my options and tried to imagine what my future might look like, one thing remained absolutely clear: I was determined to finish my degree. I had come too far to stop.

After welcoming my beautiful daughter in July 2014, I discovered the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund. At that time, the program was still administered at the county level. I applied, hoping for a bit of relief.

What I received was life-changing. Becoming a scholarship recipient lifted a tremendous weight off my shoulders. I had been carrying the isolation of single parenthood, the pressure of working full-time, and the demands of school all at once. It was one of the most challenging periods of my life.

The scholarship not only provided financial support — it reminded me that I was not alone. Through the community events and connections the program fostered, I began to rediscover parts of myself I thought I had lost. It encouraged me to step back into the world instead of staying tucked away in survival mode.

That is why, when the opportunity arose to volunteer with the very organization that had once lifted me up, I didn’t hesitate.

Joining the A Day of Hope Event Committee to help raise funds for future recipients felt like a full-circle moment — an opportunity to ensure that others could receive the same support and sense of belonging that meant so much to me.

ASPSF does far more than award scholarships; it creates a community, a network of support, and a place where single parents can feel seen and encouraged. At a time when I needed it most, that made all the difference.

Today, I remain committed to serving ASPSF because I don’t just believe in its mission — I lived its impact. I want to be an example for others, including my daughter, and a reminder that single parents are equally deserving of meaningful careers, stable futures, and lives filled with possibility.

If I can play even a small part in helping another parent move forward with confidence and hope, then that is exactly what I intend to do.