Ashworth College News & Events
Erie Mother Receives "Project Working Mom...and Dads, Too!" Scholarship
NORCROSS, Georgia – May 11, 2010 – Ashworth College (http://www.ashworthcollege.edu) announced that Henrietta Newman, a mother from Erie, PA is the recipient of a national "Project Working Mom...and Dads, Too!" full-ride scholarship. Newman will pursue a Professional Website Design 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.
The third Project Working Mom campaign generated more than 315,000 applications, including some of the most gut-wrenching, heart-warming and inspiring essays as part of the process.
Erie mother, Newman, was one of about 60 parents to receive the "Project Working Mom...and Dads, Too!" scholarship; Ashworth College awarded 20 of those scholarships.
"My parents raised me to love and pursue knowledge and learning," said Newman. "They nourished my curiosity through summer vacations to historical sites and museums and with a never-ending supply of reading material."
"Until my parent's divorce, I had always been a good student and loved going to school," explained Newman, who admitted to losing focus when she found herself shuttling back and forth between parents who were then living in different states. "Between the 6th and 10th grade, I changed schools several times, eventually dropping out of high school when I found myself a teen mother at the age of 16."
"Over the years I've put my heart and soul into being a good mom and now that my son is in high school I can appreciate how my parents must have felt, seeing their dreams for their child dashed," she said. "The surge of pride and the fierce determination to have my children do better than me is indescribable. Now, with my scholarship from Ashworth College, I will be able to work from home, doing something that I love while instilling in my children the value of learning and the sense of accomplishment you get from hard work."
"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 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.
About Ashworth College
Headquartered in Norcross, GA, Ashworth College, a leading online school, has built a tradition of excellence spanning 25 years, offering students worldwide more than 115 online college degrees, online certificate programs and online high school diploma options that are affordable and fit the busy schedules of working adults. Ashworth is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The Accrediting Commission of the DETC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency. For more information, visit http://www.ashworthcollege.edu.
Ashworth is a Sterling Partners portfolio company. Sterling, a private equity firm with a 25-year history of generating superior returns invests in industries with positive, long-term trends and provides ongoing support with a diverse and balanced team of industry veterans, operators, investors, strategy experts, and human capital professionals.
Press Contact:
Richard Orr
Ashworth College
publicity@ashworthcollege.edu
(770) 729-8400
About eLearners.com®
eLearners.com is one of several high visibility websites operated by EducationDynamics. Since 1999, eLearners.com has been successfully connecting learners to online education, including online degree and certificate programs, specialized career training, and a variety of online courses. For prospective students, eLearners.com provides a powerful search engine for users to find thousands of online program offerings, as well as educational evaluation tools and financial aid resources. For colleges and universities, the eLearners.com website offers a low-cost, performance-based method to provide national exposure and increase enrollments in their online learning programs. For more information on eLearners.com, visit http://www.eLearners.com.
