"Hello, my name is Kelley Pruitt. I'm a twenty-five-year-old mother of a handsome five-year-old boy named Owen. I gave birth to Owen when I was just twenty years old. After high school I attended one semester at Missouri State University to get the campus college experience. Of course, I ended up meeting a boy one weekend back home and spent every chance I could get back in the hometown I originally wanted to get away from. Eventually, I got pregnant while fulfilling the rest of my A+ program perks at Saint Charles Community College where I later earned my Associate of Arts degree. Long story short, in the five years of being a mother, I have had so many financial, emotional, and physical hardships, but continuing my education was always a priority of mine. I am the first of my parents and siblings to ever enroll in college so I want to show my son that because things get difficult, it doesn't mean you should give up! Fast forward to today, I am working towards a bachelor’s in business administration at UMSL online and have had a wonderful experience. There was a point where I was enrolled in classes and had to unenroll due to financial situations when the college of business took it upon themselves to reach out to me and offer me a scholarship to support me reenrolling. To this day, they have contributed for two semesters totaling $1,500 and is why I didn't quit. I'm sure most student moms know how hard it is to go back after taking even one semester off and for UMSL I am grateful. My message to other moms pursuing their education while doing one of the hardest jobs in the world is you are a rockstar! Keep up the great work!"
