Tralushus had her first child as a young teen in Mississippi and another child at age 16. She had strong family support and graduated high school.    It was during high school she decided she wanted to be a nurse. She started on her journey by first becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) a year after she graduated high school.  As a CNA, she worked with elderly patients.  Her patients often requested her by name to care for them and she appreciated their many compliments. As a CNA, she worked under the supervision of a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).  Tralushus later heard about the LPN program at J.F. Drake State. She applied in 2013, was accepted, and then moved to Alabama to start classes in January 2014.  In 2013, she also married her husband. College was expensive despite financial aid. Her husband and mother were helping out with expenses. Tralushus applied for and was awarded an AOD scholarship in June 2014. She continued commuting from Decatur to classes in Huntsville and working two part-time jobs - one at a local book store and the other as a CNA on night shift. On the nights she worked as a CNA, she would end her shift at 6am, sleep in her car for a while, and then go to class. Her plan was to graduate in December 2014 but she failed a class in what should have been her final semester. Undeterred, she retook it and passed with a B. Similarly, in her final semester she did not make a passing score over 850 on her exit exam but on her second attempt a couple of weeks later, she passed it with a high score of 1,119 enabling her to graduate in May 2015. Getting through school was a tremendous challenge. Tralushus cried a lot and says she made a million mistakes but she knew God always loved her. She credits faith and prayer for getting her through school and says she could not have been successful without God.   The AOD scholarship also funded Tralushus’ state license exam and background check. She again prayed and studied hard and passed on her first attempt. Tralushus moved back to Mississippi in June 2015 and was hired as a Licensed Practical Nurse at the Carrington Nursing Center in Starkville, Mississippi. Her job is full-time position with good pay and benefits.  Tralushus loves her job and is enrolled in the Financial Peace University course. She plans on continuing her education to become a Nurse Practitioner. Tralushus hopes her story helps others maintain hope and achieve their goals.