The 3W Podcast
From the people that bring you 3W Magazine, welcome to the 3W Podcast! We aim to serve our community by promoting awareness of Northwest Arkansas’ thriving philanthropic movement; To provide a guide of dates to help coordinate events so every nonprofit gets the coverage they need and deserve; To give financially to local charities each year.
The 3W Podcast
The 3W Podcast: Tyler B. Clark and Kat Guzman with Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas
Ever wondered how a single Facebook ad could transform someone's life? Tune in to this heartfelt episode of The 3W Podcast, where we sit down with Tyler B. Clark and Kat Guzman from the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas. Kat shares her journey from discovering the scholarship by chance to successfully navigating the interview process, all while balancing her duties as a National Guard member and single mother. Tyler, the CEO, gives us a behind-the-scenes look into the organization's storied history since 1984, revealing how they've awarded over 21,500 scholarships worth $17.8 million. Discover the comprehensive support offered beyond just financial aid, including behavioral health counseling, to help recipients achieve their dreams.
Kat's story is nothing short of inspiring. A single mother and National Guard member, she pursued a degree in radiology and even studied online from Germany during COVID-19. Learn how the scholarship not only bolstered her financially but also empowered her to transition from nursing to radiology after becoming a mother. This segment underscores the transformative power of community support and scholarships in boosting graduates' earning potential and providing vital stability through health insurance and employment.
Get excited for events like Spark of Hope and Golftoberfest, which play a crucial role in sustaining these vital scholarships. This episode is packed with heartwarming stories and valuable insights into the support networks that enable single parents to achieve their educational and career goals.
Hey everybody, Welcome to the 3W Podcast home of the who, what, when I have two friends here with me today. They are Tyler Clark and Kat Guzman. They are with the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas. It's a whole lot of words for me, so I just say single parent all the time. So hopefully that's okay with y'all. Okay, let's dive right in. Yes, Okay, Kat, tell me about you oh wow.
Speaker 2:Um, so I just heard about the scholarship a few months ago, okay, so let's be real clear to everybody out there you're a recipient. Yes, okay so I found it on facebook. It was like a little ad. I should social media at its finest. I love this, and I didn't think I would get it, so I was like maybe a lot of people are getting it, I don't know.
Speaker 1:Here's what I've learned. So I have two boys, one plays soccer, one plays baseball, and we'll get into who's single parent is in two seconds. But if you don't swing the bat, you can't hit the ball. So don't ever go into anything thinking I have no chance. You've got to swing the bat know, I was so nervous.
Speaker 2:And then I got an email that had to go for an interview great, and it was nerve-wracking. I was like what do I wear, what do I say? And when I got there, I was actually talking to one people that were going to interview me and I was like, oh well, I was just being myself a little awkward, good. And then she walked me and she sat down and I was like, oh okay, this is happening. Yes, and everybody was so, and it didn't feel like a real interview, it just felt like a conversation.
Speaker 1:That's what an interview should be Always be yourself, tyler.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:Tell us about Single Parent.
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:Where to start. Right, I'm a little biased, I like it.
Speaker 3:One of the best nonprofits in Northwest Arkansas Big longevity. We've been in operations since 1984., 40 in Northwest Arkansas. Um big longevity. We've been in operation since 1984, 40 years, 40 years this year, it's awesome, it is Um, and that short amount of time, uh, we've been able to offer 21,500 scholarships to a tune of $17.8 million.
Speaker 1:It's bananas.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1:You know, it's awesome, awesome.
Speaker 3:Bananas impact obviously impact on our, our recipients and the recipient families, families uh, I've been involved since uh, it's the last seven years as ceo president and our non-profit um is very lucky that our name says what we do single parents, thank you for that.
Speaker 1:Somebody deals with all the non-profits. Yeah, like what is that?
Speaker 3:and I'm like I can't help them you got, got it.
Speaker 3:But we offer financial assistance to single moms and dads who want to go back to school for a post-secondary education and we view that as a credential, a certification or a degree-type program associates bachelors or masters. We even actually help some folks out with their doctorate. We have an MD and a couple doctorates in our program, grit. We have MD and a couple of dog crits in our program. If we have extra money and you know it makes sense for the program and they still have someone under the age of 18, we certainly will fund them through whatever they need essentially. But what I love about single parent is the ability for, as Kat mentioned, you know, the recipients become our family. Yes, vice versa.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you have brunches or celebrations for them all.
Speaker 3:the time, yes, and you know when you're going through a very um stressful time in your life. Probably you're raising. You have two kids, cat or one one, yes, she's like just one right now, but working, you know, often full-time, part-time, um and, like kat, is in the national guards. I'll tell you about that in a few moments a lot of responsibilities, so what we can try to do to relieve some stress from them, not only in a financial way. So a full-time recipient can qualify for 2500 per semester but that's not just tuition.
Speaker 3:No, no, no, Right it is.
Speaker 1:I mean it goes down to like maybe a gas card or rent assistance, doesn't it? It's not just to go to the institution itself.
Speaker 3:We let our recipients really choose what's the best route for them.
Speaker 1:Which is you're empowering them.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, and they know the best way to put you spend their money.
Speaker 1:Exactly.
Speaker 3:And the gift, the gift that we give them, so them, so you know, that is really, really uh. The cool part about the program is that it is, I call it, choose your own adventure kind of a way. Yes, if I know, I do have a recipient that buys a couple hundred dollars worth of gift cards from walmart for gas, okay. Or maybe put some stuff in savings so when the emergency pops up, or child care, or housing, maybe new tires for the car that semester whatever might be the need.
Speaker 3:But not only do we offer the financial assistance, we have a full time counselor, behavior health counselor, that can help with needs of the family as a whole, the family unit, the individual recipient or the children. So Michelle Cox is qualified and certified to do marriage and family thought, marriage and family therapy and she's also eligible to do play therapy with the children and then she does direct therapy with with adults which is fantastic because mental health is in an all type high. Yes.
Speaker 1:I have two kids, but I am married, so I do have a spouse that helps me out, but I'm like that is a lot to take on. It's stressful. How old is your boy or girl, girl, girl, how old two, two? Oh, you get bows and bloomers. Yeah, I have girls, so yeah, you, but I'm like that's a lot to take on daycare?
Speaker 2:no, I have a friend that watches her. Oh, I still pay her jewels. Inels in your crown.
Speaker 1:That's amazing. Yeah, and you work. What did you say? I'm worded full time. The guard thing National guard as well, national guard, I'm sorry.
Speaker 2:Okay, national guard full time long, it's a lot. Yeah.
Speaker 3:So thank goodness that we have you, and then not only the financial assistance, but also just the mental assistance. Well, I think some of our folks have had a history in the past of, maybe, spouses that weren't you know, maybe fiscally violent or maybe just emotionally abusive, but also families that may not be supportive. We may be the only supportive net that someone has, or, you know, people move here to escape situations, so we truly become of, become their, their net. Yes, um, and we also have a a great backpack program. We give kids backpacks back to school time so we're giving up gosh?
Speaker 1:we just went out of school.
Speaker 3:I'm like stop one mark the other day and like they're already putting up, it's already out, yeah, which I love pens and pencils and markers and stuff and like bring the floaties up. It's already out, yeah, which I love pens and pencils and markers and stuff and like bring the floaties but we give each recipient uh hundred dollars uh for their each per each child from the device, school supplies and, uh, if they need um new shoes and those type of things, we give that to them right before the uh arkansas no tax weekend oh yes, so kind of doubles their ability to spend money.
Speaker 3:And then we do the same thing. We don't give backpacks, we give for the spring semester, in January, another $100 scholarship for them to replace bricks. Right, you know the stuff that they need.
Speaker 3:It wears out yeah, and our dry pantry is one of my favorite things that we're able to do. I don't say anything about that. Yeah, one of my favorite things that we're able to do. I don't say that about this. Yeah, so things that aren't available on Snap benefits detergent, ziploc bags, trash bags. Necessities, necessities that are expensive. Yes, that we just pop into our cart when we go shopping. You know, could be a determinant or an issue for some of our recipients.
Speaker 1:Okay, I said I didn't know about that, but I think I lied, because I can see an email blast coming through in my head from y'all of, like always, current needs.
Speaker 3:yes, that they can just order and ship directly to you all we have a drop ship from walmart and it's to our front door, uh, and then our recipients can come shop, and they often do so before they go to the grocery store, um, so they know what they really need to spend some money on. Yes, and you know a big deal of tithe is $20.
Speaker 2:I know.
Speaker 3:So that can make a huge difference, Huge For our folks. And you know, just finding the needs that make sense. No, we don't do a food pantry because there's plenty of food pantries out there and we don't repeat services. I always believe that a good nonprofit should partner well. Yes, everyone has their own lane they do and we try to stay in ours.
Speaker 1:Yes, I love that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, same yes but, uh, you know it's, it's been a joy to see you know. Uh, we've actually, uh should always ask your people. You know what they need, and so we actually did a recent survey of, like, what are your actual needs? And it popped up that trash bags were a higher need than we thought. Ziploc bags were a higher need because they're for you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so, and then of course, always uh, clothes detergent okay and things I don't even think about because I just add to cart constantly yes, yeah, and so during the recent storms, okay, uh, we offered an emergency fund for all of our benton county folks, um, and what they were able to do is most of the requests came from.
Speaker 3:I lost everything in my fridge right right power and I just filled it up because kids are coming out of school this week yes, and so five hundred dollars worth of food gone. So we were able to uh distribute about twenty eight thousand dollars to our recipients of benton county, but but unplanned $28,000.
Speaker 3:Yeah Well, you know you do what you need to do Right, and we have wonderful supporters and we always have the last four years who answer the call when we need help. And you know budgeting wisely is always key, absolutely. So, yeah, we were same thing during COVID. We were able to offer COVID scholarships Sounds weird to say COVID scholarships, but you know what I mean. Yes, covid supporter scholarships. And then we had, you know, a pretty. It's been a mild winter, obviously this year, but we had a couple of snow days that cost folks some time away from work and then child care and such.
Speaker 3:So we issued a small weather stipend scholarship as well. So when things pop up, we talk to our executive team and decide what is possible within our budget to get out to our recipients.
Speaker 1:So quick pivot, quick adaptiveness.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you have to be. It's way beyond the education component? I hope to think so. I think for years I pigeonholed you all into just to think.
Speaker 1:so, I think so, so I think. For years I pigeonholed y'all into just education, until Frankie. Frankie sat down when she came to the team pre COVID. I love that COVID is now like our BC as, whatever it is Time marker.
Speaker 3:But I think I feel like we're in a time warp continuum because we lost that two years Okay, right, and the last two or three years.
Speaker 1:I'd have just like yes, it's like an exit. It's like we were going on a straight line and then we just exited and now we're back on and I'm like what happened under the bridge? Yeah, I'm so confused. It's weird.
Speaker 3:It's like yesterday and a hundred years ago at the same time and we merged that time too, yes, the washington county and ben county, yes, which actually, the more I talk about it was probably the best thing to happen. Covid was horrible, obviously, but we were able to, in 18 months, spend time with our board members and volunteers which we had over 100 volunteers and staff to really look at what was going to be the best for our recipients. And that was the whole thing for the merger.
Speaker 1:The merger wasn't for convenience or those type of things, but it's like going out to stand in your lane and doing what you do best. I mean, if we pool our resources, we don't need to separate just because of a county line.
Speaker 3:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Right, pool together and be bigger, stronger.
Speaker 3:You know I grew up in Northwest Arkansas and you know it was a trip to Benton County, rogers that's what I've heard Back in the day and you had two malls to go to and all those type of things. That's when you used to shop in malls, kids.
Speaker 1:I know malls. What's a mall? What's a mall? Kat doesn't know what a mall is either.
Speaker 3:I don't think it was not a Walmart, right, yes, but you know the silos have really broken away. You know, and I want to, you know, northwest Council have done that. And so not only are we a scholarship program, we're a social service program. Russell economic developer you know 65 recipients graduated last year. You know, leaving us. You know they made $9,000 on average. Come in $98,000 on average, and then the first six months to a year they're making 35 000. That's a 248 percent. How amazing is that? It's gonna be cat.
Speaker 3:It's a trajectory, yes, I'm sorry. Yeah, and then, you know, getting health insurance for that whole family. On with a new job. You know, stability with a job, uh, because you know, if we do have, god forbid, another uh outbreak like covid or something that could truly affect, you know, um, the stability of our folks. So I think we're seeing that catch up now. Um, I mentioned, off camera, as we've we've had a really, really busy year. Uh, we, we broke records with our summer scholarships. Uh, we had 86 summer scholars, which is, which the average is about 50. Yeah, so pretty unheard of. And then we just had our fall scholarship deadline in June and on the 15th we had 199 qualified applicants, and so, which is great, we loved, we loved it Absolutely.
Speaker 3:But we're like oh, ok, ok, something's let's go raise some money, yeah, yeah, from this clicking somewhere with people about oh, we understand who you are, what you do.
Speaker 1:Yes, Social media. To Kat's point she's seeing it on social media.
Speaker 3:And what I love about that, it's recipients, alumni. It's not just coming from us, too, right? I love this Okay.
Speaker 1:So, kat, tell us about your journey. I Tell us about your journey. I know you mentioned you just saw an ad or something on Facebook or something, but what are you pursuing? Tell us about your daughter. Just tell us about who Kat is. How old is Kat? I'm 22. Okay, are you a native of?
Speaker 2:Northwest Arkansas. I moved a lot growing up. Okay, I've been in Northwest Arkansas for like four years now.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's almost native at this point.
Speaker 2:I feel like.
Speaker 1:So where did you graduate? High school, bedmanville High School. Okay, okay, go Tigers, og, please. The OG my son's getting ready to be a freshman over there, so congratulations. Okay, so you graduated from there. And then did you go to college, or you're just figuring it out, or the National Guard? I'm sorry.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've been in the National Guard since I was 17. Oh my gosh, and I got deployed my freshman year. Wow, I had to do it all online. It was rough. You had to do what. My freshman year like all of it online, oh gosh. Okay, it was different because it was a big time difference. I had to figure out everything. Where were you? I was in Germany. Okay, that's a few hours.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's a little different.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was during COVID too. Okay, I didn't get to feel the whole COVID experience down here. Okay, overseas.
Speaker 1:Well, how was your COVID experience over there? Before it hit here, we were all in denial.
Speaker 2:I wasn't, mario at first I didn't really take it that serious. Okay, I thought it was weird we were all wearing masks. They weren't. Okay. I started shutting down the borders and we were stuck on base. Okay, so there's nothing to do besides work and then working out. Okay, I didn't go to school, wow, yeah, so it played in my favor so I can focus on school okay so did you join National Guard in high school?
Speaker 1:Is that that junior RO? Is it the same as a junior ROTC and all? No, just okay, more bad. I'm like all the military stuff, just it all kind of washes together for me so I never know where the quarters lie.
Speaker 2:And then, once I came back, I got ended up pregnant and it was all by myself. Okay, it happens. Um, I got ended up pregnant and it was all by myself. Okay, it happened. Yeah, it happened, and I didn't know what to do. It's, it's god's plan. So my parents helped me a lot, but I still struggle, for sure, and I still went to school pregnant, okay, and I was were you going to in work, or are you okay, okay, okay?
Speaker 1:and what were you studying? Or just general requirement stuff?
Speaker 2:I wanted to be a nursing student okay, oh, they have a great program over there. They did. And then when I got pregnant, I and what were you studying? Or just general requirement stuff? I wanted to be a nursing student. Okay, oh, they have a great program over there. They did. And then when I got pregnant, I couldn't do it because it was too much on me, okay, so I switched majors to radiology.
Speaker 1:Okay. Another medical field, another shortage, massively short in the medical field.
Speaker 2:And so far I've been liking radiology. And then I got my LRT, which is your limited license Okay, which I didn't know the scholarship actually paid for it, oh wow, and I paid it out of pocket before I heard about the scholarship, okay, but hey, you got a reimbursement, so that's wonderful.
Speaker 1:Okay, so are you?
Speaker 2:done at NWAC yet? Yeah, I'm done. I have my associates right now. Okay, I'm working on my bachelor's.
Speaker 1:I okay, and where do you get? That at um umis okay, just got in recently. Oh wow, yeah, like university of mississippi um.
Speaker 3:We've no uams, uams, okay well, I'm not from here.
Speaker 1:Everyone's got these, these things, this youth is. I'm like what's a youth is? Oh, uafs, okay, I got it now. Sorry, uams, I'm with you now, okay. So what will your bachelor's be in there? Radiology, radiology. Okay, that's what I did.
Speaker 2:Amber, who is my counselor, which is scholarship. She helped me with my application. Okay, I kept sending her my essays like reviews, like maybe it's not good enough. She's like no, it's great, oh, I bet it's wonderful.
Speaker 1:So how many do you have? I assume Okay. So are you in your junior year currently? Yeah, well, we're in the summer. Are you starting your senior year, my junior year in the fall? Oh, okay, junior year. You just finished it in whack Gotcha, okay. And then your daughter is two. Okay, do you? What do you?
Speaker 2:and her like to do Right now. She's obsessed with books, so we go to the library a lot Fantastic and it's so cute because she gets so excited. She runs down all the aisles and then she goes I have all these books, I love this. And I'm like her name is Summer. I'm like Summer, we can't take all the books. And then she's like no, we taste food, we can.
Speaker 1:And I'm like, okay, All your face lights up when you talk about her.
Speaker 3:See, she's the program before their junior year and their bachelors, so we can again help with the credential. So Kat just got in. Well, I mean, she was out she'd be eligible at her junior year, so um, but she did her. Uh, she got her associates and she's working as a lineage radio radiology tech at MedExpress. Medexpress, oh wow, so she's working full time, so she's getting the experience and she's seeing everything that she needs to see, but eventually she'll have her Bachelors Bachelors so she'll be able to make more money.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:And be more versatile and you know work different places.
Speaker 1:Yeah, more money, okay, and be more versatile, and you know work different places that pay, yeah. So where do you go work with a radiology bachelor's, do you? Is this like a step above med express? Like where, yes, what's what's the?
Speaker 2:goal. I kind of I'm leaning towards ct, computer tomography, or I don't even know what that second word was to use that computer? What tomography, what does that mean? So whenever you go to the er you get like a full ct scan and they just lay you on a table okay, see everything okay.
Speaker 1:Or radiation therapy okay you figure out where the cancer cell is. Okay, it was like this sounds cancer driven, but I didn't totally want to stick my foot in my mouth. But I'm figuring out, so it's fine. Okay, so that would be at a cancer specialty place, right Like a Highlands or whatever.
Speaker 3:Okay, Some of her options are favorite.
Speaker 2:I love this.
Speaker 3:And so we've been concentrating on medical professions for a long time, and just because there's a lot of folks that have retired from the medical field just because of COVID, exhaustion age, et cetera. So we need young.
Speaker 1:And our population's booming, yes, and so population's booming, yes. And so I sit on the board at Mercy, the foundation board at Mercy, and I mean we're just not we, mercy, but we, northwest Arkansas, have a massive shortage of health care providers at every level. So this is amazing.
Speaker 3:Well, I'm sure she says Cat Seas of the Med Express. I'm sure because that's kind of a safety net absolutely, it is yes, they can't afford to go to the hospital or something else it's hard to get into your pcp right all the time.
Speaker 1:I mean, I use mercy go hell just because they can like pull everything up in the computer, but it's the exact same as a med express. So, oh my gosh, yeah, you're so busy and you probably have lots of really good stories. Yeah, yeah and.
Speaker 2:I like the idea that I only work three days a week so I get the rest of the week spending with my daughter.
Speaker 1:Oh, my gosh, I only work three days a week. That is fantastic. And that's full time. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3:You do work for 10 hours, 10 hours, 12 hours. It's about that.
Speaker 1:Wow, in three days what?
Speaker 2:Yeah, all right, you need four days to rest and hang out with her. Sorry, no, no, so when school starts, I'm only going to work on the weekends. Okay, I can go to school and still spend time with my kids.
Speaker 1:So UAMS, are those classes online or physically? In person? In person, okay so. Is that down in Fayetteville? Yes, okay. And on the hill? Is it okay? So the former washington regional? Yes, on that corner of north and college, is that right, okay? Okay, all your classes are in an old hospital, that is, yes. More, what more hands-on can you get?
Speaker 3:well, dms is obviously the number one. You know the state with philadelphia rock, uh. So, um, having all of that great research and technology and availability and having that on her resume as a graduate is going to put her in a thing it's going to be great.
Speaker 1:So do you all have partners in your program that you like, employment partners per se? I don't think that's the right word.
Speaker 3:It's a good word. Yeah, so we are working for a pipeline towards medical the healthcare systems and MANA and community clinic. So, because they're all struggling trying to find something, we work very closely with Upskill, which is another process.
Speaker 1:Oh yes, I just Carol Morales. Okay, she just stood up and asked a question. I went to the Latinx and A event the other day and she stood up and asked a question and she was really dynamic.
Speaker 3:So they they take essentially anyone who wants to get into the to the nursing field, okay, and we take their single parents as a double opportunity so they can get a scholarship from us and then they can still get a scholarship from upskill as well. So they're, we're double dipping. Yeah, from upskill as well.
Speaker 2:So they're um, we're double dipping sounds.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they're doing double yes, which is great. I love this, so love that program. Uh, they're doing, uh, not only uh lpn, but are in this. Well, okay, um, because again we have so many folks that are retiring or just not. Um, you know, cat has a huge opportunity within two years. You know, she can probably even find her own new place to work if she wanted to. Right, and that expresses as an ideal place. But as long as they work their schedule it's key.
Speaker 3:And that's what you know finding people that will work with people's schedules, because our folks are trying to raise a family. Yes, you know and they want to be there as much as possible, especially with a two-year-old I mean busy.
Speaker 3:Yes, I have a goddaughter that's three and a half and she's very double energy, um, and they don't stop soaking in so much information, and what I love about our approach to or not our approach, necessarily but what we encourage our recipients is that they are taking their children along this, this journey with them, so they know that college is inside and not just like maybe.
Speaker 1:Yes, like, if you see it, you can be a. Literally, you're walking the talk.
Speaker 3:And not first generation college. Yes, so that's that's. A large majority of our recipients are first generation. Really, yeah, I love this. That's a large majority of our recipients are first generation. Really, yeah, I love this. It just kind of is magical.
Speaker 1:It is magical. I like that word magical.
Speaker 3:It takes a lot of work, for sure, for them, and so with the interview process that Kat went through, essentially when someone fills that application, they screen with our community ambassadors and one of our program scholarship managers as well, and those are assigned by county.
Speaker 3:Okay, so cat is washington and you have four counties four counties, yes, so washington and madison county is handled by one person and then benton and carol's handled by another person. So uh, cat's gotten very close with amber about helping her write, uh, helping her improve stuff and and just really been that key person to help them through the process. And those folks are career certified counselors so they kind of know what to look for, how to, how to help more those type of things. And you know, sometimes our social workers backgrounds or education backgrounds, which is so fantastic it gives our well, I know Kat wanted to do what she wanted to do when she came in. Oh right, look, at you.
Speaker 3:Some people don't want to get a higher education. We have a. We have an assessment test that people can take and kind of guide them into that that career field, or we can also tell them them into that career field. What we can also tell them is like this career field will pay its number of dollars. This is how it's growing. This is who is hiring.
Speaker 1:Right, because some people are just dollar driven and that's okay too. I was in a breakfast this morning with a prominent speaker from Walmart and he started his journey at Walmart. I say on accident, but that's not 100% accurate. He just was like I got married young. I started a family young. I was only halfway through with school. I needed a job I had to provide. I applied to these three companies. Walmart said yes, I was an assistant, so I'm not Walmart born and bred. Walmart gave me a job. Yeah absolutely.
Speaker 1:So yeah, he was like I need to provide for my family. This is an end result.
Speaker 3:I'm always very impressed by our top majors. So last year alone was social work, health care professions, nursing business and, oh gosh, there's one, oh, criminal justice. So helping profession, no technology it's growing.
Speaker 1:Okay, it's like six. Yeah, what's the number one? Education is in between education nursing see, neither one of those were on my list. Yeah, so I just find that amazing. What I'm seeing in that is like compassion, oh, like bam. Yeah, I must be selfish because I'm in the business.
Speaker 3:I don't know, but we've got to have business people, I know, but yeah, I wouldn't know.
Speaker 1:Nursing medical is never on my radar. I'm like I'm not poking you or my father and I'm not going to be responsible for your kids nine months of your career. So everyone has to know their space. But that's what I'm. There's like a theme in those first two.
Speaker 3:And that has been the common theme for the last 40 years. Devin's changed prolifically in our organization with that. It's people not looking to get rich. You know Cass not got to be a rich radiologist, but she's going to be able to provide for her family and, you know, have a solid job that she can transfer to any place if she decides to leave Northwest Arkansas or something like that. Yes, and we don't have the brain drain like the U of A has. Our folks usually stay here, okay. So we're very confident in the ability to the brain drain.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:That makes sense and other folks get an education here and then go off. That's something you find? Yeah, absolutely, but a lot of our an education here and then you know, go off. That's something you find? Yeah, absolutely, but a lot of our folks stay here and then you know.
Speaker 1:And reinvest in you.
Speaker 3:Reinvest in our organization but reinvest in the community that helped them out, it's true. So that's just kind of some of that soup, that magic soup.
Speaker 1:That is magic. I love that. Okay, well, speaking of that magic soup is we can't sustain all just hugs alone, right, right. So we have a big event we do Next month. We do Right, next month, july, right, yeah, okay.
Speaker 3:July 25th, it's our big Spark of Hope event. Yes, how many years?
Speaker 1:Not 40. Almost.
Speaker 3:But Not 40. Almost, but close, close to 30. Okay, of some sort like a house party, and it's emerged into just a celebration of we honor three people, I guess. So Organization yes.
Speaker 1:Want to announce those. I think those are in advance. So your emcees are going to be Jacqueline House and Kyle Killams, which so much talk I mean talk about a home run for emcees.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:I love that. And then three awards.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:So Dr Terry and Shannon Ortego.
Speaker 3:Portico.
Speaker 1:Portico. So sorry about that. Oh, that's great Thinking all the time Outstanding individuals. Tell us about them.
Speaker 3:So Shannon and Terrell have been so intricate in our organization for many years. Funny enough, shannon has served four different times on the board and when I came on seven years ago I called her and I said hey, I know you were on the board previously, would you mind serving again? And she said absolutely yes. And they Terrell is a gastroenterologist in Fayetteville and they had just spread their treasure and time between so many nonprofits, so it was time to celebrate them as our community partner.
Speaker 1:How did they get involved with Single Parent?
Speaker 3:Beyond the Board. That was Okay. Yeah, At the time she was still doing nursing. She was an oncology nurse.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:And so they needed someone with nursing background to be on the board.
Speaker 1:Okay, because we have so many seeking out the field Okay.
Speaker 3:So got engaged. I'm almost certain Jodi Dill. They asked her.
Speaker 1:Nobody says, mr Jodi, no, no, I don't yes, right.
Speaker 3:Especially when you tell me you look like for this job. But no. So yeah, shannon's been involved and Terrell, and they actually volunteer to help set up our events too, which is great, and Terrell's starting to kind of slow down his practice a little bit, so he's off a couple days.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:Like on Fridays and stuff, so he can help us out.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's wonderful.
Speaker 3:And Shannon does a wonderful job in our interviews. So our board and our community ambassadors, our community, our volunteer group help interviews our recipients and applicants.
Speaker 2:Chat you about that right she does.
Speaker 1:I love that. Okay, and then First United Methodist Church in Bella Vista, your outstanding community partner, yeah.
Speaker 3:So the United Women in Faith from that group has been a 25-year supporter of our organization 25?
Speaker 1:Over half.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah, well over half Awesome, and not only financially, but also you know.
Speaker 1:Will they be community ambassadors, like you were talking about?
Speaker 3:Okay, they, you know, encourage people within their church. They have a singles group that they encourage people to apply for us. Single parent group Got it. And then we have a ton of great churches and civic groups that support us. But they 25 years and just the number of referrals they made to us and then just made us like it's a hook line and sinker to honor them this year oh my gosh, I love that.
Speaker 1:And then Ozarks Go.
Speaker 3:Outstanding corporate partner, ozarks Electric, has been a supporter of ours for the last 15 years. Not only I love the longevity of all these people, you're announcing no one's five. A supporter of ours for the last 15 years, not only.
Speaker 1:I love the longevity of all these people you're announcing. Yeah, no one's five?
Speaker 3:No Well, even five is great.
Speaker 1:Awesome, but I'm just saying like this just speaks to who you all are Go back to Ozark's, go, sorry, they recognize us as the economic developer putting people into work, into homes that they're going to you know.
Speaker 3:So Aaron and Mitchell Johnson have been phenomenal to us over the years and such a great partner. So you know we really the team sets down and really the whole team really looks at you know what our potential honorees for this year because there's always an honoree at this event and we're just a little special this year since it's our 40th. Both of our founders are both gone. So Mark and Rob both passed away in the early 2000s and then Ralph Nessing passed away before COVID, our other co-founder, and we're honoring them by talking to their children.
Speaker 2:I love it.
Speaker 3:And it's going to be very special. It is. And speaking of children, I think my favorite part about Spark, I hope, is we actually have our alumni and a recipient's children speak at the event.
Speaker 1:Oh, so Kat's daughter can speak in a few years.
Speaker 3:Yes, absolutely, it makes you a little nervous. I'm in the crowd, 100%. Oh, it's going to happen, yeah, but, yes, absolutely fantastic. Um, it makes you a little nervous. I'm in the crowd, oh, what's gonna happen, yeah, but it's the best thing. It's the best thing because you never know what you're gonna say, um, and you know they talk about their, their parents and their experience, and which is very lovely and cool. At the same time, we do have an alumni and a current recipient speak as well. So, um, and we do it all in two hours.
Speaker 3:It's great, me okay, I was just gonna say that, like my bullet points say six to eight, no one nope, I guarantee you gets an event in and out in six to eight, my senior director, you guys, you guess these are right there with the clock and we make a promise because it's a weekday, it's a thursday. So you know, people have babysitters they've got to get back to and you know but you're like turning and burning we are we are.
Speaker 1:That's impressive. Yeah, because you've been around the event scene forever. I've been around the event scene forever, so I'm like yeah, let's go let's go, let's go, I'm done with the mingle. Like, let's get the program going. Like, show me the video, cue the tears. Let me do the give. Let's go. I want to celebrate you.
Speaker 3:Let's move along, yeah it's truly a celebration, and so, uh, the each of the awardee or each of the nominee of each of the people are being recognized. I'm getting a special handcrafted award, um, made by a local artist, and that's different every single year. I love it, uh, so something that that represents us have you seen it?
Speaker 1:yeah, and do you like it? I love it do do you have a favorite?
Speaker 3:we won't call out any artists, just just maybe like I think this year because it is 40th, uh-huh, and you know rose and red is the color for 40th celebration. Okay, um, I thought it was silver for some some reason I don't know what I thought. So very appropriately dressed and so it's got. I can say it's ceramic and it's in the red lush tones and it's really beautiful, and do you take artist submissions or do you just commission? We commission and seek artists and we've used actually several of our recipients previously, see.
Speaker 1:More, that's just more depth. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean, you don't even realize it.
Speaker 3:Well, and then our alumni will be. So Kat is about it and can bring a guest and we have our alumni there to help our recipients, because it's kind of intimidating walking into a large venue, 500 people. Yes, you don't know any about it, right? So we have our alumni there who can be. You know like, hey, let's sit together. Yes, you know, I'll listen there. She introduced to a friend and I want to tell a quick story. Uh, lady ladina duncan is one of our board members. She's an alumni. Uh, we had two alumni on our board, felicia mccraney and ladina duncan. Ladina um has funded a scholarship and I get emotional thinking about it because I've known Ladina for a very long time.
Speaker 1:Like previous, to her being a recipient.
Speaker 3:And just to see her growth as a person, as a recipient and her children in England. And she got to meet someone at an event like Spark I Hope, and that turned her trajectory around. She went to go to work for Walmart and then Sam's Club and her income increased 1,000% in that time frame. And so she wanted to do something for us and so she endowed the the lena uh ladina k duncan scholarship and let it be awarded um starting uh next may oh my gosh um and.
Speaker 3:But she just got it funded and we're so excited that that she. She's celebrating, you know, her success but honoring us and uh again, it just makes me emotional to think about just she's. She's wanted to do this for a long time. She said I've always wanted to to in Dallas going, truly paying it for. So yeah absolutely, and so many of our alumni do volunteer. They help write encouragement cards to our recipients, so right before testing very hard time.
Speaker 3:Yes, Stressful. So it's nice to get a card that says you can do it. You know you can kick butt. We've been there before.
Speaker 1:You're the most amazing that, like truly true believers and these recipients, Thank you. Like cheerleaders later. Oh my gosh, you have a built in cheerleader Pat. I want like a posse. That is awesome.
Speaker 3:And that's what. So new recipient orientation we do every semester and I was saying, you know, the people in this room are people that care about you and it seems weird. You know we're being paid. I know it does we we want you to call us. If you know things are you're having rough, rough classes, call us, let's talk about how to you know, maybe change those classes up a little bit. Or, you know, do you need to see Michelle? You know you've got, maybe for a short time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you can reach them.
Speaker 3:Just talk some stuff out. Or maybe they're asking their scholarship program manager to look over a a letter they're sending for another scholarship or something. So yeah, anything that pops up, we want to be there for them Because we have a huge referral network. You know, anything that pops up, we want to be there for them Because we have a huge referral network. You know, like I need somebody to help with vet services the other day and so able to help someone, get someone to help with vet services.
Speaker 1:So that same gentleman I heard speak this morning was talking about his path and he mentioned you know you don't expect people to care about you Like you expect your family to care about you and the family you're raising, like he has. He's like I know my mom and dad love me and I know my wife and my kids love me, but when I go to work I'm just like those are my job people, I don't expect them to care. And I guess he was in a meeting for feedback and I promise I'm getting somewhere. And the feedback was I need you to get more engaged in this meeting. Did you know I need you to participate?
Speaker 1:And this gentleman was like I hear you. That's just not who I am. I'm just an introvert by nature. I'm listening, I will still perform, I promise. And he his boss, got so angry like slammed his fist down because he was like I believe in you, I'm here for you, and that just that moment changed his thinking and his, his job went on a leadership position instead of staying down that same path. And how lucky for you. Every recipient has this entire network of people that believe in them, right, automatically.
Speaker 3:So at our scholarship brunch in April and May, our donors sat with their scholarship folks. So, whether it be a company or a family, if they're alive, we have some folks that have hands. But we get, and our donors love to learn more about people that they're supporting. Yes, and folks have been together for 10 years, you know, on their journey. So we have a doctor, someone that's in UAMS as well. He's going to get his MD, so he's in his second or third year and his placement with his endowment is actually with a former physical therapist. So it made sense. You know they kind of go together. Plus, the endowment scholarship was kind of turned to really someone in the healthcare field. So they've had a form of friendship. I mean, they've talked about it.
Speaker 1:That's invaluable.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and they talked about you know one time he wanted to do you know, wanted to go into research and laboratory, but then I think the conversation with his donor convinced him I want to go into rural healthcare and because it's such a high need, yeah, yeah, it's a great callback from michael j fox I'm not young, so yes, anytime someone says rural health care okay sure yes, all the things so spark of hope.
Speaker 1:Yep 6a, july 25th amazing so.
Speaker 3:So we're really making that. We don't require tickets, we just want people to RRCP and come so great, because we know that they'll fall in love with the organization. And that's how they fall in love with the organization.
Speaker 1:I love that when somebody doesn't charge me, which it's fine. If you do, bills have to be paid, I get it. But I'm like I love that my money is not going to this chicken.
Speaker 3:That I get to give to the cause, right, absolutely, yeah, so we get that, we get sponsors, um, and then so we're um. You know, we just want people to come and enjoy and enjoy the atmosphere, enjoy the, the, you know half an hour of uh, networking, and then we get down to business.
Speaker 2:Yay.
Speaker 3:We've done a business to talk about the mission, and so that's how I really got attached. It was actually um, uh, we know uh and Jackson. She was a former uh, former uh development director and she said can you help me? At Gulftoberfest, which was a uh you know, I said sure.
Speaker 3:So I did that and ended up staying all day. So the event, Of course you did and then went to Jingle Minkle, which is another event, and the recipient spoke oh, no, no, no. I made a donation in between Golf Toberfest and Jingle Minkle and I got a thank you note back from a recipient.
Speaker 1:A recipient.
Speaker 3:And I was like, okay, this is a different organization.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, not just the office.
Speaker 3:This is different, and told their journey and why it was appreciated. And it wasn't a huge donation. We're going to have a profit, yeah. So I was like okay, I get what they're doing and then I went to Jingle Mingle and I heard a recipient and Jingle Mingle is very network-y.
Speaker 1:Yeah, let's talk about.
Speaker 3:Jingle Mingle.
Speaker 1:Let's skip Goptoberfest. We'll come back to it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so Jingle Mingle is the first Thursday in December, herringcrest a beautiful Herringcrest in Springdale, and it really has just been to be a mingle event and we just interrupt just for a brief moment to have a recipient speak. I deliver a couple of words of encouragement, we do a toast and we get back to mingling and eating, which is the best part of the thing. We think it kicks off the holiday season.
Speaker 3:You know, but, and we have such a great number of recipients that can speak season. You know but uh, and we have such a great uh number of recipients that can speak towards. You know the cause, but we have them tell their story. You know why, why they're doing, why they chose to really quit on a limb uh very frankly, yeah and uh do this and um, it's just just. The results are amazing.
Speaker 3:People will just mouse or agape yeah absolutely and encourages them to volunteer to give their treasure, whatever it might be so I will say Jingle before the chaos. December very much appreciated and you know, we've also found Knock on Wood. That's before the winter weather starts, usually. Yes, yes, it's very true, it's very nice. Yeah, that's actually one of our oldest events because it used to be in a board member's home year after year, okay. So it's about 40 years old. That's crazy. I love that yeah.
Speaker 1:Let's jump back to golf tober fest, a family driven event, yeah, and I feel like out of covid is where the the time span came from it was kind of born out of that.
Speaker 3:Okay, that time I said pivot, I think of friends, friends pivot 100 we had a pivot, really, so we'll never get old, by the way. Yeah, no, they made it um. So what I love about golf toberfest is, um, very family friendly. It was born actually, out of a family activity, so we should take recipients on a saturday and they would take their kids and then we'd go golf for free, no doubt, and then the board would get, would come in and we're like, but you could just sponsor yeah, you know to pay for the ticket, pay for the fee, and then, well, why don't we get our corporate partners to come play too?
Speaker 3:And then corporate partners are very competitive when it comes down to any type of golf 100% Like there's some guys that go out there with their putters.
Speaker 1:That is unnecessary. At Gator Golf and Golf Fountain you don't need your own putter.
Speaker 3:Well, they take it Okay and they mean it Okay. Pattern well, they take it okay and they mean it okay. And um, so um, I actually had a guy that calls me every year and asked me when the date is and when, how soon he can get in to get his practice shots in. Um, and we're giving away, like radio control cars no, it's not like a, you know, hole in one you get a brand new car right, actually had a donor call one time and say hey, I know I've worked for a, a car dealership, and we'd like to give you a hole-in-one car.
Speaker 3:There's an option like oh, we have about 65 fallen ones. And she's like excuse me, I'm sorry, it's a miniature golf.
Speaker 3:She's like oh, oh, oh. So it was really really funny. But during covid. So we just did on a Saturday we had two kickoffs and morning and afternoon, but COVID we just couldn't get everyone together so we pivoted to a two-week time period. I love it. So it gives companies a chance to go do a company building activity during the day, at lunch, you know, or recipients to do what we go out as a staff and actually do as a staff fund and we're involving both of both locations now.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, I feel like it traditionally started at gator golf it was.
Speaker 3:It was a step-by-step yeah and um, and I love both courses, so we can switch off on both courses, um, and then we've added a vip element to that as well. Yeah, at Golftober, help me.
Speaker 1:I'm with you, spark of Hope. Chilling Eagle Golftoberfest.
Speaker 3:No, we're VIP at.
Speaker 1:We're going to get there the golf tournament.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's, tomgolf.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, oh, gosh we're going to get there.
Speaker 3:I promise we will, and so that's just a really cool morning event for our folks who want to join us and form a team. I think it's a team of six.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think you're right. Base of six.
Speaker 3:And then feed them breakfast and lunch Upgolf's on their own. We're not foolish, that's okay. But I think no matter how many times you've gone to Topgolf, it's a different experience Totally. It's because of's a different experience Totally Because of who you're with. Yes, and I'm not a golfer, but I really love it. It's really fun. I'm just afraid I'm going to hit it too hard and fall off.
Speaker 1:Oh, but those are the best. When you see those reels and I'm like, oh really.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, See what would happen. I would fall in the net and twist my cell phone and hang there for a couple of days.
Speaker 1:Oh, we would so love it if you did. Yes, let's not.
Speaker 3:I am asking from. But so we added the VIP event, just kind of you know why not? Why not? It's actually so between Sparkahoe or between Govtoberfest and VIP. They help fund our summer scholarships, and then of course Jingle Mingle helps fund our spring scholarships, and then Spark funds our fall and spring.
Speaker 1:It's all strategic. I love it.
Speaker 3:It is and you know we don't want to wear our donors out with it Right, and we have a private brunch for all of our endowed scholarship donors, and then that's when we bring in our endowed scholarship.
Speaker 1:We'll sign up for the public library.
Speaker 3:It is that's when they we ran our endowed scholarship public library, okay, yes, yeah, and love that space, yes, oh right. Such a treasure of a space, yes and um. So they walk across stage, they get their certificate and they get a thousand dollars I mean, I'd like to walk across that stage, sure yes, and they get to bring their parent or you know someone, uh close to them and and, uh, it's a quick one too, you know, um, which is just great. We actually had it.
Speaker 1:It was the saturday before easter, and I was just gonna say I feel like it was around easter, but we still have a ton of people, which is amazing, which was great yeah, so um, and we're gearing up for for back to school right now, which sounds really kind of crazy I know I need you to quit yeah, sorry, you said rising sophomore freshman?
Speaker 1:yeah, I'm just, but I am a summer person, so I'm like, no, let's have three months of summer, but now they have to ideally get eight weeks more early in that short one.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, uh. But so, getting ready for that, we uh partner with um uh coldawcett Realtor. Okay, they help collect backpack supplies and then we go shopping for the coolest backpacks.
Speaker 1:Which is hard.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:Apparently it's a really big deal.
Speaker 3:Mario and all the Mario Brothers, that was the hit last year. Okay, I don't know what the two-year-old's into right now. Bluey, still Bluey, paw Patrol, paw paw patrol, yes, okay, yeah, see, I don't know. Yeah, I mean, I thought your son went to you know benville, high with a paw patrol.
Speaker 1:okay, I would worry a hundred percent. No, he went with um into junior high with a very plain jane, normal, what I thought was normal backpack and he's like I need a backpack and I'm like, oh my gosh, damn, damn.
Speaker 3:I had a chance to look bad through high school, I carried the same one forever too.
Speaker 1:I don't say anything. We also had lockers. Do you have a locker? Okay, they don't use lockers today. That's uncool. I'm being a pack mule. That's onool.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's like I found being a pack meal that's on the other unit bag problems when you're right, I had a mirror in my backpack so I was good, I remember nothing, oh yeah I miss. Uh, you know, go back gosh, you pick off cars, but like I love school supply shopping oh, so fun.
Speaker 1:The trapper keeper? Oh my gosh. Yes, cat's like.
Speaker 3:I don't know what words you're saying so I buy stuff for the recipients and then, uh, pack the bus for united way. So just like I don't have kids right it's fine, don't need any markers and stuff. But see, you know, uh, instagram and walmart, I know you. Yes, I bought this. Uh, you'll love it because you're in publishing. It was their PMS color markers, so they're wonderful, like a pack of 85.
Speaker 1:Not 24. No, no, no, but 85.
Speaker 3:It has its own carrying case. Get that.
Speaker 1:When your daughter needs some art supplies call Tyler, oh Tyler. My daughter. She's so good's close with this, because I think this is great, but I could be completely off base. You have a couple job openings we do, and anyone can apply, obviously, but how great would it be if a recipient happened to apply and get that job? So we're looking for administrative specialists and a scholarship program manager, which I'm like. Oh, to me that would be so great.
Speaker 3:Yes, I was a recipient to go apply for that actually, I have a recipient that's applied, or a graduate, rather okay, um, which is great, um, so, so the scholarship program manager, essentially, uh, this would be for washington and carol carol county. Yeah, uh, so, um, amber, who we talked about earlier, she's getting the scholarship program manager. Essentially, this would be for Washington and Carroll County. So, amber, who we talked about earlier, she's getting her MBA.
Speaker 1:Oh, we talked about her on camera. Yeah, okay, yes.
Speaker 3:She's Kat's program person.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, well, I hope you keep in contact with her. I love her, she's your person.
Speaker 3:Yeah, she will. Yeah, amber's that kind of person, so that's great. Yeah, amber is that kind of person, so that's great. So, someone with a background in career development or higher education is wonderful, but we find some really creative folks that just want to help people, which is key. What I love about our organization and our board is that we have wonderful benefits and competitive wages as well, which is big.
Speaker 3:And we're family oriented, we're family, yes, we do work from home on Fridays, which is a big key. That's a big deal. We do buy equipment in the office, as you need, of course, for our recipients.
Speaker 1:And tell us where your office is.
Speaker 3:So. We're in Bentonville, just off Rainbow Curve. People aren't familiar with Rainbow Curve. I know that's kind of a Northwest Arkansas thing.
Speaker 1:We're right behind Q9 Bank by the airport.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah and you can see there I get to my office. Faces the fire training station oh yes, helping hands and then the airport. So I get to see the touchdowns every day.
Speaker 1:I live on the other side of that airport yes. And so.
Speaker 3:Maybe not the same experience that I have.
Speaker 1:Probably not, but in my head, because I have two boys and well, they're older now, but they were little and watched the movie planes from Disney, like cars with planes, yeah, so in my head we live in prop wash junction.
Speaker 3:You do so, you do yes and well, and you get to see them do the flips. Oh, yes, I always assume it's one of the Walton boys 100% yes.
Speaker 3:And then our administrative specialist position really is very special to what we do. They're the first person that someone speaks to. Usually when they call first person they're introduced to when they walk in the front door. So the ideal candidate you need a kind gatekeeper, yes, door. So the ideal candidate a kind gatekeeper. Um, so the? So? Uh, we, I mentioned we had two, we had three, so we had two program manager openings, but actually promoted our current scholar or administrative specialist to that position. Uh, she's going to do wonderful. Her name's ashton, um, so, first announcement of her, of her promotion. Does she know?
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, oh, okay, breaking news she's like, can I call my mom?
Speaker 3:This was last week. I said, well, absolutely, yeah, anyway, she's going to do a great job, but she came from the hospitality industry, okay, and that's what we need. So she understands that Absolutely. I guess you know.
Speaker 1:That should be a job requirement across any board that you should always have to have, like six months, four to six months in any hospitality industry.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and lucky for us, she works in hilton, so literally, literally. So, um, but um, we've got some, uh, great, great applications still taking them. Obviously, uh, we've actually had a better response this time than we have with other openings. Uh, and we talked off camera a little bit about you know, some people just take, you know, 24 months, 12 months, 24 months. You know it's the new norm.
Speaker 1:We're gonna, you and I are gonna have to pivot. I am, but also my ashley can't go anywhere so, actually, actually, I think.
Speaker 3:But she's not allowed to pivot my stuff every day, like I have your address, so now you didn't work with Amber.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she's going to come back, she is.
Speaker 3:Yeah, she is, and so that is, you know, pivotal to any nonprofit with, with just having the support of the board and making sure that you're able to keep people happy. So I mean our PTO alone is 35 days your first year.
Speaker 1:Very unheard of.
Speaker 3:Yes, mental health. Yes, you know it's sick pay, vacation pay and then just mental health. Right, it's important. Our board actually put a requirement that we have to take one day off a quarter, no matter what, I love that. And because we have to take one day off a quarter, no matter what, I love that, and because we have plenty of the pay to do that, so they just need us because, you know, there's not a lot of scholarship emergencies, necessarily, but there is a lot of pressure and you're hearing people's stories.
Speaker 1:Stories, yes, and it can be draining unintentionally. You're like I just want to create constant world peace. You want your Band-Aids all the time, so that's hard.
Speaker 3:I realized the other day, so we're now a $14 million company.
Speaker 1:That's crazy.
Speaker 3:With our endowment and everything.
Speaker 1:From the start of $3,450 to $14 million.
Speaker 3:And you know 14 employees, one million per employee. It hit me, uh, it's like, oh, I'm truly responsible for the lives of not only our recipients, you know, uh, the livelihoods, and then our staff too, and I said I definitely need a mental health day I'll be back. Yes, don't worry when you see a little sun or you know, put up your manicure, whatever vitamin D just whew, yeah, oh, juju, yeah.
Speaker 3:But folks like Kat keep me so inspired, for sure, to do the work and encourage our staff to do the work, because you know there's times where it's just tough. It is tough, yes, but good recipients.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:And they all are good.
Speaker 1:It all ends up good. It can be hard walking through it, right? I've been in this industry well, 3w, 16 years and I go to all the events and I hear all the stories and I give. If you show me a video and make me cry, I'm going to give Because I truly believe I always, constantly want to try and help. But I didn't know that about myself till I was immersed in 3w and I'm like, jess, I just want to help you, I will go get your daughter. I'm like I don't start a point I got oh, if a baby comes in or are you all in.
Speaker 3:I'm like, give it to me no I heard giggling in the front today at the lobby so I looked up at the cameras. I'm like, oh, there's a baby, comes in, or two, are you all in? I'm like, give it to me. No, I heard giggling at the front today at the lobby so I looked up at the cameras. I'm like, oh, there's a baby here. Um, and it was. They're passing around, um, so, which is great because we have moms and grandmas and, yes, they need their fix. They need their fix.
Speaker 1:Yeah, smell that baby hair yeah, baby head and squish them, just. Yes, I'm like, just let me squeeze you and I'll be fine, but yes, it's a calling. Nonprofit world is a calling, and single parent is a calling, and you're paying it forward and she's going to have an amazing life.
Speaker 3:I know she'll pay it forward too. She'll be back and help us out in a long time.
Speaker 1:What's your daughter saying, summer, okay, so you already said that I'm so sorry. But Summer is so sorry, but summer is gonna speak at spark of hope. I know it, you know. So, yeah, I think that's a good picture. She's I. I can't wait. I would like to meet summer at some point.
Speaker 3:Yes, you should bring summer to our office so it was just deployed a few months, like like what a week ago?
Speaker 1:yeah, I go back two weeks ago, so I'm sorry we've skipped over that yeah, yeah, so you were gone.
Speaker 3:For how long?
Speaker 2:two months. Oh, and where was summer? She was my parents.
Speaker 1:Okay, wow so she was on the border of the us and mexico, oh okay, oh, I bet that was busy and she said she only spent one day away from her daughter before that oh my gosh, how'd you do during those two months?
Speaker 1:It was rough. I cried a lot, okay, but you know what that shows you. That shows you how tough and resilient you are. You can truly handle anything and you will provide the very best life for summer. We just know it. That's the goal, yes, so how do you? How long did you? I'm so sorry. How much lead time did you have before this deployment? Um, I got like two week notice, okay, I have two weeks to get your affairs in order. Yeah, okay. And are you in summer school?
Speaker 1:no, okay, thank goodness, yes, do right yeah, wow, thank goodness, yes, okay, and do you know of another deployment, or is it literally just you just kind of led two weeks at a time?
Speaker 2:Two weeks at a time. When I got back, the Rogers mission happened where the National Guard went out With the tornado, okay, and they told me to go and I was like I really don't want to go. I was sitting with my daughter, oh wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay. Well, where are you?
Speaker 2:based out of Fort Smith.
Speaker 1:Oh okay, do you live down there? No, I live in Tiny Town. Oh, okay, but your base is in.
Speaker 3:Fort Smith, fort Chaffee, fort Chaffee oh, okay, that's where all the National Guard folks go from the ankle starving it didn't? Yeah, wow, okay.
Speaker 2:I usually drink back every drill. Oh my gosh, how often do you have to go drill? Just a week and a month, oh well, that's not too crazy, have you?
Speaker 1:shot a gun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, wow, that is so cool, accidentally too.
Speaker 1:No, no, no, okay, good, I don't remember that no, no, no, you're just a badass Kudos.
Speaker 3:Oh, right, right yes.
Speaker 2:I am so soft.
Speaker 1:I'm such a softie.
Speaker 3:I am all talk. I mean just volunteer and just blend away. And Canada is not the exception. She's the rule to what our folks should do in different ways. Obviously, not everyone's a National Guard, but they're volunteering in their communities. They are helping raise their kids. We have adoptive parents, not just generally birth parents. I know of at least three adoptive parents that were sisters or brothers. So I mean that's their 10 year responsibilities of their families and he's trying to make a better, better life for them and they're also going to get rich. They're looking just to provide for their family.
Speaker 1:Yes, I love it. Special title Congratulations. I'm excited you're a recipient. I'm excited to see what you and Summer do. It's going to be fun to watch. Hey, thanks for hosting us today.
Speaker 1:Thank, you for coming. This was so great. I loved it. Thank you for listening. We totally went over on time. I say that every two weeks. It's always a long one. If you're watching, we're four episodes in, I think. No, we're five episodes in, so you know how long-winded I am. So I apologize. But just thank you from the very bottom of my heart. Keep inspiring the culture of giving and we'll see you next time.
Speaker 2:Thank you See you.