Fall 2026 Winner of the Renewed Horizons Scholarship

Brooke Pitre

Brooke, a future nursing student, is the Fall 2026 winner of our Renewed Horizons Scholarship. Brooke is a single mother of three who hopes that pursuing higher education will provide her with the healing, independence, and a brighter future for her family. We are thrilled to provide financial relief to a determined mother who we are confident will go on to accomplish great feats.

Read Their Essay Here:

Returning to school at this stage in my life feels like finally stepping into sunlight after years in a dim room. Im Brooke, a 38-year-old, single mother of three from Reeves, Louisiana. The decision to pursue my degree has been shaped by some of the hardest chapters of my life, especially my escape from an abusive marriage. For a long time, I stayed because I thought it was the only way to keep our family together and provide stability for my children. But slowly, I realized that staying wasnt protecting them, it was teaching them that love sometimes means shrinking yourself. Leaving that marriage was one of the scariest and bravest things Ive ever done. It didnt just change our living situation; it reshaped how I see my own worth and what I want our future to look like.

That escape became the turning point for my decision to return to school. During the marriage, my dreams of finishing my education took a backseat to survival; walking on eggshells, protecting my children from the tension, and trying to maintain some sense of normalcy. After we got out, the fog started to lift. I could finally breathe and think about more than just making it through day. I looked at my children and knew I wanted better for all of us. I didnt want them to grow up thinking that women must settle or stay small to stay safe. I wanted to show them that we can rebuild and that its okay to bet on yourself even after everything falls apart.

This fall, Im attending SOWELA Technical Community College and finishing up the last prerequisites I need so I can enter the nursing program in the January 2027 spring semester. One night, not long after my children and I escaped the marriage, I was helping my daughter with homework. She asked me why things are different now. I told her the truth in a way she could understand: Sometimes, we have to be really brave and choose a harder path so we can have a happier and healthier life. That conversation stuck with me. It made me realize that I needed to model the kind of strength and growth I wanted her to carry into her own life. Returning to school, and specifically chasing this nursing dream, became part of that promise to myself and to my children.

The biggest lesson I hope to impart to my children through this journey is that resilience isnt about pretending everything is fine; its about facing hard truths, asking for help when you need it, and choosing to keep moving forward even when the path isnt clear. I want them to see me balancing classes, work, and mom-life as proof that we dont have to stay defined by our hardest moments. When they become concerned seeing me exhausted, I remind them that education helps us open doors, speak up for ourselves, care for others, and create lives where we dont just survive, we thrive. Those conversations have brought us closer, and theyve begun asking more questions about my classes, and I love including them in the excitement.

There have been plenty of imperfect, very human moments along the way and choosing to pursue my education while healing from the past hasnt been easy, but it feels right. It teaches my children that healing and growing can happen at the same time and that they also can rewrite their story at any given moment.

Furthering my education is about so much more than a degree or a better job, though I am excited about both. Nursing feels like the perfect fit because it lets me combine my desire to help people with real stability for our family. Ive seen how much a caring nurse can mean to someone going through tough times, and I want to be that person for others, especially in our small rural community. Personally, Im rediscovering the version of myself that loves learning and problem solving. Each prerequisite I knock out feels like another step away from the fear I once lived with and toward the life I now choose.

For my familys overall wellbeing, this journey is transformative. Financially, becoming a nurse will mean moving from barely getting by, to being able to plan ahead, saving for emergencies, extracurricular activities for my children, and for their future college fund. Emotionally, it means showing up as a more present, hopeful mom instead of one whos constantly drained. Our home feels lighter now; we laugh more, we talk about dreams instead of just worries, and I believe that my education will create a ripple effect where my children will grow up in a household where learning is celebrated, where women are strong and capable, and where it is normal to keep growing no matter what youve been through.

I am realistic about the challenges ahead; late nights, tough assignments, and moments when doubt creeps in. But Ive already walked through much harder things and came out stronger on the other side. The Renewed Horizon Scholarship would mean the world to us. It would ease the financial pressure so I can focus on doing well instead of just scraping by, especially as I finish these last prerequisites and start the nursing program. More than that, it would feel like validation that choosing a renewed path, for myself and my three children, is worth every effort.

Looking back, Im deeply grateful for the strength I found to leave that marriage. It taught me what real courage looks like and gave me the clarity to want more for us all. My children deserve to see their mom chasing possibility instead of just safety. And I deserve to become the woman I always hoped I could be. This education at SOWELA is my way of saying yes to healing, yes to growth, and yes to a brighter horizon for our little family.