Our Mission
To inspire young mothers to overcome the stigmas and obstacles of young motherhood and reach their academic goals.
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Our Goals
Provide one $1,000 scholarship per year to a mother currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program through the Ozzie & Me Scholarship. Through the Single Mom Defined Book Scholarship, we provide one $250 scholarship to a mother who is a graduating high school senior.
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Who We Are
The Ozzie & Me Scholarship was developed from Christin Thorpe’s personal experience as single mom. Christin learned she was pregnant the day before the start of her senior year of college at Hampton University. Despite the difficulties and obstacles she faced as a pregnant college student, Christin went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Community and Social Services May 10, 2015. She then had a healthy baby boy 10 days later.
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Determined to defy the statistics associated with being a young single mother, Christin began her Masters of Social Work degree at the University of Pittsburgh on the community and social administration track with her new three month old baby. As a first year graduate student she was granted the University of Pittsburgh Center on Race and Social Problems Fellowship. Despite the difficulty of completing a rigorous graduate program coupled with navigating motherhood, Christin graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a 3.8 GPA in May of 2017.
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Facing the stigmas of young single motherhood and excelling personally and academically in spite of, Christin has developed a heart for young mothers. She hopes her story of faith and tenacity inspires other young mothers to continue to obtain their goals. With her experience in mind, and the countless stories of other young mothers who encouraged her, Christin felt inspired to pay it forward. With this in mind, Christin developed the Ozzie and Me Scholarship Foundation. This foundation provides one $1,000 scholarship to a mother between the age of 18-25 currently pursuing a bachelor or graduate degree. With this scholarship Christin hopes to support young mothers in viewing their children as their inspiration to reach their goals and not their excuse to quit.
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Additionally, the Single Mom Defined Scholarship was developed to support the work of the Ozzie Me Scholarship Foundation through the generous support of mothers and mother serving organizations.Single Mom Defined, a photo essay and video series, provides a much more accurate definition about single Black motherhood than the one society presents. Often, when single Black mothers are discussed or Googled, they are crammed into the same stereotypical story-line when in fact they each took a unique path to parenthood.
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Through the Single Mom Defined Scholarship, African American mothers will receive a $250 book scholarship to support them in reaching their goals and joining the Ozzie & Me Scholarship Foundation's network of support. Young motherhood is one path to parenthood that is filled with adversity. This scholarship exist to encourage young mothers to combat stigmas and continue their education to reach their goals and provide the best quality of life for their children!
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How You Can Help
We need your help! Since its beginning, the scholarship fund has continued to grow and serve as a resource for students. You can help by becoming a yearly contributing sponsor or by making a donation. Make a tax-deductible gift now and support students and our future leaders!
Give to the Ozzie and Me Scholarship via mail:
Ozzie and Me Scholarship
PO Box 2656
Henderson, NC 27536
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