#149 –Katie Bunnel - Turning Pain into Purpose

Welcome to the #ShareYourHotness Podcast episode 149!

My name is Katie Bunnell, and I know firsthand the challenges faced by single mothers pursuing education.

In 2005, my life changed abruptly when my husband, Byron, passed away. Suddenly, I was left to care for our three-month-old daughter on my own. With everything turned upside down, the dream of providing for my family became even more urgent. Attending college became a vital goal, but it also highlighted the immense difficulty of supporting a family while pursuing higher education as a single mother. Finding scholarships and resources was a struggle, but my determination drove me forward. I managed to graduate from Utah Valley University in just two and a half years.

Inspired by my journey, my family and I established Live Your Dream, a 501(c)(3) public charity. It brings me healing and purpose to turn my own hardships into a source of support for others. I am deeply grateful for my family, board members, donors, and sponsors who contribute their time and resources to help single mothers achieve their educational goals. 

Our target population is single mothers who are residents of Utah who desire to gain a higher education. These women may attend college, university, bootcamp, or technical school. We believe that by providing scholarships, we are breaking the poverty cycle for single-mother families in our community.

According to census bureau reports, approximately 30% of Utah single mothers live below the poverty level. The Utah Department of Workforce Services reports that "Obtaining a quality education increases employment opportunities, increases lifetime earnings, and supports economic stability for parents and their children.”

While raising money for our endowment fund, we are awarding scholarships to deserving women during both the fall and winter/spring semesters. We offer tuition ($2,000- $3,000), fees ($1,000), and book ($500) scholarships.

Scholarship recipients may receive the scholarship for multiple semesters. We have an online scholarship application located on our website www.liveyourdreamfoundation.org/apply.

The scholarship application deadline for Winter/Spring 2025 semester is November 1, 2024. The scholarship application deadline for spring 2025 semester is November 1, 2024.

Since its inception in 2010, Live Your Dream has awarded 317 scholarships totaling $508,539.64. Our scholarship recipients become members of our Live Your Dream Family, benefiting from our foundation's commitment to support them in their educational and life pursuits.

We partner with local nonprofits to offer year-round family activities. Generous contributions from our amazing donors enable us to undertake diverse service projects, offering valuable opportunities for both the single moms and their children to participate and benefit. We ensure the provision of essential back-to-school supplies for children from single-mother families and extend holiday support through various means, such as Thanksgiving meals, Christmas gift baskets, Sub for Santa, Mother's Day gift bags, and more. Additionally, we offer care boxes to uplift single moms. Each current recipient receives dedicated peer mentoring, fostering personalized support throughout their academic journey. In our commitment to supporting single mothers, we also facilitate connections with local resources whenever they need additional assistance.

We measure our impact through various metrics including the number of scholarships awarded (150% increase from 2021 to 2022), the impact of the scholarships on recipients' educational attainment and financial stability, and feedback from recipients regarding the effectiveness of the support provided.

Our scholarships have not only increased the chances of higher education for over 650 children but have also bolstered the confidence of the mothers, showcasing the lasting impact of our support.

Because of the scholarships we have awarded, over 650 children have a higher probability of gaining a higher education due to their mothers gaining an education, as supported by the research in Honoring Our Mothers by Seeking Higher Education, Madsen, 2022.

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