In December 2022, Boys Ranch alumna Marcy earned her master of business administration degree from Texas Tech University with a focus in healthcare administration.
It was an accomplishment that took years, and Marcy made it all happen while she was raising three children and working fulltime.
Like most Boys Ranch youth, Marcy went into the world filled with confidence.
After three children, Marcy unexpectedly found herself a single parent.
“My youngest daughter had health issues, so I was maxing out my credit cards, taking her to the hospital for MRIs, ultrasounds, random medications,” Marcy said. “It was very difficult on a minimum wage to keep up with everything – my rent, my bills. I realized that I needed a second job. I was working about 90 hours a week, and I never saw my kids. It was really, really hard. I decided at that point that I did not want to continue living like that.”
Marcy Makes a Change to Build a Better Life
Marcy, a goal-setter, decided to commit to her work at Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo to build a better life for her children.
“I was trained as the housekeeper for labor and delivery on the second shift,” she said. “I eventually moved to first shift, and then I was the first shift relief for postpartum moms and labor moms. Then I took over labor and delivery completely.”
She worked there for more than three years while pursuing her education with the help of Boys Ranch scholarships.
The heavy college load often included six or seven classes a semester, but all those hours of work and school were to help Marcy reach her goal of spending more time with her family.
As a single mother, she wants to create the kind of family she didn’t have.
“When I was younger, I was a victim of domestic violence and sexual assault,” Marcy said.
Her abuser, a family member, went to jail when Marcy was about 9, but the trauma hadn’t gone away. As a child, she had been wounded in her body, her spirit and her soul. She began acting out and received no support from other family members.
Marcy ended up at Boys Ranch, where she enjoyed time at the greenhouse and in the choir. It was a second chance that provided structure and routine.
“And I still make my bed every single day,” she said with a laugh.
Higher education wasn’t just a path to a better living – it was an opportunity to show her children that a good life is possible.
“I want to show them that it doesn’t matter the circumstances: You can always get through anything,” she said.
Marcy would have had a hard time finishing her degrees without Boys Ranch donors who gave money first to give her a respite when she was a child and now for scholarships that will help her encourage the next generation.
“There’s no way I would’ve been able to afford school if it weren’t for the scholarship,” Marcy said. “I’m beyond thankful for it.”
Thank you to the donors who helped the wounded child and are now helping a single mother and her family.