Mary Spradlin, a resident of The Larchmont Apartments in Asheville receives a David T. Peet Educational Grant through our partner CAHEC!
From CAHEC’s October newsletter…
“It was during the application process of CAHEC’s David T. Peet Adult Education Grant that we discovered Mary is unique – she is committed to her family, has overcome many of life’s obstacles, and still has a positive outlook on everything she does. Her dream of owning a ballroom studio one day intrigued our interest, and in a recent interview with her, we discovered how outstanding Mary truly is.
Growing up with a mother who suffered from bipolar disorder was challenging for Mary and her older sister. “My mom worked really hard but was limited because of her disorder. We had to move many times because we didn’t have enough money to pay for our house. At one point we were homeless for nearly two months, but luckily we found a home at The Larchmont Apartments.” During this difficult time, Mary put all of her energy into competitive swimming at the local YMCA. She competed in the summer nationals, and was motivated to swim at the collegiate level. Currently, Mary swims freestyle for the Florida Institute of Technology while pursuing a degree in business. “Swimming has never been easy but it keeps me strong. When life gets difficult, I handle the stress by swimming – it lifts my spirits.”
Pursuing a degree in business was an easy choice for Mary because she dreams of one day owning her own ballroom studio. While she is successful as a swimmer, Mary feels her true passion will always be with dancing.
Setting goals and having dreams of the future is the easy part; achieving those goals is the challenge. We think Mary is well on her way to exceeding all of our expectations. “Thank you for awarding me the David T. Peet Adult Education Grant. I know education is an open door to the world,” Mary says, “It makes opportunities possible.”
CONGRATULATIONS MARY!