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Award Winner Personal Story
Application Letter from
Karyn Faulk
Winner of Soroptimist International Valley of the Sun
My name is Karyn Faulk and Faulk is not my maiden name, nor is it the name I took when I was married. It is a name I had to choose and now live with to keep my identity hidden and safe from my ex-husband to whom I was married to for 19 years. Not only did I have to change my last name, but I have changed my social security number as well These changes were made to hide a trail and try to move on with my life.
In September 1999, I left this abusive relationship and checked into a domestic violence shelter with both my son's. Both boys were taken from their schools and placed in different schools under assumed names for safety reasons. I had to quit my job and leave with what I could fit into my car that day. We left with almost nothing but the clothes on our backs. With 19 years of marriage, a brand new home, friends and family to support us, we moved into a strange environment that we were unfamiliar to. We stayed for 3 months in the shelter and learned that we are survivors, and not victims.
In January 2000, 1 enrolled into school and started taking classes for career development and for my G.E.D. Within a few months I took the G.E.D. and passed! During the 19 years of marriage I attempted to obtain my G.E.D. twice but never succeeded because my ex-husband would not allow me to continue to better my education. After receiving my diploma, I enrolled into Glendale Community College in Arizona and began my work towards a degree in accounting. I have been going since 2000 and since then have switched to Western International University, and have also changed my degree to Business with a minor in Human Resources.
I am still attending and have a few more years to go in obtaining my bachelors degree. I am working full time, part time and attending school. I am receiving no support from my ex-husband and probably never will. I decided once I left the abuse that I was going to live my life to the fullest, keep my freedom, and educate both my son's about domestic violence and what healthy and happy relationships are about. I know I have accomplished this and the cycle of violence has stopped with my two boys. This will no longer be an issue in my family.
I am a member of the S.H.A.R.E. Committee for the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence to help raise awareness and educate other women and children about this important issue. I feel being an advocate will help me heal and provide me with the strength and encouragement for my children on what is a happy and healthy relationship between two people. I also am an advocate for the Legislative Committee for the Coalition as this is where improvements to our legal system can be impacted. I feel this scholarship will give me the financial freedom I need and the ability to accomplish my dream come true, a college degree. I will be the first in my family to obtain this. It will also show my children that no matter how hard life is, if you make choices to improve, those improvements will come.
My career goals are to work with Fresh Start Women's Foundation in a lead or management capacity to help women as a mentoring manager, events coordinator, volunteer manager or some area where I am coordinating. I am also still very interested in the accounting field as that has what I have been doing for over 20 years. Currently I am in training and recruiting for Safeway, and would also love this challenge in the Human Resource area. My education by obtaining my bachelors degree will allow me to pursue all of the career opportunities. I feel my education was the most important part of my advancement in my career, as well as my own self achievement. Going to college was my dream as a child and teenager, my controlling marriage is what stopped my opportunity. Now that I have control of my own life and decisions for my family, I will make my dream come true and show both my sons that it can and will be done!
