Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women—more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined.Studies suggest that up to 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually.Nearly 1 in 5 teenage girls who have been in a relationship said a boyfriend threatened violence or self-harm if presented with a breakup.Every day in the US, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends. Domestic violence victims lose nearly 8 million days of paid work per year in the US alone—the equivalent of 32,000 full-time jobs.
This topic is a reality for me. I’ve been there, done that.
This is why recently my team and I have launched a scholarship opportunity for strong-willed women who have experienced domestic violence.
The scholarship opportunity offers a complimentary 5-day intensive course to a well-deserved woman who just needs a chance and a road to break free from the darkness.
So… without further ado… let me introduce to you the winner of the scholarship opportunity.
Maggie, with her entry titled: Again, From the Ashes, definitely captivated my heart and soul.
(Note: the topic is highly sensitive so, if the topic on domestic violence will trigger a bad memory, I advise you to skip reading.)
Here is an excerpt of Maggie’s story told from her own words:
“My sister told me if he ever did that to me to tell her and she would kill him so when it started happening to me, I didn’t tell anyone. I would try to change the way I was
sleeping to make it stop or to make sure I had extra clothing on. It still happened! I was 11 when it began. I got into smoking marijuana all the time and staying with my friends as much as possible, so I didn’t have to be at our home where I should have felt safe and didn’t.”
“When I didn’t get answers or help, I just stopped believing that there was something greater than us to save us from this type of pain.”
“My mom was so angry with me and I can still remember the look on her face! I was terrified and although I was 16 by this point, I didn’t know how to do this without the support that I should have had from my mother. The one person in the world that should have been protecting me from this happening basically called me a liar when I told
her, and it hurt me so deeply. We got home and I was advised to try and avoid my mom’s boyfriend.”
“I continued to party after completing counseling and probation. Getting high and drinking all the time, trying not to think about why my mom was still seeing the man who molested me for 5 years.”
“I woke up with our son a few hours later and knew he (Maggie’s husband) had smoked meth but when I asked, he lied to me. When I told him, I knew he was lying to me. He choked me and told me to leave him alone. I of course forgave him after his apology and continued to take all the mental abuse.”
“I decided I was going to school for cosmetology since I was always doing my own or someone
else’s hair.”
“… he(Maggie’s husband) told me he was filing a restraining order and I let him know we just needed to talk about what he was doing to the kids.”
“This point I feel like I was the lowest I had ever been in my whole life. I was in counseling and they were prescribing all kinds of medications. I hated being on medication and would usually find more natural ways of dealing with my depression. I started seeing a psychiatrist on top of my counselor. I just wanted to drive my car off a bridge or something most days and I hated that my kids saw me this way all the time.”
“I hated myself still for the longest time I didn’t think I would get over that. I looked
more into having healthy relationships and finally realized my entire life was full of so much pain and disappointment, no wonder I found myself in an abusive relationship. I made a promise to myself that I would not ever let this happen to me again and my kids will not ever be treated in such a manner either.”
“Recently I have been looking for an opportunity to share my story to help others learn that there is a way out and there is strength no matter how hard it gets. I feel like I deserve this scholarship as a way to finally feel like I can be free and get my kids further away from him as today he is still their father but I can see he makes my children feel like he made me feel for too long and I want them to have better. I want to do this so I can help women feel better and more confident because everyone deserves it. I will continue sharing my story in hopes to inspire others to come up from some of the darkest places and shine brightly as they prove that they are worthy of anything they desire.”
As someone who’s also experienced domestic violence, my heart is with Maggie.
We are glad we can be part of a new phase in your life.
At World Microblading our mission is to empower women by giving them the knowledge, confidence, and resources to take charge of their own future while helping others increase their self-esteem.
Again, congratulations Maggie! Well-deserved!
Cheers to all the strong women!
