Mary Mozingo spent most of her teen years living outside her family home. She struggled with mental health, ran away from her first foster home, and turned 18 in juvenile detention. While the foster care system provided funding for college, Mary's high school career had been so disrupted that she needed extra instruction before she could enroll in Northern Virginia Community College. Luckily, a staff member at juvenile detention recommended Mary for the Prince William County Bar Association's Beat The Odds Scholarship, which allowed her to catch up and qualify for enrollment in community college.
Mary knew that social work was her calling. She completed her associate's degree and a bachelor's degree in social work from George Mason University. She planned to continue on with a Master's program in Social Work, but there were financial challenges to enrolling in her preferred program. She connected again with the Bar Association, who awarded Mary an alumni scholarship that allowed her to complete her Master's Degree in Social Work in one year.
Today, Mary is a social worker in Manassas, working primarily with young people in need of support like she was. It's a full-circle story: the Beat The Odds scholarship supported Mary in achieving her goals, and now she works every day to support others who are striving to do the same thing. Mary's life is a powerful example of the advice she gives young people she works with: “It might not seem like it,” she tells them, “but if you have a bad today, you can always have a better tomorrow.” We're honored to support the Beat The Odds scholarship program and grateful for Mary's story of inspiring harmony.
