A photo of Nicole Allen, her mother and her brother hangs above her desk. The photo is a reminder of the promise she made to her mother before she died.
14 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
Nicole Allen recounts all the items she has packed away for her visit over Thanksgiving Break. She tried not to forget important things like books, movies and a homemade pumpkin pie that was given to her for her birthday. These were all the items she needed to make herself feel at home in a house far away from home.
After Nicole Allen met Jessica (left) in the spring, the two decided to become roommates. Knowing about Nicole's housing situation, Jessica extended an invitation to Nicole for Thanksgiving Break.
This is a tattoo of the day Nicole's mother died. Every day Nicole wakes up, she's reminded why she hasn't given up on school, despite her financial issues. "Going to college was a promise I made to my mom, " she said. "She was supposed to be my little hostess when I graduated and got my own restaurant."
Nicole Allen (right) finishes packing as her roommate, Jessica, (left) does the same. Down the hall, other students are heard talking about going home for break, but Nicole doesn't say this. For her, she's leaving her home to go to Jessica's house. Vanderburgh Hall has become Nicole's home for the year, and although she hasn't found another place to stay for next year, she remains hopeful.
Cindy Knowles (left), is the director of counseling at Crawford County High School where she helps students and their families fill out the FAFSA and plan for college life with financial aid. This same high school is where she helped former student Nicole Allen seek financial aid and housing before she attended Vincennes University.
Nicole Allen has 59 books in total, all stored away in a tote that slides under her bed, not including her bedside bible. "It's my way to escape," she said, as she recounts the book, "Ploy" by J.J. Bella, she is currently reading.
Now a junior, Nicole Allen attends Vincennes University. Unlike many other students, Nicole has no place to stay during scheduled breaks when the dorms are closed. Often, Nicole worries if she will be able to afford staying at Vincennes. Nicole has enough money for books and housing, but she still needs to keep her job at Tecumseh Dining Center to afford food and laundry.
The last purchase Nicole Allen's mother made was a class ring from New Albany High School. The silver ring shows their school color as the gemstone and their mascot, a bulldog. When Nicole transferred schools, the new school offered to change the color of the stone to match her new school, but she declined the offer. This was the ring her mother bought for her, and this was the ring she would keep.
Despite Nicole Allen's financial and housing issues, she's always smiling and making jokes. After a long day of class and work, Nicole brings leftovers from the Tecumseh Dining Hall to her resident assistant before leaving for Thanksgiving Break.
Nicole Allen packs a portion of her belongings into her roommate's car before leaving for Thanksgiving Break. One item she's bringing is a homemade pumpkin pie given to her for her birthday.
Trudy Shaw, director of second initiatives at Ivy Tech Bloomington, flips through her notebook to find the checklist she gives to students struggling with finances.
Cindy Knowles, director of counseling at Crawford County High School, helped Nicole Allen with her financial aid at Vincennes University. She is currently helping Khylee Williams get financial aid to attend a college.
FAFSA workshop volunteer Dave Murray sits down with Alexis and Nan Shelton to go over colleges based on their finances. Alexis is looking to become an astronomer and wants to go to IU. Murray suggested IU-Southeast is her best option financially even though it doesn't have the degree she wants.