ACF of Yavapai County

Ideas about what it means to be a “typical college student” continue to evolve every day. Many students face insurmountable tuition costs, familial obligations, and other life events that postpone their postsecondary education.

Pat Carmody experienced this firsthand— after two years of college, she left to get married and start a family. When her children were young, she got a divorce and decided to finish her college education. Since she was over the age of 25, Pat was considered too old to qualify for many traditional student loan programs, but she worked hard and graduated from Notre Dame de Namur University one month after turning 30.

After graduation, Pat opted for a job in real estate since it was one of the few equal opportunity industries for women at the time. Pat hasn’t forgotten the challenges she faced and lack of resources available to her as a student returning to education.

In order to help non-traditional students like herself who might not otherwise be able to finish their education, Pat established the Pat Carmody Love of Education Scholarship Fund at ACF of Yavapai County. Since inception in 2016, the fund has distributed over $123,000 to students throughout Prescott and the Verde Valley.

Joyce Driscoll is one of Pat’s scholarship recipients. Returning to college in her 50s, she is pursuing a degree in psychology from Grand Canyon University and hopes to become a trauma counselor. In addition to attending GCU, Joyce works at the Verde Valley Fire District, where she witnesses firsthand the trauma that first responders must cope with.