Ramona Aiken is a single mother of one child who comes from an impoverished background. Education was never important when she was growing up; her mother never received her high school diploma and her father never completed elementary school. Her parents struggled with drug abuse throughout life in an effort to cope with their own self disappointment. As a child, her parents were not a positive influence when it came to attending school. Ramona experienced a major setback when she was expelled from high school. The motivation to return to school came from within -- she decided to defy the odds and become the first person in her entire family to not only complete high school but to graduate from college. By doing this, she restored a sense of pride to her family. Though it took some time, Ramona has earned her GED and is now working on her degree in business from Atlanta Metropolitan State College. Ramona also volunteers as an administrator for the Every Woman Works (EWW) organization. Additionally, she serves on the EWW Alumni committee and as a motivational speaker. She plans to start her own non-profit organization, called "A Place of Peace" (APOP), after graduation. She looks forward to continuing to give back to her community and serving as a strong example to her daughter and other women.