Harden Daniels’ motivation for going back to school is his three-year-old daughter, Alana. Having faced many challenges in his life, Alana is Harden’s main focus and has influenced his goal to pursue a career that will provide a better life for them.The challenges Harden has experienced have made him stronger and have been an inspiration to others. Overcoming drug addiction, learning of his father’s diagnosis of late-stage cancer, and the unexpected loss of his beloved wife and his daughter’s mother, he learned that at any point in time, he could lose influential people in his life who he loved greatly. Throughout these hardships, he never gave up on himself or what he could become.
As the only parent for his daughter, Harden decided to start back to school to work toward a degree in Energy Control Technology. During his high school years, academics were not a priority. But he felt a renewed commitment to achieving training and education that would qualify him to work in a trade, HVAC. He hopes his new credentials and knowledge will allow him to one day own his own business and comfortably provide for himself and, more importantly, his daughter Alana.
Harden just completed his first semester at Arkansas State University Newport in Marked Tree Arkansas with a 4.0 GPA. He shared, “ASPSF has been so vital to me in this achievement. I’ve been able to maintain a part-time job, but sometimes it’s hard to manage all of life’s responsibilities. With the assistance of ASPSF, it has been possible for me to manage all of my priorities during my time in school. I’ll be eternally grateful for everyone who is part of the ASPSF! Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart!”