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\nIf you ask David and Melissa Vaughn how they continue to overcome struggles, they would say through their children\u2019s strength.
\nOriginally a single father of one, D.Vaughn met his wife 11 years ago, and started a new journey.
\n\u201cI was a single father for three years\u2014you don\u2019t hear that a lot,\u201d D. Vaughn said. \u201cThings got a lot better when we met.\u201d
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\nThe Vaughn\u2019s household is full now. They have three boys: David, 14, Gabe, 9 and Nathan, 7.
\nBut what makes their journey inspiring is that even through the many obstacles that are thrown their way, they\u2019re still focused on their experiences and majors to create a better future for their family.
\nM. Vaughn, Psychology major and D. Vaughn, Biology major, both agree that their two youngest sons led them to each of their majors. Gabe is autistic and Nathan is diagnosed with pseudomonas, a kidney bacteria disorder.
\n\u201cThe accident happened with the kidneys, and it was the biologist that found that germ and figured out how to fix it,\u201d D. Vaughn said. \u201cSo I thought this is what I want to do\u2014I want to figure out the best way to save people.\u201d
\nAccording to D.Vaugh, his children\u2019s struggles inspired him to open his light.
\nSimilar to her husband, M.Vaughn chose to follow the path of psychology to further her understanding of the brain of autistic and handicapped children.
\n\u201cI want to apply my biology to her science,\u201d D.Vaughn said. \u201cWe\u2019re a pair\u2014you get one with the other.\u201d
\nThis isn\u2019t the only obstacle D.Vaughn has experienced though. Before attending Sinclair, he didn\u2019t have a GED or high school diploma. However, he said Sinclair has been nurturing, along with helping him stay motivated.
\n\u201cThis place is very inviting,\u201d D.Vaughn said. \u201cSinclair opened their arms to me, and said I was smart enough to do this.\u201d
\nHe gives credit to the departments at Sinclair, as well as his kids because they continually push him to strive to do his best.
\n\u201cFalling down happens, but you can\u2019t stay down,\u201d D. Vaughn said. \u201c[My children] need me.\u201d
\nHe said at his weakest point, he found his strength with the help of Sinclair providing support, personally and academically. He said this school helped him understand his environment.
\n\u201cYou don\u2019t always know why things happen, but intelligence helps you find reason and to explain how you\u2019re getting through things,\u201d D. Vaughn said.
\nThis semester has been a rough ride, according to the Vaughns. Their kids come first, and then school. D. Vaughn said they had to put school on hold in order to take care of their children. Unfortunately, they were only able to keep up one class.
\n\u201cIt was a lot, we had to follow the class as it was moving, and catch up the work,\u201d M. Vaughn said.
\nD.Vaughn said he will finish school, even if he has to take one class at a time. He currently only has 7 classes until graduation.
\nBoth agree their kids help motivate them. D. Vaughn said they are all strong and wanting to always learn more in school. He said they all use their belief system to help them get through their obstacles.
\n\u201cScience and hope. Science has saved my children [and] hope is what we all cling to, and that\u2019s where you\u2019ll find that strength,\u201d D. Vaughn said.
\nHe said he looks at his kids, even with these odds, and they give him harmony. They both agree that their family works as a unit because even through these struggles, each member of the family still goes to school and doctors appointments with a smile on their face.
\n\u201cIn the end, you look at your children and they\u2019re hurting, and you look at each other as a couple and you try to figure out how to make it better\u2014it\u2019s really the most hopeless feeling you\u2019ll ever have,\u201d D. Vaughn said. \u201cBut if your children can find strength themselves, especially when they\u2019re hurting, to just smile and be happy to see you, then you have to find the strength yourself to try to help them carry on.\u201d
\nThe Vaughns said at the end of the night all they have is each other and their love. They both agree there is so much to be grateful for\u2014it\u2019s just a matter of seeing the good.<\/p>\n