Rebecca Aquafredda

My name is Rebecca Aquafredda, I prefer to be called Becca. I live in a small town on the coast of North Carolina by the name of Sneads Ferry. I was born in Kentucky, but I grew up and spent most of my time here in NC. I struggled all through school because I was ADHD. I have also since been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and depression. I had to work to support myself all through high school, so I never had the opportunity to attend college once I graduated. I worked in local restaurants most of my life. In 2007 I gave birth to my son who is now 16. I had major complications due to my pregnancy, which I have since found out was due to toxic water contamination that I was drinking when I was a child and lived on Camp LeJeune Marine Corps Base. Currently there is a lawsuit I am a part of because of this. Due to my health I decided to be a stay-at-home mom during my sons' tender years. Upon returning to work, I became self-employed making gill nets for the local commercial fisherman of the area. My health has continued to decline and when the pandemic hit, my business took a major hit also. This is when I thought about college. I always wanted to be in the law enforcement, and this was going to be my chance to pursue my dreams. I filled out some information on the computer on a Friday and come Tuesday I was a student at Colorado Technical University. I decided to take online courses because I still struggle with ADHD and mental health issues. I believe this would be a better choice for me. I began my journey in October of 2022, and I am set to graduate with my bachelor's degree in criminal justice-human resources in August of 2025, only a couple months after my son will graduate high school.