TYRONE, BLAIR COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — It was hard for Alyse Maslonik to see the light as a child. Her rough past made it hard to believe in herself and see her potential.

“I went so long in my life where I was unseen and silenced,” Maslonik said. “I went through some really tough times.”

Now a wife, mom of three beautiful children and a successful business owner, she wants others to know her journey.

“The last thing that I wanted was for a little girl to see where I am today and think that has always been my life,” she explained.

Maslonik’s childhood was not an easy one and her trauma began when she was just a toddler.

“My biological father attempted to murder me, my mom and my sister,” Maslonik said. “Thankfully a neighbor saw him through the sliding glass door and was able to call the police.”

Her family was able to find a safe haven in a domestic abuse shelter, but her pain wouldn’t end there. She would face a life of poverty while also dealing with both physical and mental abuse from a stepfather.

“The only beauty that I had surrounding me was the sunrise,” Maslonik said. “Knowing that I made it to another day and finding that joy.”

Maslonik survived some of life’s toughest battles and said getting a scholarship to Bishop Carroll High School was her catalyst for change. It’s called the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Scholarship and it is to cover the cost of tuition for underprivileged children.

“I realized that I had the potential to make a really large impact in our community,” Maslonik said. “If people knew my story, saw what this scholarship did for me and the hope and opportunity that it gave, that maybe people would rally together.”

Maslonik was determined to take her hardships and transform them into power. She finally believed in herself to start her own company, RedefinED Advisors LLC, to help bring equity to K-12 education.

“That is our goal,” Maslonik said. “To make sure that every child, regardless of income, geographic location, and background story, that they have the tools to make sure they can overcome their life circumstances.”

The mission is to help students get scholarships and help schools with their enrollment by letting families know they can make private institutions affordable. For example, her company’s services have helped the St. Matthew School in Tyrone grow by 54.8% in just one year.

“I know that she truly wants us to be successful in our mission here at St. Matthew School,” Steven Stoner, St. Matthew School parish representative and volunteer instructor, said. “You can feel her passion, but when you understand where it comes from, it is even more moving.”

Since February 2022, Maslonik’s company has raised $8.5 million dollars for underprivileged students across Pennsylvania.

“Every day I feel blessed,” Maslonik said with tears in her eyes. “The abundance of joy that it has brought to my heart is indescribable.”

Maslonik’s company works with more than 40 schools across Pennsylvania and even in Savannah, GA. Her plan is to see it grow and hopefully be in all 50 states so she can make an impact throughout the nation.

Maslonik also gives away more than $30,000 through the Triumph Over Tragedy Scholarship Award. It is through her company and it is for students that have remained resilient in the face of adversity, overcame trying times and defied the odds when everything was stacked against them.

Maslonik is also currently in the process of writing a memoir.