Client Success Story: Yolanda
Persevering through trauma and owning your future
Meet Yolanda
Sometimes, life takes unexpected turns that can leave you scrambling to understand what happened, let alone figure out what to do or how to move forward.
No one understands this challenge like Yolanda.
At the age of 16, Yolanda faced the unimaginable: her father committed suicide and her beloved sister fell terribly ill, requiring a lot of care and attention from their mother. Unintentionally, Yolanda felt alone — abandoned — by the people who were meant to care for her most. As the next few months went by in a blur of grief and anxiety, Yolanda finished high school, only a few credits shy from being able to graduate. Her life entered a period of confusion and uncertainty.
Years passed.
As the grief slowly healed, Yolanda matured. She met her partner and had a child. She persevered through her past pain and felt ready to take ownership of her future. Through a connection at Catholic Family Service (CFS), Yolanda heard of the Never Too Late Program, where she could earn her GED in the evenings. She put her name on the waiting list and never looked back.
What is the Never Too Late Program?
Since May 2019, CUPS and CFS have been forging their partnership to offer more effective and efficient services. The Never Too Late program is one example of this.
Held at two CFS sites and a third site at CUPS, NTL offers vulnerable adults with low-barrier access to upgrade their education and complete their high school equivalency (GED). In addition to helping students earn their GED, the program aims to set them up for long-term success by:
Offering child-minding and meals during class times.
Offering a one-hour session focused on student reflections about learning, building core life skills and reducing stress.
Providing students with access to additional CUPS and CFS services.
Setting a foundation for resilience by applying Brain Science principles.
The new partnership between CUPS and CFS ensured students like Yolanda could come to class without any barriers, like the worry of finding childcare.
“Having childcare was key for me,” Yolanda said. “I felt like the CFS and CUPS teams really understood my challenges and wanted to see me succeed.”
Powering through COVID
As the semester began, Yolanda surprised herself with how much she was enjoying the classes. “I never missed a class, even as COVID began and the program moved online,” she recalls. “The 10 students who powered through to the end forged a special bond. We shared notes, supported one another and felt connected.”
The best part? “The teachers were phenomenal and really wanted students to do well. I wasn’t just doing this for myself, but I wanted to make my teachers proud.”
Despite some initial concerns, distance learning didn’t slow Yolanda down. Not only was she working toward her goal by actively participating in her lessons, she was also building on her strengths and learning new skills. “Because of the support I received from CFS and CUPS, I completed the program, learned a lot and am now preparing for my final exams with confidence.”
An exciting future
After she finishes her exams, Yolanda is excited about the new possibilities that will open up for her. “I haven’t decided what I want to do yet. I still don’t love math, but I’m more confident than ever that I have the skills I need to start a meaningful career and a better life for myself and my family.”
Interested in getting involved at CUPS? Click here.