​I resided at the Cradle of Hope in 2004 with my son. I was a teenage mother with a young sick child and still in high school. (My son was four months premature.)

 

"At the Cradle I finished my high school education at Cheltenham high school and I learned more parenting and life skills along the way that I carry with me forever."

 

When I left the Cradle, I got my own apartment in Germantown that the Cradle helped me to furnish through IMPACT thrift shop. I began taking courses to get a certificate as a nursing assistant while I volunteered part time at a daycare and worked at a clothing store.

 

Life hasn’t been easy but I have tons of support and my faith which has helped me make it to where I am today. Another big help was the foundation set from living at the Cradle of Hope in regards to parenting and life skills. Today my son is 13 and is as healthy as can be. I now live in Montgomery County because I want to give him a great education as my mother did for me. I pride myself on being a great mother to my son!

 

I graduated on May 2, 2015 with my associates in behavioral health and graduated in December 2016 with my bachelors in social work from Alvernia University.

 

Currently, I am a certified domestic violence counselor and I intern at the Women’s Center of Montgomery County. The Cradle has helped me and now I want to help other women who are struggling in our community.​