Impact Stories
Milagros
Milagros (Millie) is a true supermom. Before joining the One Family Scholars program, Millie had become pregnant with twins at a young age, moved out of her home, and soon after was affected by domestic violence. She then had to make an incredibly hard decision: bravely, she left the relationship, striving to build a better future for her babies.
A new mom without her high school diploma, Millie was determined to complete her education and achieve stability for her family. With an incredible amount of hard work she earned her GED, followed by her
associate degree from Bristol Community College. This is when Millie became a One Family Scholar, to get the support she needed to obtain a bachelor's and pursue a career in social work. Thinking back to the experience, Millie says “I will never forget that call telling me of my acceptance to the program. I cried of happiness because I almost gave up on my education due to costs.”
Today, Millie has officially graduated with her bachelor’s degree in social work as a Dix Scholar at Simmons University – in the middle of a pandemic no less! During her degree, Millie’s accomplishments were myriad, including interning for the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. And she’s not stopping now. Millie is now working towards her master’s in social work while working full-time in her field. Her daughters – including her new baby, Sky – have an incredible role model in their mom.
"Thank you One Family for helping and supporting me not only financially but emotionally too. I am who I always wanted to be: free and educated.”
Amanda
My name is Amanda, and I’m a single mom of 4, a small business owner, and a student at Bunker Hill Community College. I joined One Family's Credential to Career program (C2C) because I wanted support to get back into college, but was feeling overwhelmed by the process and worried about how to afford it. My entire adult life has felt like a struggle to support myself. I’ve had to work very hard physical jobs to support my family, and I believed I was capable of achieving more in life. I started my own cleaning company and achieved a lot through that, but it’s still been a very tough road. I was ready to see what else I could accomplish, and get to a place where I felt financially secure.
Being a part of C2C really helped me moved forward. I learned about different types of jobs I might be interested in, how much they pay, and how to enroll and afford college. Before joining the program I had been interested in the field of nutrition, but wasn’t sure if I could make a career out of it. Several years ago I changed my lifestyle to a plant based diet, and it had a huge positive impact in my life, so I wanted a career that would help people and raise awareness about the health benefits of changing your diet. C2C helped me realize a career in health & nutrition was really possible.
But the best part of the program for me was the support from my coaches, Emily and Femi. They cheered me on and told me they believed in me. I always walked away from a conversation with them feeling comforted and more confident. I haven’t really had women like that in my life. It makes a huge impact just knowing they are there for me.
During the program, Emily and Femi helped me apply to Bunker Hill Community College and I was accepted! They even helped me apply to the One Family Scholars program, which is giving me scholarship money and coaching calls that help me keep going. My first semester was really good. I’m very happy I was able to pull off balancing work, school, and home life. My kids are so supportive of me being in college and cheer me on when I pass a test or finish a project.
When I graduate from college, I see myself in a career in health & nutrition that will really make a difference in people’s lives. I dream of owning a home, being able to take vacations, and feeling financially secure. For my children, I hope that they will go straight into college and avoid the struggles that I’ve faced because I didn’t go sooner. C2C helped make these goals more attainable, and I’m excited to feel like I’m on the right track.
Daisy
When Daisy first became a One Family Scholar in 2016, she was a single mother pursuing her associate degree while raising her one-year-old daughter, Luna. Determined to give her daughter every opportunity in the world, she knew she would also need a bachelor’s degree to access the best career paths in her chosen field - accounting - but she wasn't sure how she would afford it.
Since then, as a One Family Scholar, Daisy was able to complete her bachelor's degree with a sky-high GPA and enter her dream career path as a staff accountant with a local bank. To learn more about Daisy's journey, we invite you to watch the video interview below:
One Family Scholars alumna Daisy shares her experience in the program, and her amazing accomplishments since then!
Leannah
My name is Leannah and I am a 22 year old student-parent at MassBay Community College. I have two children, Lillyanah who is 5 years old, and Leonardo who is almost 2. My children are awesome. They are my whole world, and I cannot wait to own a home for us one day. Owning a home is something that is extremely important to me, because as a teenage mother I was homeless with my daughter, having to bounce in between family members’ homes. We are luckily now living in our own subsidized housing apartment, but I never want my children to be homeless, or go through anything I had to go through.
I decided to join One Family's C2C program because I have always wanted a better future for myself and my children, and college has always been a goal, but I never knew where or how to start. During the program, my coaches were extremely helpful with getting me on the right path to start my goals. They helped me learn about budgeting, how much money we would need to live a comfortable lifestyle, even learning about the difference between for-profit and non-profit colleges. But one of my favorite parts of the program was exploring all the different occupations that are out there. It opened my eyes to so many different things I never knew about, and allowed me to match my skills and interest to different occupations and see which one would suit me best.
Through C2C, I realized I would love to be a business general operations manager. I decided to start pursuing this goal in an associate degree program at MassBay Community College right away, and I was accepted to the One Family Scholars program to receive scholarships and coaching from now to graduation! My goal is to transfer after two years, then get a bachelor’s degree at Framingham State University. I am now a full-time student, and working part-time to support my family while I’m in school. Knowing that all this hard work will bring my kids a brighter future makes everything worth it.
In 5 to 10 years, I see myself graduated from college, well-established in my occupation, and finally owning a home. I am so thankful for One Family. Before I found them, I did not know how to apply to college, apply for financial aid, anything. Getting help from my coaches changed everything. It made me realize I can do this, and I will get where I need to be.
Melisar
The single mom of an adorable 7 year old, Melisar recently completed her bachelor’s degree in human services at UMass Boston as a One Family Scholar. Since graduation, she started a new full-time job at Perkins School for the Blind. Check out this video to hear about her experiences in her own words, and join us in congratulating her!
One Family Scholars alumna Melisar discusses her experience in the program and where she's headed next!