Briefly tell us about your family background/structure?
I grew up in Elk Grove, California raised by a single mother. I knew it was important for me to make sure that my children would never have an absent father. When I first met my now husband, he was a single father raising his daughter. I knew from how great he was with his daughter Kailey that he was going to be a great father for our future children. We now have 4 children: Kailey, Joshua, Anthony, and Marissa. We have worked hard to create a safe, loving, and nurturing environment for our children with both mother and father actively participating daily. Something we lacked in our own childhood, but we wanted to break that cycle for our children.

Tell us about the type of success you achieved while on the Shingle Springs Tribal TANF Program.
With the support of Shingle Springs Tribal TANF I was able to finish my educational goals. My husband was laid off from his job. This happens often because he works in the construction industry. This time his time off was longer than usual and he ran out of unemployment benefits. I was a full time student working towards my Bachelor’s in Liberal Studies. My student teaching was starting in a month and it was full time, and unpaid for 4 months. TANF helped us provide for our family during that stressful time. This allowed me to finish my degree program, as well as my teaching credential program and my husband was able to care for our children. I graduated in May of this year and received my teaching credential in June. In August I was hired on at Twin Rivers Unified School District to teach 1st grade. This was my dream job and it was all made possible by the support of my husband, family, and SSTTP.

Who played a significant role or motivated you in your success story?
My family played a significant role in my success story. I have always believed that your children live by your example. Graduating from college was an example I was determined to set. I wanted to teach my children the value of a good education. My husband has always supported anything I have ever wanted to achieve. I can’t count how many times I had to go study or stay up late to finish my school work and he took care of everything at the house so I could focus on my school work. My sister-in-law, Grandmother, and my Mom have also done everything they can to help me reach my goals. They have always been a phone call away, either to help with the kids, offer advice, or even just to listen and give a pep talk when I was feeling overwhelmed. I could not have done any of this without their love and support.

What were some of the barriers you experienced along the way to your success?
There were many small barriers that I experienced while I was working towards my educational and career goals. Team work struggles, all the testing for my teaching credential, and my school constantly changing my program requirements. The biggest barrier I faced was when my husband, our sole income, was laid off. This created a lot of worry, but thankfully it all worked out.

What were some of your personal strengths you used to obtain success?
My personal strength I use to obtain my success was solely my determination. I have many weaknesses like procrastination, but when I set a goal for myself, I stop at nothing to get it.

What is your future goal/next step in your Family Wellness Plan?
My next goal in my family wellness plan is to now focus on my husband’s career goals. He took time out to help me reach mine and now it is time to focus on helping him set and reach his career goals.

What advice can you give to participants on SSTTP?
My advice to participants on SSTTP is to take advantage of all the resources that TANF provides. Don’t just sit around and end up getting timed out. Take advantage of everything that is offered. Being on this program has made me very humbled and has really opened my eyes to how a program like this, if used to its full potential, can really turn your life around. Without this program, I would be working a minimum wage job, not being able to provide for my family, and with the help of SSTTP I reached my educational and career goals.