I am 48 years old. I entered ACE‘s job training/employment readiness program, Project Comeback, July 2003. At the time I entered the program, I was living in a transitional treatment facility and was clean and sober for 18 months. Before that I had been working as a home health attendant until 1999 when my husband and I got divorced. I wasn‘t able to find affordable housing for my son and me so my aunt offered to take my son in until I could get back on my feet. I bounced from shelter to shelter until I received the support that I needed.

When I was accepted into Project Comeback, I was enrolled in classes to become a registered medical attendant. I promised myself that I would complete everything and not give up when I was feeling overwhelmed. The staff at Project Comeback never gave up on me and in fact, encouraged me every step of the way. Project Comeback is not an easy program to get through. But I did it.

With the help of my job developer, I got hired as a home health aide, passed the exam to become a registered medical assistant and most importantly, applied for the Henry Buhl Scholarship at Metropolitan College. I graduated from Project Comeback, was accepted into college and began classes for a Bachelor‘s degree in Human Services in April 2004. It wasn‘t an easy road and it hasn‘t gotten any easier. I work 7 days a week, attend college at night, and commute 2 hours in each direction from home to work and then to school. I am determined to accomplish all the goals I set out for myself but I wouldn‘t have had the confidence to do it without my support system at Project Comeback cheering me on every step of the way.