In April, we shared Marissa’s story. By then the single mother already had come so far. She first came to Buckner through our Project HOPES initiative, which helps new moms strengthen their parenting skills and ensure children meet their developmental milestones.
 
Through the Buckner Family Hope Center, Marissa continued to grow, even getting her driver’s license. Her confidence grew, and she began believing she could be more than she was.
 
She wanted to go to college, so Marissa entered the Buckner Family Pathways program. She wanted to help people. She wanted to be a social worker.
 
This weekend, Marissa took another step toward making that a reality: She graduated with her associate degree as an honor student with nearly a 4.0 grade point average.
 
Marissa is more than succeeding; she’s excelling at all she does. One of our staff members smiled as they told me Friday, “It’s just a matter of time before she has my job.” Marissa is going to begin work on her bachelor’s degree this summer.
 
Congratulations, Marissa, and all the other single moms in Buckner Family Pathways programs across the state who graduated this month!