Jackie R. lights up any room with her bold orange hair, big energy and even bigger dreams. She just graduated this month with a certified nursing assistant certification — a milestone she earned through grit, grace and a deep sense of purpose.
As a high school senior and part of our student intern program, she is raising two children while mentoring her peers and inspiring those around her.
“I’ve always had a drive to keep going,” she said. “Even when life was hard, I kept asking, what else can I do?”
That mindset brought her to Learn4Life, where she found the flexibility and support to match her ambition and drive. She enrolled in the dual enrollment CNA program, balancing hands-on clinicals, academic work and motherhood with the help of her teachers and a close-knit group of classmates.
“Ms. Lopez texts me at work to quiz me,” she said with a laugh. “But that’s what I love here. They check on you, they push you and they remind you you’ve got this.”
Jackie is not just a student. She is a voice. As a Learn4Life student and a, she openly shares her story as a young mother and survivor of domestic violence — not for sympathy, but to empower others.
“Keep your head held high,” she said. “You don’t have to wait for life to calm down to go after what you want.”
Her story is not about being rescued. It is about rising. She has built a sisterhood with her classmates, found joy in her studies and is already planning what’s next: possibly licensed vocational nursing school or a trade like cosmetology or auto painting.
“You don’t have to pick one dream,” she said. “I want to be the mom who shows her kids how many things you can do when you believe in yourself. That’s my message. Don’t wait for life to calm down. Just go for it.”
When asked what she tells others going through hard times, she doesn’t hesitate: “Life can throw stones at you, but it’s what you build with them that matters.” And Jackie? She’s building something extraordinary.