The Student Success Fund: A Second Chance for Josie to Return to the Career She Loves

Before addiction took hold, Josie had already found a career she was passionate about.

She worked as a surgery coordinator in an ophthalmology office, helping patients navigate their care and building a future in the healthcare field. It was meaningful work, and she loved being part of a profession dedicated to helping others.

But addiction has a way of unraveling even the strongest foundations.

The catalyst for Josie's addiction was the murder of her father. As substance abuse consumed more of her life, the focus, commitment, and stability that had once defined her career disappeared. Eventually, she lost the job she loved—and, even more painfully, lost custody of her young daughter.

"I was in a very deep addiction," Josie shares. "Addiction runs in my family."

For a time, she and her daughter were living in Tijuana before Josie made the courageous decision to seek help. She checked herself into a six-month residential rehabilitation program, determined to meet the requirements of her recovery and the expectations of the court overseeing her case.

It wasn't an easy road, but it was the first step toward building a new life.

Learning to Be a Mom Again

Just two weeks before graduating from rehab, Josie regained custody of her seven-year-old daughter, Jahretzy.

The reunion was everything she had hoped for - but it also came with challenges.

"Getting here, it was just a lot of adjustment... learning to be a mom again... establishing my relationship with Jahretzy again and having her learn to trust me again."

Like many children who have experienced instability, Jahretzy struggled with feelings of abandonment. Rebuilding that bond has taken patience, consistency, and support.

Eight months later, Josie says they are still working through those challenges, but their relationship has come a long way.

While Solutions provides housing, education, and accountability, it also gives families something that is often impossible to find during homelessness or recovery: the time and stability to heal together.

Returning to Healthcare

As Josie has progressed through the Solutions program, she's begun preparing for the next chapter - one that reconnects her with the career she thought she'd lost forever.

This August, she'll begin an accelerated five-week phlebotomy certification program made possible through the Student Success Fund.

For Josie, this isn't about starting over from scratch.

It's about returning to a field that has always felt like home.

"I've always been in healthcare," she says. "It's something that I've always liked doing."

Phlebotomy offers an opportunity to re-enter the medical field while opening doors for long-term growth. Her goal is to eventually work in a hospital, where she can continue building a stable career that supports both herself and her daughter.

She also recognizes that healthcare can provide opportunities for people working to overcome barriers like a criminal record - offering meaningful employment based on who they are today rather than solely on their past.

Hope That Opens Doors

For many parents in the Solutions program, education and job training can feel financially out of reach.

They're rebuilding credit, caring for their children, and often re-entering the workforce after years away. Even when the motivation is there, the cost of certifications, tuition, books, or licensing fees can become another obstacle standing between a family and lasting independence.

That's where the Student Success Fund changes everything.

Because of generous donors, participants like Josie don't have to choose between paying for career training and providing for their children. They can invest in a future that creates long-term stability.

"Being a single mom who is...not working, who has been out of the job field for a very long time...I feel like it's really huge to have the opportunity...because it gives us hope to be able to rebuild ourselves and be able to be back in the job field. I think it's a blessing."

Investing in More Than a Career

The Student Success Fund does more than pay for classes.

It restores confidence.

It removes barriers.

It creates opportunities that allow parents to provide for their families with dignity.

For Josie, a five-week phlebotomy course represents far more than a certificate. It's another milestone in a journey that has taken extraordinary courage - from addiction to recovery, from separation to reunification with her daughter, and now from uncertainty to a career filled with purpose.

Every investment in the Student Success Fund helps write another story like hers.

One where healing becomes stability.

Where hope becomes opportunity.

And where a mother is given the chance not only to rebuild her own future, but to create a brighter one for her daughter as well.

Due to the generosity of donors who give to the Student Success Fund, that journey is already underway.

If you’d like to provide support for parents like Josie, you can visit our Student Success Fund page here!