A New Beginning for Single Mother

Laura, 29, a single mother of four, achieved “a new beginning” with help from the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) and SDHC Achievement Academy.

Laura began participating in the SDHC Achievement Academy soon after she started receiving federal rental assistance from SDHC two years ago.

SDHC Achievement Academy workshops about job posting websites, interview questions and how to write résumés and cover letters helped Laura succeed in her job search.

“You have to put yourself out there and not be the same as everybody else,” Laura said of what she learned at the SDHC Achievement Academy. “And the same résumé—you’ve got to make it different.”

Laura was hired in December 2012 as a certified nursing assistant at a rehabilitation center, starting a career in health care that she “really wanted.” About a year ago, Laura changed jobs, achieving her goal of working at a local hospital.

“It just inspires me even more to continue with my education and to be able to advance in my career,” Laura said.

Laura also enrolled in the Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS), primarily because it could help her learn budgeting.

“It helped me a lot in figuring out what I’m really spending my money on and how they can help me become self-sufficient and be able to achieve certain goals and save for my family to be able to purchase a home,” Laura said.

In addition to work and SDHC Achievement Academy workshops, Laura is attending a community college, with plans to transfer into a university nursing program.

She is clear about her goals: “To become a registered nurse. Be able to purchase a home. Graduate from the Achievement Academy, and pass on my Section 8 to someone that really needs my help, and hopefully they’re able to achieve what I achieved.”