2021-Annual-Report-FINAL-Single-Pages - Flipbook - Page 46
Sierra’s
Story
Sierra was enrolled at
Nashville State when she had
to unexpectedly withdraw.
She had worked so hard to get into
college. After high school, a friend
recommended her to Oasis Center, a
United Way partner agency that serves the
diverse needs of youth and their families.
Oasis helped her work through the
paperwork and meet her goals so that she
could enroll.
She was ready. She was eager. She was
raised to dream big, she says.
Which is why it was so devastating when
she had to put her dreams on hold.
“I didn’t have money for books, which
made it really hard to learn,” she said.
“There was a lot of stuff required for my
math class and I didn’t have it.”
Too often, young people in our community
struggle to transition to prosperous
employment or educational opportunities
after high school because they don’t know
where to begin. When they struggle to
find jobs or post-secondary schooling,
maintaining a sustainable living wage can
seem impossible, which only furthers the
cycle of poverty.
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U NIT E D WA Y OF G R EATER NA S HV ILLE
