2022-100-Faces-Book - Flipbook - Page 55
Sierra
Flourisher. Striver. Joy giver.
Sierra was enrolled at Nashville State when she had to
unexpectedly withdraw.
“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.”
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.
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.
Only 60 percent of Metro Nashville Public Schools
students actually enroll in higher education, and only
24 percent complete a degree within six years of high
school graduation. And most of these youth aren’t
accessing state scholarships due to barriers including
costs beyond tuition such as books and testing
fees, limited transportation options, FAFSA eligibility
and difficulties navigating complex systems. Which
is exactly where Sierra found herself. But she was
determined to find a way.
“I don’t want to be one of those people who continues
to say, ‘I’m going to go back’ and don’t go back. And
then I’m 40 and the only limited education I have is me
going to high school and two or three semesters
of college.”
She went back to Oasis to talk with her counselor
and try to better understand why so many youth are
struggling to connect—and how she can help.
She started talking to groups at United Way, laying out
why so many youth are disengaged, why they’ve fallen
out of the pipeline and how it’s up to all of us to make
sure young people aren’t slipping through the cracks.
When young people fall behind and become
disconnected with the workforce or education sector, it
affects all corners of our community—the social sector,
the criminal justice system, the political landscape and
so much more.
Sierra’s passion and wisdom struck a chord with a
leader at HCA Healthcare. They started chatting about
employment opportunities within the company. She
landed an interview and then a part-time position as a
patient access concierge, where she facilitates checkin for same-day surgery patients, escorts them to their
destination and makes sure they feel comfortable
and informed.
“I have great people skills and I need to interact with
people every day. I enjoy customer service and helping
people solve problems,” she says.
Growing in her part-time position now gives her the
time, the resources and the confidence to one day go
back to school to continue her career.
Oasis Center
