Sue

Sue is a 38-year-old single mother to eight-year-old twins, Alex and Emily, living in Buford, Georgia. After going through a divorce, Sue decided to go back to school for her nursing degree at Chamberlain University. However, between school and the high cost of rent, Sue struggled to make ends meet. Reaching out to H.O.P.E. Inc. for financial assistance, Sue received the support needed to pursue her degree and accomplish her goals.

When Sue got pregnant with her twins, she gave up her career in order to take care of her children with her husband. However, in 2019, everything started to fall apart. Her marriage was unraveling, and Sue knew that she would have to find a way to provide for herself and her children with a divorce. Though she got a full-time job, COVID hit soon after, and she quickly lost her new position. “It put me in a really tight spot,” she remembers. “I decided that I didn’t want another career that could be expendable. So nursing seemed like the best fit for me.”

Sue started her nursing degree at Chamberlain University in 2021, and she found it difficult to juggle school, childcare, and pay for housing at the same time as a newly single mother. “My rent is astronomical, and I didn’t want to move because I didn’t want to disrupt the kids with another life change,” she says.

When her university sent out an email sharing about H.O.P.E. Inc.’s program, Sue was hesitant to check it out. She had applied for dozens of scholarships already to no avail, and she had started to lose hope of receiving financial aid. However, when her friend got into the program and suggested she should also apply, Sue finally reached out to H.O.P.E. “I applied and Kenita called me a couple days later — it was just like that,” Sue says. In April of 2022, she became a H.O.P.E. participant.

Through H.O.P.E. Inc., Sue received $400 a month for rent assistance and an additional $400 a month to help pay for childcare services. “The after school services were huge,” she explains. “I didn’t have to worry about getting home from class or cutting my studying short. I was able to use those two days the kids were in childcare to get the bulk of my studying done. I don’t know if I could have done it without that help.”

However, beyond the financial support, Sue accredits H.O.P.E. to being a vital support system for her as she finished her education. “More than anything, I knew that if I ever had a serious problem, I could call Kenita or Danielle for anything,” she says.

Sue graduated with her nursing degree in December 2023, and she is looking forward to starting her new job as an ER nurse in March. With a career lined up, she now has the security to move confidently forward into the future without fear.

“Your family is always going to be there for you, but this is different. These people have no idea who I am, and they are believing in me. And they are giving me money to keep pushing towards my goals. That is a massive investment.” (Sue, 2023 Graduate)