Taibat (Tai)

Tai is a 56-year-old single mother to a 14-year-old son living in Georgia. A recent graduate from Chamberlain University, Tai was struggling to keep up with her bills when she had just started her nursing classes. When she discovered H.O.P.E. Inc.’s program online, she was hopeful that the program could help her finish her degree without fear of financial burden.

After experiencing a divorce in 2016, Tai moved to Georgia from Chicago. She had been working as an office assistant to pay the bills, but she didn’t enjoy her day-to-day work and wanted a career she loved. Deciding to go back to school to get her nursing degree, Tai enrolled at Chamberlain University. However, as she progressed further into her new education, Tai found that her tuition bills were high and she was fighting to keep up with her payments.

“I wasn’t making enough money, and I got to a position where I needed help so badly,” Tai says. “And that is when I ran into H.O.P.E. online.”

Tai was desperately searching for assistance when she discovered H.O.P.E.’s program on the internet. “I was praying to God for help,” she says. “I needed a divine intervention. I was searching for rental assistance online, and H.O.P.E. popped up. That’s how I came to be a participant. I had no referrals. I found it online by the grace of God.”

When Tai first looked at H.O.P.E.’s program, she didn’t think it could be real. The financial assistance seemed too good to be true, but she decided that it was worth a shot to apply anyway. Within 48 hours, Tai was surprised to hear back from Kenita Smith, H.O.P.E. Inc.’s founder. “And I’m so glad she did,” Tai says. “Because she gave me the best opportunity to be able to finish school. I’m so grateful for that.”

After Tai was accepted as a participant, she received immediate financial assistance. H.O.P.E. found her a donor that contributed $10,000 to her tuition, and later on the program did additional fundraising to provide Tai $5,000 more. This financial assistance, paired with extra rent funding, gave her the extra hand necessary to continue to pursue her education without anxiety. “If God did not use Kenita to help me, I might not have been able to complete school,” Tai says.

Tai graduated with her nursing degree from Chamberlain University in April 2023, and now is studying to receive her official license. With H.O.P.E.’s support, she has been able to lift off her financial burden and have more time to spend with her son and work toward her dreams. Today, she is excited and ready for what the future holds!

“I’m going to be saying it forever, but I am so grateful. I received far more than I went in for. Kenita takes in every participant like family, and I pray that God will continue to bless everything that she sets her heart on to do. There is no program like H.O.P.E.” (Tai, 2023 Graduate)