Lynn – Los Angeles
Lynn plans to be the first in her family to graduate with a college degree.
Growing up as the daughter of immigrants, Lynn and her family couldn’t access a lot of resources. Lynn also has a learning disability, and her early education was often difficult for her and discouraging for her parents in her early education. Her memories of her parents’ frustration navigating her schooling all those years ago made her introduction to LIFT that much more profound. She was struck by how LIFT not only provided coaching for parents but also provided direct support for kids.
Lynn wanted to pursue more for herself and her growing family and decided to go back to school to obtain a degree in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing. It isn’t easy going to school with a little one. Balancing school, work, and family time is a daunting task. But Lynn says it is all worth it. “I had my daughter, Deborah, during the pandemic. It was overwhelming, but I knew I wanted to do more with my life. I figured out what I wanted and I’m working towards it by continuing my education.”
Now that Lynn is back in school, she has gained valuable insights and learned about different resources available for her daughter’s education, laying the groundwork for her success from an early stage. “I can be more involved with Deborah’s education. I hope she can be inspired by my journey and learn that the only one who can limit you is yourself. She can be whatever she wants to be.”
While she could have done it on her own, Lynn says that her LIFT coach, Lauren, helped her figure out how to balance her workload between school and family and create action plans to pass her classes. “One of my proudest moments was passing my Business Calculus class with a B, and it was because I was able to find tutors and go to office hours to get the help I needed.”
Lynn also highlighted another essential aspect of LIFT’s program: the Family Goal Fund. “The stipend I get really makes a difference. It’s a huge relief to have that little bit of extra money each month. One year, I was struggling to afford Christmas presents and a tree, and LIFT even helped me get a tree and a couple gifts for my daughter. I’ll never forget it.”
Lynn is already thinking about how she’ll be able to help other families move from one phase of their lives to another. “Once I graduate, I want to give back. I want to help other parents who are in similar situations learn that they can do it too.”
Read more stories like Lynn’s and learn more about LIFT’s work in our latest Annual Report.