Realizing Her Dreams

Realizing Her Dreams

Before connecting with Omaha Home for Boys, the future looked bleak for Chandra. Her parents struggled with addiction throughout her childhood. Left without the support and guidance she desperately needed, Chandra was placed in foster care the summer before she started high school. That same year, she lost both her grandmother and sister, adding to the immense weight on her young shoulders.

Despite these hardships, she never lost sight of her dream to work in the healthcare field. Inspired by her grandmother, she held onto the hope that one day her dream to help others would come true. She knew that the key to making this dream a reality was to get an education.

“I wanted to continue my education to make my grandma and my sister proud and also to rewrite my story and make sure that my future family was taken care of,” shared Chandra.

However, financial constraints paired with the absence of parental support and the need to work full time made college seem like an unattainable dream. Chandra believed her story would end with high school graduation, until one of her case managers introduced her to Omaha Home for Boys, and she discovered there was a scholarship program available. With OHB’s support, she finally saw a path forward.

“When I found out about the OHB Scholarship, that’s when I realized my story hadn’t ended yet,” Chandra shared.

Chandra utilized an OHB Scholarship to go to college where she consistently made the dean’s list while also working full time. As challenging as it was, she never gave up. It was the hope for a better future that kept her motivated to earn her degree. Graduating from college was a poignant moment for her, a realization of her dreams through perseverance.

“It really hit me at my college graduation that I had achieved one of my dreams,” said Chandra. “All of my hard work was worth it!”

The support Chandra received from OHB and donors like you made a world of difference.

“It’s really soul-crushing when you want to go to school, but you have no way to pay for it,” said Chandra. “That’s why the scholarship program is so important to me. It’s made it so my life hasn’t ended and made it so that I can break cycles.”

Life remains challenging but school keeps Chandra pushing forward. She continues to utilize an OHB Scholarship as she pursues a master’s degree in healthcare administration.

Chandra knows her accomplishments are ones to be celebrated with all of you who so generously support her and other young adults here at OHB. She shared, “You changed my life! I couldn’t thank you more. One day I hope that I can do the same. I don’t know where I would be without this program. It’s really opened up my pathway into something that I never could have even imagined.”