Students had the opportunity to hear from Stephanie B., who graduated from Legacy in 2017 with five kids. She described herself as a “recovering quitter.” She shared her story of getting pregnant as a teen, trying an alternative school setting, and quitting to get a job. Over the next 20 years, she worked many entry-level jobs for minimum wage. During that time, she tried to get her GED and quit, she tried to complete packets for school credit, but gave up. In hindsight, she recognizes that she did not have a support system. The struggle was so hard and her self-esteem was so low that she tried to end her life. Stephanie’s children were removed by the state for a time. She knew she had to make a change. After searching, Stephanie found Legacy and was doubtful that she would succeed. She had to focus and dedicate all her efforts toward graduating. It was hard, but her kids became her support group. She found encouragement in the staff and faculty at Legacy. Every day she passed a bulletin board that reminded her of her goal. The board displayed posters students created with six-word affirmations. Stephanie’s was, "Never too late, graduate at 38!" Stephanie is currently a student at UVU. The main advice she shared was:
- Graduate now, don’t wait
- Push through
- Find your inner strength
- Have a support group
- Lean on each other
- Don’t give up
- Be here every single day