Meet Vanessa

Meet Vanessa

Vanessa, a young 21-year-old mother of 6-year-old twin boys, arrived at Wilson Commencement Park in December 2019. It was her first time being responsible for her own home, raising children, and making a life for herself — many challenges for a young woman who was not quite grown herself. 

“I struggled with so much responsibility and don’t know what I would have done without the support of my Case Manager. She was so caring, but also when I wanted to give up, she reminded me about the goals I had set for myself.”

Vanessa says that the Study Buddy program has been a tremendous help for herself and her son. The program not only supported her son with his homework but is teaching him how to express his emotions in a positive way. The Study Buddy program also is providing a much needed break for Vanessa to be able to focus her evening programs here at Wilson Commencement Park. Vanessa says that she has seen a real change in her sons because of the program, “They’re [Vanessa’s sons] are more vocal now and they are not so shy anymore.” 

With help from our parenting classes, education programs, and our youth programs such as our Study Buddy program, Vanessa is becoming more and more self-sufficient. She recently enrolled in a local community college and is pursuing a career in early childhood education. “At Wilson, I’m learning how to accomplish my goals one step at a time.” With Wilson Commencement Park as her support team, Vanessa has set a new goal to become a homeowner and has enrolled in a first-time homebuyer program. Her hope is to own her new home before graduating from Wilson Commencement Park.