Maria’s Journey from Doubt to Diploma

Maria dropped out of high school at 17 to help support her family. For years, she worked long shifts at a restaurant but always felt something was missing. She wanted to be an example for her children and prove to herself that it wasn’t too late.

At My Next Step Academy, Maria found encouragement, flexible classes, and teachers who believed in her. Step by step, she built her confidence. The day she passed her GED, she cried tears of joy—not only for her achievement but for the future it unlocked.

Today, Maria is enrolled in a nursing assistant program and tells her kids every day: “If I can do it, you can too.”