Nyeshia didn’t get the chance to finish high school when she was a teenager because of several distractions in her life, but her dream of getting her high school diploma never died – because she wanted to show her daughter, Na Na, that school is important.After overcoming her distractions, Nyeshia was introduced to The Excel Center® by a friend. She didn’t hesitate to enroll and hit the ground running on the first day of classes.
“What led me here is to really show my daughter not to give up on school,” she said. “I kind of left school out of a distraction, and I no longer have the distractions that I had. I always had a dream to go back to school.”
Now, Nyeshia is a high school graduate. She earned her diploma at our inaugural graduation on June 29. And her daughter was with her every step of the way thanks to our daycare, operated by YMCA of Greater Louisville.
“They brought me in with welcoming arms, with assistance, with basically anything you need, like childcare,” she said. “My daughter never experienced childcare. She hasn’t been around a lot of kids. But they love her.
“It’s giving her the ability to do different things, and she blows my mind every day.”
Nyeshia said our teachers met her where she was in life with their curriculum. She even became Mental Health First Aid, ServSafe and CPR certified.
“Some people are scared to really open up to places that are willing to help you and not think about the negative,” she said. “As long as you ask, they’re going to help you.”