Juanita’s Journey To A Brighter Future

Juanita’s journey began with Bridging For Tomorrow about three years ago when a friend invited her to attend ESL class. Soon, Juanita got involved in nutrition classes, parenting classes, support groups, individual counseling, and even got her children involved in the youth programs. Her relationships and general well-being  flourished when she stayed involved in the community center. Juanita began to feel part of the BFT family.

Juanita began opening up about her concerns and aspirations for a future during counseling. She shared that before moving to the United States, she had always dreamed of learning about cosmetology, but cultural norms were getting in the way. She felt stuck.

From the time Juanita was a little girl and throughout her life, she had always been told “the woman’s job is to get married, take care of her husband and children, and build a life around that.” She desired more. When she and her family relocated from Mexico to Northwest Houston, she had hope for a new future. However, when she began pursuing opportunities, her options were limited due to lack of resources. Discouragement set her back.

Luckily, with continued counseling, Bridging For Tomorrow gave Juanita the extra push to keep her dream in the forefront and to not be discouraged. On June 23, 2022, Bridging For Tomorrow presented her with a scholarship to attend cosmetology school. This was the “bridge” to a new future for Juanita.

Update on Juanita’s Progress:

Juanita has completed more than half of the schooling necessary to obtain her cosmetology license and is doing great! She feels that her “hunger for learning has been awakened and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn everyday.”

Although school has been a lot of hard work and there are moments of mom-guilt, she knows this will pay off in the end. “My free-time for family is less, but my kids have been able to see an example of their mother working hard and studying. My husband and my kids are sure to tell me and everyone else how proud of me they are.”

Juanita shared that she is also very proud of her accomplishments and that “the pride comes from actually knowing and understanding how to do it, doing it well, and being able to build confidence in others.”