“I used to pray for the life I live now.”

When Karen Dorantes first visited the Martha O’Bryan Center as a single mother of three, she was starting over with no job, no place to live, no car, and as she puts it, “not a penny in my pocket.”

Within a month of working with our Family Success Network, she had found an apartment and a job and was studying to earn her HiSET (High School Equivalency Diploma) through the Adult Education program. Less than a year later, she achieved that goal.

In July, Karen was back at MOBC to share her story with 25 learners as they graduated with their diplomas.

“I used to pray for the life I live now,” Karen said. “I have a great job doing billing and coding and working from home. I can take care of my daughters without the worries I had. I recently started real estate school. I have a future, and it’s worth living.”

But it wasn’t always easy.

“There were plenty of times I felt defeated and exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally throughout this process. Without my daughters, God, my teacher Ms. Hope, and my friends, I wouldn’t have made it. Truthfully. They have been a huge part of my journey.”

Karen again thanked the Martha O’Bryan Center and her teacher, saying, “I will always remember everything you’ve done for my daughters and I.”

Thanks to our generous donors, we served 100+ adult learners through blended learning and individual instruction in the last year, with 25 earning their diplomas. Together, we propel people out of poverty and into new careers.