From homelessness to honors
Hitting rock bottom allowed me to rebuild my life with a STRONGER foundation than before. There was a time I had no home, no car, no food, no job, and no way to apply for assistance because my identity had been stolen. I rebuilt my life from homelessness with the help of Starting Over, Inc., a local transitional housing organization, and the generosity of community. Friends, family, and kind strangers showed up for me and my son when we had nothing. People provided a car and helped with the first few month's rent in transitional housing; neighbors and strangers donated groceries, school supplies, and gas. A salon gave me a free makeover. People donated work clothes. I bartered my book publishing, digital art, and editing skills to get by until I could finally prove my identity again, through dental X-rays.
While working up to 80 hours a week, I commuted 3–4 hours a day to attend Mt. San Antonio College — finalizing a divorce and securing confidential Safe at Home protections for my son and me along the way. Today, I work full-time from home (no more commuting to work). My son is thriving and has stability and a promising future. In June 2025 — after twenty years — I graduated college with honors and a 4.0 GPA. That same year, Mt. SAC honored me as a Student of Distinction in the Personal Achievement category. The speech in the video below is my 3-minute acceptance speech and personal testimony.
My testimony — Student of Distinction acceptance
3 min 43 s · Prefer TikTok? Watch it there →