Through perseverance, dedication, and some help from others along the way, a father-daughter duo were able to change the direction of their lives and pursue goals they held for a long time.
Throughout her life, Kristi attempted to earn her GED. She tried community college and alternative programs, but nothing allowed her to reach the educational finish line. After struggling in school, enduring various hardships, moving constantly during her childhood, living out of motels, serving time in jail, and fighting through medical complications, Kristi was feeling especially down on her luck and didn’t know what her future held.
“I didn't even make it to middle school. It was around fifth grade when I stopped really caring about all of it. It was just the teachers. You know, [some] treat you as a number, not as a person, and sometimes when you need extra help, they get irritated,” Kristi said. “I dropped out and they were trying to force me to go. it's been a struggle throughout the years.”
Kristi needed a positive change. Her dad Robert, a recovering addict who served prison time himself, and Evergreen Goodwill were there to help. Robert is a frequent Goodwill shopper, and he discovered a free GED course offered at Evergreen Goodwill’s Kitsap County Job Training & Education Center (JTEC). He told Kristi about it, and they decided to take the class together. He said one of his biggest reasons why he wanted to get sober and change his life was his daughter and his whole family.
“I thought it would be cool doing it with my dad,” Kristi said. “We were taking the tests right after each other. He would help students when the instructor was busy.”
Robert describes his daughter as a real go-getter who can accomplish anything she decides she wants to do. It was a motivating experience for both of them to take the GED course together and to graduate together at the end of it.
“You can always use support from somebody else,” Robert said. “She's been part of my support group for a long time, and I try to be part of hers and Goodwill's been a big factor and our support group too.”
Kristi also found comfort and acceptance in the diverse, adaptive learning environment at the Kitsap County JTEC. This was an experience she didn’t have during her previous attempts at a GED. In addition to exclusive instruction, the program also provided Kristi with a case manager, who helped her navigate barriers in her life so she could solely focus on her education, vouchers for gas and clothing, and even a rent payment for one month.
“When I came to the Goodwill, I had that one-on-one attention and it's really important,” Kristi said. “The idea of being a number in a classroom is horrible, and I think if a lot more programs had more one-on-one like Goodwill does, then there'd be more success stories than there are.”
The opportunity at Goodwill allowed Kristi to show her children (she had five by the time she was 23 years old) that a person is never too old to seek the education they need to achieve their goals in life.
“I’ve tried to get my GED, and at Goodwill it was more comfortable,” she said. “What I thought was really amazing – because I have tattoos everywhere and I’m a little rough around the edges – Goodwill was so non-judgmental. I feel uncomfortable in everything, and I think that was a reason it was hard for me to get my GED in the past. But being (at Goodwill), it made me feel really, really welcome.”
Despite all the previous struggles in life, and despite wanting to quit multiple times while they worked toward their GEDs, Kristi overcame it all with an inspiring message in the back of her mind.
“I wanted to show my kids and my grandkids that you could do it, whatever you put your mind to, you could do it, regardless of what society thinks. If you put your mind to it, you could do it,” Kristi said.
Both Kristi and Robert didn’t stop their educational journeys at the JTEC. They used what they learned there as a launching pad to reach new heights. Kristi wanted to continue improving her life and being a role model for her children and grandchildren, so she enrolled at Tacoma Community College, where she is taking classes to become a paralegal.
“I’m studying to be a paralegal because of my history with the law and also my family’s,” Kristi said. “A lot of it has been unjust and just the harassment-type stuff. I could help out in those situations.”
Meanwhile Robert enrolled at Olympic College in Bremerton before being recently accepted to a program at the University of Washington to pursue a bachelor’s degree in social welfare.
Both Kristi and Robert are in good places now, but they will both admit that life can knock you down in more ways than one. Their determination is a testament to how people who are struggling with trials in their lives can rise above those issues and achieve the goals that matter to them.
“The big point is just keep getting up. No matter how many times you get knocked down, you’ve got to get back up and continue on,” Robert said.
Evergreen Goodwill provides free educational programs to support people in Northwest Washington so they can gain vital skills to secure employment and advance their careers. All programs are funded through the sale of donated items in 24 nonprofit thrifts stores across the region and generous community support. Learn more about Evergreen Goodwill’s GED courses and other programs by clicking here.
If you are interested in supporting Evergreen Goodwill’s work consider making a financial donation. All gifts through the end of 2022 will be matched up to $40,000, doubling your impact! To make a gift click here.