2023 Graduate Spotlight

Alayna Lofgren

Alayna will be graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Master in Public Administration and a concentration in Nonprofit Management from the University of Louisville. She fell in love with nonprofits while getting her Associate. Alayna ascribes Family Scholar House for solidifying her love for nonprofits. She would love to give back to the community in the same way that Family Scholar House has given to her. Her short-term goal is to pursue a job in Program Management for a nonprofit whose focus is families, youth, and education. This fall, Alayna is also getting her grant writing certificate from the University of Louisville. Her long-term goal is to become an Executive Director and open a nonprofit that provides resources to at-risk youth. She has one son, Liam (7).  

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DeShana Elmore

DeShana graduated from Elizabethtown Community and Technical College with a degree in Culinary Arts. She has always enjoyed cooking and helping around in the kitchen. DeShana was introduced to Family Scholar House through Chef Miracle. While on her school journey, FSH has helped her family save money on rent and helped them avoid homelessness. She has a job lined up at a local Asian Restaurant; later down the line, she would love to open a food truck. 

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Carissa Yearby

Carissa will be graduating very soon from ATA College with her LPN Degree. She is proud that she completed all classes without failing or repeating any. Carissa is very grateful for the Family Scholar House staff; they helped her finish school with little stress. While getting her previous degree, Carissa had very little support, but the extra support made a difference. She was offered a job at her practicum. Later down the line, she would like to be a Registered Nurse. She has two kids, Tabia (5) and Isaiah (4).  

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Rachel Meredith

Rachel graduated from the University of Louisville with a Master in Communicative Disorders. She was introduced to the idea while she was getting her Bachelor. She was in a public speaking class and was fascinated by the phonetic alphabet. The teacher suggested Rachel become a speech pathologist because of this interest. Rachel credits the Family Advocates for helping her get this far. Rachel had a substance abuse problem and credits FSH for helping her stay sober. She says Family Scholar House treats the whole person with kindness. Her next steps include working for Signature Healthcare and working with KY Public Health on early intervention. Rachel’s long-term goal is to work in acute care in a hospital. She has three children Jace (10), Kate (9), and Korbin (3). 

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Erika Samuel

Erika Samuel graduated from Elizabethtown Community and Technical College with an Associate in both Arts and Science. Her journey to this degree has been long, she first experienced unstable housing in 2008 with the housing crisis. She was convinced she needed to move to Louisville and to FSH but she didn’t know all we had to offer in 2019. She eventually moved back to Hardin County. In 2020 when the eviction memorandum was lifted, she was told had 30 days to move thankfully, she found a place to live on base. She decided to give school another try, shortly after. Her next steps are to go to the University of Louisville for Business Administration in Computer Information Systems. This summer she’s going to knock out some prerequisites at ECTC to get ahead. Erika is excited to take on the tech world and find her place in a predominately white male space. Her ultimate goal is to get back into IT and get a Master’s in Higher Education. She has two children, a boy and a girl.