Stay Up to Date with Family Scholar House!

This semester a group of students enrolled at Indiana University Southeast volunteered to assist in telling the story of Family Scholar House. Students spent time getting to know our participants and learn more about the FSH experience. This is part of the story from one of our amazing participants.

What does a normal week look like for you? That is a question that is often asked, but usually difficult to answer. What is “normal”? We recently posed that question to one of our Academic Coaches, Alex, and Gracey, a Family Advocate, to find out what their work week looks like.  With 89 single parents and 123 children between their two campuses, there can be a lot of changes in a typical week that make it anything but typical.

This month marks one year of a “new normal” for our world. We learned to adapt to masks, social distancing and zoom meetings for school, work and family. We look around at our community with pride as they have worked hard to protect one another and move toward a healthier, safer environment. We asked three members of the FSH family what this year has meant to them. Listen to how Destiny (an FSH scholar), Tiffany (an FSH graduate) and Cathe (Chief Possibility Officer, President & CEO) say this year of change has changed them.

Every year, Family Scholar House has the privilege of hosting students for internships, practicums and service learning opportunities. Our staff enjoys witnessing the transformations that take place from August to May as our interns deepen their knowledge of service. We are honored to be a small part of their journey as they grow as students and prepare to enter the workforce to make a difference in the world. Our interns become a part of our team, so much so, five of our current staff members previously interned with FSH. This year, nine students are completing their practicum with us as they pursue their social work degrees. Each of these individuals brings a unique set of skills and talents to our agency and our families. This month we are spotlighting three of our stellar students!

Sometimes people come into your life, whether by fate or coincidence, and leave a lasting impact. I recently had that experience when I was given the opportunity to meet a scholar and her young son while delivering a pair of shoes to them. Upon entering their apartment, her son ran to me with the biggest smile that lit up the room. I could tell immediately he had never met a stranger, and his big dark eyes and to-die-for curls could win over anyone.

Family Scholar House is where I call home. I am currently pursuing my Associates Degree in Business and Human Resources. My hope is to live out every possible dream that comes to my spirit. I moved into FSH because I wanted to be able to do more, not only for myself, but my daughter as well. To me, the Family Scholar House has been a reset button. It is a place where I came and reset my thoughts, feelings, and goals. It has been a place of healing and  growth for not only me, but also my child, and the other families that share this space with us. To me, Family Scholar House is a place of unity where everyone can come together as mothers, children, students, and working single parents.