St. Ann's Inspires: Karen's Story

Karen's Story

By the time Karen sat down with Principal Swain to begin charting her academic future, she had been away from school for over a year. She was nervous. Karen had never felt confident in the classroom and, before arriving at St. Ann’s, had accepted that she would never receive a high school diploma.

Ms. Swain helped Karen to realize that not only was high school graduation in her future, but college graduation was too. Ms. Swain and the St. Ann’s High School faculty are helping Karen to set achievable goals in her education and celebrate her successes along the way. Today, Karen is looking forward to her her young family's future with confidence and optimism.

If Karen's story inspires you, please share it with someone you know. With your voice, we can spread the mission and message of St. Ann's. 

About St. Ann's Education and Employment Program

For so many young mothers, the biggest barrier to stability and self-sufficency is finding and maintaining a successful career. This is especially true for young women who enter motherhood before receiving their high school diploma.

In St. Ann's Education and Employment Program, St. Ann's works with our partners to reduce barriers to education and employment, provide pathways to successful graduation, offer on-going education, and investigate employment opportunities.

Our Goals

Ultimately, our goal is to assist each of our residents in building the foundation for a successful career and lifelong independence. 

For clients in our Teen Mother-Baby Program, the primary objective is high school completion, through earning their diploma or GED. All eligible young women are also encouraged to obtain and sustain a summer internship.

For clients in our Supportive and Transitional Housing Program, we focus on assisting their career development efforts, while promoting the importance of a long-term career strategy.

Our Program

St. Ann's Education and Employment Counselor works with each of our clients to encourage, guide and support their career goals and aspirations.

Each client receives one-on-one career counseling, resume writing assistance, interview and job etiquette guidance, and much more as they prepare for their job search and future career.

We partner with local businesses, nonprofits, job training program, and academic institutions to ensure that we are providing the highest level of support to our clients.

Our partners help us to identify employment opportunities, secure job-specific training for our clients, and provide pathways to career and academic advancement.