Single Moms Make Way for a Brighter Future

Some Green Country grads prove it's never too late to achieve your dreams. On Friday, more than a dozen single moms earned certificates in everything from photography to nursing, but they didn't

Friday, June 1st 2007, 9:23 pm

By: News On 6

Some Green Country grads prove it's never too late to achieve your dreams. On Friday, more than a dozen single moms earned certificates in everything from photography to nursing, but they didn't do it for themselves. News On 6 anchor Latoya Silmon reports they did it for their children, and Friday many of them were front and center cheering mom on.

It's a night to remember.

â€œThey've completed something successful,â€ said WINUP Community Involvement chair Jacklyn Clouse. â€œFor a lot of these, they've never had a graduation from high school or any other time"

For many, the American Dream seemed out of reach.

â€œFor most of these individuals, they are either on welfare or receiving some type of federal support and their goal is to get off of that,â€ said Clouse.

So they became a part of Project Hire, a Tulsa Tech program.

They've got photography, nursing, accounting, law, medical billing,â€ said graduate Kim Smith. â€œI mean, they have so many programs out there that can help them in almost anything they want to do.

Kim Smith chose accounting. Her son couldn't be prouder.

â€œReally proud, I mean, she's been working really hard,â€ said Isiah Smith. â€œShe's struggling to try to get through this and school, and I'm really happy for her.â€

It's the type of pay off Lacie Peacock says kept her going. She says she's doing all of this for her two small daughters.

â€œMainly I wanted to do it for myself so that I could get a better education, so I could provide and be a better mother for my children,â€ Peacock said.

And now both women have a better chance of providing the life they've always wanted for their children.

Many of Fridayâ€™s graduates already have jobs waiting for them. By the way, Tulsa Tech didn't always have a formal graduation for its Project Hire students. A group called the Women's International Network of Utility Professionals or WINUP made it possible.

Watch the video: Tulsa Tech Program Helps Single Moms Achieve Their Goals