Sheree

To go back to college? To find an actual career? 

For Sheree, who had been a happy, stay-at-home mom for most of her life, that was the last thing she expected to happen when she joined the Julia Greeley Home in spring 2016. But at the time, the future looked pretty grim. Sheree, in her 50’s, faced a difficult situation at home and needed time and space to reflect. But where to go? Yes, she had friends and family, but for various reasons there was no suitable place to go for a longer period of time. To be homeless? That was a real danger.

At Julia’s, Sheree quickly became a beloved and trusted resident. Kind and calm, she was a person that other residents turned to for advice and help. Slowly, we came to learn that she had dreams that until then seemed unattainable: She had always been interested in pursuing a nursing program, but as a busy wife and mother, there had never been the time or the resources to make it happen.

That was meant to change. Sheree became our pioneer scholarship recipient through our partnership with the Ward Family Foundation, Alexandria, Virginia, which offered her a full scholarship. Sheree said that at first the idea terrified her — she never expected to return to school! But she did, and with spectacular results, earning a certified nursing assistant degree, with straight A’s. Her record so impressed the Ward Family Foundation, that it was glad to continue her scholarship to the next level, which was to pursue a degree to become a licensed practical nurse.

By that time Sheree’s life changed again — she and her family reunited and her husband’s job was transferred to another state. Distance couldn’t change the fact Sheree was — and is — unforgettable. The foundation was so impressed with her character as a person, and her straight A record, that they extended the possibility of offering the opportunity to continue her education even in her new city.

For now, Sheree is enjoying her family life, and remembering the unexpected turn her life took when she came to the Julia Greeley Home. 

“I’ll never forget what the Julia Greeley Home did for me when I needed it the most,” Sheree said. “To think a difficult time in my life would lead to a scholarship and the possibility of a career that I never expected! I will always be grateful to Julia’s and to the Ward Family Foundation for believing in me. When I thought the dream of a college education was out of reach forever, it was still ahead.”