Ashley moved from Oregon to California in 2015. While living in California, she enrolled into an accelerated program that specializes in college courses to obtain her high school diploma and work on college credits at the same time. She was hoping to have her associate degree by the time she graduated, and on her way to become a nurse. Unfortunately, her educational plans were derailed when her father was diagnosed with cancer and forced to move back to Oregon for family and medical support.

Ashley moved back to Oregon hoping to find a similar program in McMinnville. Unfortunately, she was unable to find one similar. To make matters worse, the credits she did earn in her previous program in California wouldn’t transfer to McMinnville High School. She was going to have to make up a lot of credits to graduate on time, if they even allowed her to. Ashley decided to look elsewhere. That’s when Ashley walked into YOOP. “I wanted to get my GED and head straight to college. For the first time in a long time, I felt I was on the right track,” she recalls. In July 2016 she enrolled in the YOOP program. She was motivated and determined; within 3 months of enrolling into YOOP she earned her GED.

YOOP helped her enroll into Chemeketa. Since money was tight, YOOP helped her purchase a laptop and textbooks to help further her education in college. Ashley stated, “I have no idea where I would be without YOOP. Without their guidance and constant support, I may have given up. I was dealing with my father’s cancer, not knowing if he would be there to watch me graduate, and that was too much grief to bear.” Ashley took the required courses at Chemeketa so she could enroll at Institute of Technology, graduating at the top of her class with her Practical Nursing certification and LPN (licensed practical nurse) license. She is now working fulltime in a career she was called to do and is so thankful for all that YOOP has to offer.