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Emma is a fiercely determined young woman. With Live & Learn’s support, she has found success at YearUp AZ, the Maricopa Community Colleges, and Bank of America. Her hard work has brought her from a life of difficulty to a place of stability, self-sufficiency, and hope. Emma and her siblings grew up in Phoenix, raised by a single mother. “Growing up, things were hard,” Emma reflects. In high school, she devoted herself to her schoolwork with great drive and determination. She studied and worked hard, and she succeeded. After graduation, Emma went to work, with her same drive and determination.

Amanda was pregnant and homeless when a friend referred to Live & Learn in October 2020. By December, she had found a part-time job and started a Medical Assistant Certification program. She was working hard to make sure she could provide stability to her baby once he came. However, Amanda experienced food insecurity and high stress during the first six months of her pregnancy. Now, she was putting in long days and grueling commutes by public transportation. Her body was struggling as she entered her third trimester. In January, her doctor ordered her on bed rest. She had to take

Sara grew up with instability. She was one of four children raised by a hardworking mother who cleaned offices for a living. Sara’s father was abusive, and, though her mother tried to leave him many times, she and the children always returned. “It was living with him or being homeless, so my mom did it for us.” As she grew into adulthood, Sara found herself following in her mother’s footsteps. When her second child was born, she was determined to break the cycle of violence and poverty. She was determined to give her children a better future. The path was