Sarah

When she was younger, Sarah spent a lot of time wandering up and down Grand Avenue from Lexington to Dale. She knew every shop and restaurant that allowed kids to linger a bit, look around, and maybe sample a piece of bread or a cookie. She also knew which churches in the area were open and when; and which ones could be counted on for a hot drink or maybe even a meal. Those were the days when remaining at home could be an unpleasant or even risky option: days when she felt safer on the streets than in her own room.

Life today is very different. "I never thought that my mother would be six years into her sobriety, and I never dreamed we would be supported [by New Foundations] as we have been. My mother has found her strength and ability to be a mother, to be a functioning woman despite her past. Her sobriety and our happiness as mother and daughter depended a lot on the community we found at New Foundations; and there we also found our foundation with one another. New Foundations gave us a home and a hope: a hope to find more foundations and build a home." In fact, after living at Crestview for four years, Sarah, her mom Jill, and her step dad Gentry moved from Crestview to their very own house in July 2001.

When Sarah was a student at Central High School she excelled in theater, and was a member of the Central Touring Theatre, a prestigious group that writes and performs their own plays. During her senior year renowned playwright August Wilson attended one of the CTT's productions entitled "The Children Know." Sarah's vignette, which she both wrote and performed, features a small child who has been left alone in an apartment for several days. She wonders when--or if--her drug-addicted parent will return. The piece is about loneliness, fear, and love. After her performance Mr. Wilson came up to Sarah, hugged her, and said, "That was truly inspiring."

Sarah's artistic talents also extend to the world of cartooning, and her cast of characters includes Peach Girl, and her friend Mau Mau, a Minnesota-sized raccoon. "Mau Mau is an anthro-raccoon. She wears clothes, and a hat suspiciously like one I used to have! In fact, she is kind of like my naughty side," explained Sarah. "She does things like sneak into restaurants, and taste all the pies!" Jill, Sarah's mother thought it would be great for Sarah to tell a story parallel to her own through her cartoon characters. This idea appealed to Sarah, and so she embarked on the project promising that when the book was published she would give all the proceeds to New Foundations. When she had nearly finished the book Sarah's family moved, and unfortunately every single drawing disappeared during the move. Sarah was heart-broken, and it has taken her nearly two years to begin writing and drawing the story again. Book II is underway, though; and it's about an older, more experienced Mau Mau!

Throughout high school Sarah was encouraged by her teachers to go on to college. However, as much as the idea appealed to her and was even a long-term goal, she lacked confidence and understanding of the process. Sarah didn't apply to any colleges or universities, nor did she take any of the qualifying exams. So, as many of her friends began their freshman year, Sarah began work as a title loan processor--not her dream job! Still, she was happy to have an income, and her job gave Sarah the ability to realize one of her dreams: she saved up enough money to travel to England.

During the summer of 2002, Sarah met with New Foundations staff, and talked about the possibility of applying to college. Sarah gathered her transcripts together, asked a few of her former teachers to write recommendations, and interviewed at the College of St. Catherine. The rest, as they say, is history.

"I never thought I would be in college, but I'm here! I decided when college became an option that I wanted to be a social worker or a psychologist. St. Catherine's holds some of the highest success rates in both fields. How could I go wrong? And with the support of New Foundations, I haven't gone wrong. Without a New Foundation, I could have never been where I am today."

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