Aden: Rising to the Challenge

While some high school graduates were planning summer parties and trips to the beach, our RISE Independent Living Program graduate was managing a pizza restaurant in Calhoun, ensuring all of her FAFSA financial aid forms were completed, and making plans to start college this fall. RISE stands for Resilience, Independence, Success, and Empowerment. Aden is the embodiment of these traits and, as Catherine Davis, her RISE Case Manager shares, “I am so proud of how much Aden has accomplished since she joined our program. Many teenagers may not have risen to the challenge of living on their own but Aden has taken advantage of all our program offers.”

The road to graduation was filled with challenges, but this incredible young woman has overcome each obstacle with grace and grit. As a rising high school senior facing homelessness, Aden was connected to RISE through her school social worker. By choosing to participate in the RISE program, Adan was able to secure stable housing, learn the life skills needed to live independently, and make plans for her future.

There is a less than 3% chance a young adult experiencing homelessness will ever finish college but through the support Aden has received from RISE and the donors who make this program possible, the future is bright for Aden. This August, we will be moving Aden from her RISE apartment into her new home at Kennesaw State University (KSU). Studying computer science at KSU, Aden will be able to live and learn in a special KSU community built for college students who have overcome similar obstacles on the path to college. We are very proud of all Aden has accomplished and we know she will soar as a KSU Owl!