Kimberly

Kimberly is an Arizona native who grew up in Kingman and attended Arizona State University.  After relocating to Washington with her husband and three kids, she worked in a number of community non-profit organizations with the Executive Director of United Way Grays Harbor being the last.  That's when her life changed.  She received a call one day that her two eldest children, Bethany and Drew (who were 15 and 16 at the time) were in a severe auto accident and were being transported via air-evac to the hospital.  Both were in ICU with severe traumatic brain injuries and their survival was questionable.  For the next two years, Kimberly and her husband juggled their 3 year-old son Sam, worked and went back and forth to rehab facilities for both teenagers.  Luckily, Drew began to improve, but Bethany would unfortunately need care for the rest of her life.

Kimberly and her husband decided to move back to Arizona where they would have more help and support from family, but even with the extra help Kimberly found herself very lost.  She had gone from being an executive director to full-time caretaker.  She was at a low point one weekend when her sister-in-law convinced her to join her at a class at Fresh Start.  It was "Back to School", where women can come and learn about going back to school for advance degrees or career changes.  Kimberly describes attending that event as a defining moment in her life.  She says that she was completely taken aback by the level of respect given to every woman coming through the door.  She attended the class with many different women, some needing a high school diploma and one that already had a PhD.  She was not only motivated by the class and instructors - she was motivated even further because she won a $500 scholarship through the event which she used to enroll at Estrella Mountain Community College.

Kimberly went on to receive a bachelor's degree in integrative studies (health administration & organizational leadership) and will graduate in May with a master's degree in non-profit studies (both from ASU).  She is currently the Senior Director of Institutional Advancement for A.T. Still University - putting her new skills to work.  Kimberly is forever grateful for the inspiration and boost in confidence she received from Fresh Start - empowering her to forge a new course in life.