As a young single mom, Josie Medina decided college wasn’t for her.
Despite being close to finishing her community college’s prerequisite courses, somewhere along the way, Medina became discouraged and stopped chasing her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse. But the thought never left her.
“Being a nurse is all I’ve ever wanted to do,” she said. “I’ve been a truck driver, I’ve been a bartender, server; I’ve done so many different jobs, but I knew I was not fulfilling what I had always wanted.”
She knew she had to find a way back to school and finish what she started.
Chelsea Hinman is the program director for The Gatehouse, a nonprofit organization that aids women and single moms experiencing hardship, like Medina. Since joining the nonprofit in 2015, Hinman said the group noticed a lot of single moms seeking out degrees.
“With that trend, we founded what is now called our Education Track [program], which really focused on single mothers that are actively enrolled in school and within two years of completing their degree,” she said.
The program launched in 2023, offering a reprieve from financial burdens such as rent, utilities and childcare. The Gatehouse offers these services to let women focus on their degree or career track, while also being great moms.
“The mission of The Gatehouse program is to empower women and single moms to overcome those temporary hardships so that they’re able to reach a foundation in permanent self-sustainability,” Hinman said.
The same year the program launched, it had an opportunity to partner with UTA, she said, and they’ve been serving single mother students since.
Medina was one of the first women to enroll in the program while working toward her nursing degree at UTA.
The program held her accountable for her schoolwork, she said. The Gatehouse has coaches, mentors and members who ensured she completed her work and offered encouragement.
“As a single mom, you feel like everything’s on you, you’re so alone,” Medina said. “I would say that The Gatehouse provides that sort of like, ‘I’m not actually alone. There are people here who want me to finish my goal for myself and my child.’”
Bethany Kula, Cooksey Communications assistant account executive, said the nonprofit’s services for children play a big role in the success of single moms in the program.
For additional support, women can go to family engagement services to ensure their kids have the help they might need.
Because of the Education Track program, Medina was able to graduate with her degree last semester, becoming one of the first women to complete the program.
“I’m so proud of myself, and I’m proud of all the other single moms here that are doing it,” she said.
Medina said single moms may go a long time without asking for help but eventually realize it’s better to ask and receive resources.
Kula said seeing the members accomplish their goals and hearing their stories while working with The Gatehouse has been a really cool experience.
“I’ve been impacted by every single woman that I’ve met here,” she said.
Now, Medina will be working as a labor and delivery nurse at a hospital in Dallas, fulfilling her lifelong dream.
“I had to follow my dream, or else I just felt this gnawing feeling,” she said. “I was supporting myself, I was supporting my son, but if I did not go and pursue this, I was going to be heartbroken.”
She said she hopes to become a guide for other single moms and show that if she can do it, they can too.
“You have to work the program. There’s resources, but you also have to hold yourself accountable. You have to reach out to the people that are there if you’re ever struggling, if you ever think that you can’t do it,” Medina said.
@amandaLaldridge
