Elaine is currently working towards her Associate Degree in Nursing at Wake Tech Community College. Her long term goal is to attain a Bachelor Degree in Nursing, specializing in Labor and Delivery.

Elaine has wanted be a nurse since she was a child growing up in a single parent home. When Elaine was senior in High School, she watched her mother died of heart attack. That day, she felt like she had lost everything and she became virtually homeless. It was a challenge for her to finish school while going from house to house, trying to focus on getting good grades, but she persevered.

A few months after graduating, Elaine became pregnant. She tells us, “When I found out I was pregnant with my first child, everything in my mind changed. My mind changed in such a good way that now I am so determined to succeed.”

Elaine has been working as a Certified Nurse Assistant for the past three years and attends school part time to achieve her goal of becoming a Labor and Delivery nurse.

Highly motivated, Elaine was also determined to carry on her mother’s dream of owning a home. Elaine stayed positive throughout Habitat for Humanity’s home ownership process and contributed the required 250 hours of sweat equity towards her new home. She accomplished all this while raising two young boys (ages four and two), working full time work, and attending school part time.