“Hope is real,” Kellie said. “It’s tangible.”
 
It’s a captivating perspective, and it’s even more meaningful when you realize that Kellie is talking about what it will mean to her and her loved ones to graduate and complete her education. Crossing the graduation stage and receiving that diploma are tangible examples of hope in our world. 
 
We couldn’t have marketed the power of community college education better, but that’s just part of the magic of Kellie’s story. 
 
Kellie Lynne came to Spokane Falls Community College to change her life and the life she provides for her kids. During her divorce, she was looking for the right path forward to support herself and her kids. She decided to train to be an administrative assistant and pursue her AAS at SFCC. 
 
After 15 years of not working outside the home, she didn’t know if she could succeed in school. 
 
“I wasn’t confident that I could even finish a quarter,” Kellie said. 
 
But she did. In fact, she finished that degree in two years. She even got certified as a Microsoft Office Specialist as part of her program. 
 
“Everyone wanted me to succeed,” Kellie said about SFCC. “I’m so impressed with the school and the different teachers. The teachers gave me confidence.”
 
Kellie’s experience at SFCC helped her take care of her family. But now she’s going even further and staying on at SFCC to achieve her dream.
 
“I’ve wanted to be a therapist,” Kellie explained. She became even more interested when she learned that there’s such a stark overlap between mental health concerns and addiction. Now she’s pursuing SFCC’s AAS in Addiction Studies. When she finishes it, she’ll have the required coursework done to be a Substance Use Disorder Professional. After testing, she’ll be able to work under a licensed therapist.
 
Her dream will take her even further. She wants to then pursue a Marriage and Family Therapy Masters at Whitworth University. And someday, she even hopes to combine her dream of being a therapist with her volunteer work in equine therapy and create an equine therapy center that insurance would cover. 
 
“I want to build a better life, not just make do,” Kellie said.
 
Kellie stays motivated towards these goals because of her kids and everything they’ve been through lately. 
 
“I want to show them that, even if you make choices that aren’t the best, you can always go on and make better choices to live a better life. You can do it if you want to.”
 
The Foundation scholarship she received from the American Association of University Women that taught her that lesson, Kellie explained.
 
“[A scholarship] is an opportunity to be able to succeed,” Kellie said. “Here’s this path that’s really intimidating, but these people (donors) believe in you enough to support you. [They] believe enough to offer money, not just encouragement.”
 
It’s clear why donors like the AAUW believe in Kellie. We can’t wait to see all that she achieves!