Watch Claudia's video

Overview

My goal is to keep myself well by helping others. Meeting this need will help me because I want to do something with my life that is meaningful to me and helpful to others. I believe this is something I would be really good at.

I want to use this certification to make a difference in the lives of others, but I also know it will help me in return.

Meeting this need will help me achieve future goals because I can build my life with this. It won't just be a job, it will be a career. I never thought that I would go back to school, but now I really want this.

My current situation is that I'm working on rebuilding my life after overcoming my addiction issues and the problems that came with it. Right now, my biggest challenge is balancing my responsibilities as a parent and the steps I need to do to rebuild myself. I'm most proud of my daughter and my ability to keep my values.

I greatly appreciate this opportunity for help. I will use this to make a real difference.

I think of myself mostly as a confident, strong parent. Even though I know I've made some mistakes, I know when I put my mind to this, I can overcome the past and make a better future.

I've worked at jobs including as a bartender, a waitress, and a lot of restaurants. Now I know I don't want to work anywhere where I'll be serving alcohol. I went to school at Stienmetz Academic.

I'm most proud of my daughter and my ability to keep my values. I live by myself and sometimes with my daughter. Something interesting about me is that I'm pretty quiet, but other people like to talk around me.

Watch Alexis's video

Validated

Validated by Alexis from CLAIM (Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers) (What does this mean?)

I have known Claudia for about 9 months now. I have to say, she has grown leaps and bounds even in the time we have known her. She has overcome a very serious addiction problem and has taken classes to learn how to deal with her past experiences of domestic violence and how to be a better mother.

I think meeting this need is important because Claudia is very gifted at helping others to speak. She is quiet, but she has a manner about her that helps others to trust her. She is open and sharing about her past, and she uses it to encourage other women to speak. She is so good at this that many people have told her that she should become an Addiction Specialist. This money would pay for nearly half of the entire program, allowing Claudia to finish nearly half of all of the classes she needs for her degree, by which time she hopes to have enough funds to pay for her remaining credits.  This would let her get a job this year to finish next year.

This will move the recipient's life forward by helping her have a career that she loves and gives her life meaning. She will not go back to her old job as a bartender, because she knows that working around alcohol is too difficult. She is willing to do any job she has to do, but this is a job that will have such deep and personal meaning to her.

When Claudia talks about helping other women overcome their addictions, her eyes actually tear up. This is something that is so important to her, and it is something which I really believe will help others.

About Alexis

My job title is Pro Bono and Staff Attorney. I have been in this position since April of 2012. My work involves helping incarcerated mothers, formerly incarcerated mothers, and the caretakers of their children. What I like about my job is I get to see families brought together. In the future, I… Read more