by epecadmin | Apr 29, 2017 | Breaking the Cycle, Student Stories
FINDING HER PLACE: KARA JOHNSON Life wasn’t going well for Kara Johnson. She didn’t know – never had known — her mom. Her father suffered mental health and addiction issues and wasn’t the best role model. Nor was his ex-wife, who gave Kara a home for a while,...
by epecadmin | Apr 9, 2017 | Breaking the Cycle, Student Stories
TYESHA OLDEN: IT’S ALL UP FROM HERE For Tyesha Olden, the struggle was constant. To be sure, she was trying hard to get her life on track. She had dropped out of high school when asthma caused her to miss too many days to catch up, but she’d signed up for Job...
by epecadmin | Sep 28, 2016 | Student Stories, Supporters
HELPING HANDS: TERI AALDERS You might say dog grooming is in Teri Aalders’ blood The owner of Empire Pets grooming salons in Mission and Lenexa, Kan., she’s been a groomer for years. Her mother groomed dogs for more than 40 years. Her three sisters are groomers, one...
by epecadmin | Jul 21, 2016 | Breaking the Cycle, Student Stories
SHAY TURNER: TAKING CHARGE Got a question? Shikina Turner probably knows the answer, and if not, she knows how to find it. “She is very smart and knows everything,” says Natasha Kirsch, The Grooming Project founder, of the outspoken mother of four known to friends and...
by epecadmin | Jul 18, 2016 | Student Stories
CHRISTINE BANKS: STRONG, AND SILENT NO MORE Christine Banks’ one-year-old son is taking his first steps. Her five-year-old daughter is about to lose her first tooth. And Christine is learning to speak up for herself, her kids and her dreams for their...
by epecadmin | Jul 18, 2016 | Breaking the Cycle, Student Stories
FACING FORWARD: JESSICA SMITH Jessica Smith is petite – smaller than some of the dogs she grooms. But don’t mistake her tiny stature for any lack of determination. Because this soon-to-be professional dog groomer is fierce, and as goal-oriented as it gets in her will...
