LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Inside The Olmsted on Tuesday night, the room echoed with applause, not just for diplomas, but for determination.
Among the graduates was Martha Kamara, who said the moment didn’t feel real.
“It feels great,” she said, smiling wide. “Like, I didn’t think I’d be here — and here I am!"
Martha moved to Louisville from Sierra Leone as a pre-teen. She began studying public health at the University of Louisville, but when she became a mother, her education came to a halt.
Everything changed the day her daughter, Estella, was born.
"I liked the care that I received from the nurse, like so much to the point where I didn't want her to leave until I had the baby," Martha recalled.
That spark — and her daughter — gave her a new sense of purpose. Martha returned to school to pursue a nursing degree. Five years later, she’s now a graduate of UofL’s accelerated nursing program.
But the journey wasn’t easy.
“There were nights I cried in the shower,” she admitted. “Because she doesn’t know what’s going on, and I’m trying to be strong for her. There were days I was sick and still had to go to school. Days I missed class because she was sick and couldn’t go to daycare.”
Through those difficult moments, Martha leaned on the Family Scholar House — a Louisville-based nonprofit that supports single parents working toward college degrees.
“We get so excited when we see our graduates succeed,” said Cathe Dykstra, President and CEO of Family Scholar House. “They buy homes, work in our community, and give back. That’s the real success.”
More than 60 graduates were recognized at Tuesday’s ceremony. With this latest class, nearly 950 families have earned degrees through the program, building new futures for their children.
Children like Estella.
“She pushed me,” Martha said. “Every time I pass an exam, she comes out and says, ‘Mommy, did you pass?’ And when I say yes, we do our little dance — ‘Mommy passed, Mommy passed!’”
For Martha, this graduation is more than a personal victory, it’s a generational one.
“It’s been up and down, but I’m really grateful,” she said. “Family Scholar House changed my life. I don’t know how else to say it.”
A new nurse. A proud mother. And now, a college graduate — thanks to a community that believes in second chances.
To learn more about Family Scholar House or get involved, visit www.familyscholarhouse.org.
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