Our Stories

Kearia Gaines

My name is Kiera. I became a mother at an awfully young age of 15. Due to complications in the pregnancy my son was born at 28 weeks and was dangerously underweight. My mother helped me in raising my children and due to her help, I was able to graduate from high school with honors. I was married shortly after I graduated and had two more children. Sadly, my marriage didn’t last long, and I ended up getting divorced. I was unhappy for some time, but I knew that if I wanted to provide a better life to my children, I needed to get my act together and get a degree in order to get a good job.

I enrolled in college and completed my Associate Degree in Surgical Technology. While motivating myself to reach my goals, I am also keen on helping others. I am a proud member of Project Bloom because it holds the power to encourage young ladies not to make the same mistakes as I did. Currently, I am studying for my Bachelor of Science degree in nursing.

Char’vae Golden

Hello my name is Char’vae Golden. I am blessed to have graduated from high school with honors. Shortly after, I enrolled in Oakland Community College where I graduated with my Associate Degree in Science. Thereafter, I enrolled in Oakland University and earned my Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology. Today, I am a proud owner to two businesses. I am the CEO of ‘Prestigious Pours’, a business that provides bartending services for various occasions. In addition, I am the CEO of the Golden Mirage an elegant banquet for all occasions

From a very young age, I was inspired by my single mother, Dr. Golden, who dropped out of school at an early age of 16 years old, raised me and my three siblings. I am so pleased that my mother obtained her GED then proceeded to pursue and earn her PhD. She encouraged me to reach for my dreams and to know that all things are possible with the grace of God and hard work.

I also want to encourage girls and women to stay focused and reach their goals just like my mother and me. Project Bloom Girls 2 Women is a platform for girls and women to encourage and support each other, so that they could bloom into the best version of themselves.

Tennille

I was 17 when I dropped out of high school. Got married at 25, had three boys and an autistic daughter. In order to take care of them I had to work several housekeeping jobs. These jobs required a lot of work but paid less. I knew from the very start that I was not cutout for this kind of work, and I found myself yearning to go back to school. After my meeting with Dr. Golden, I came to know about her story of how she dropped out of school, earned her GED and later to earn several other degrees and her PhD. When I told this story to my children and mother, they all encouraged me passionately to go back to school. At the same time, Artlisha, mutual friend of Dr. Golden and I, encouraged me as well to get my GED. She was also inspired by Dr. Golden to get her GED and is now attending college studying to obtain her Associate Degree as a Surgical Technician.

In early 2019, I started to study for my GED. I had to retake the GED exam three times before I passed it. I was determined not to give up! The last time that I had to retake the test, I earned my GED with more points that I needed. Upon earning my GED, I was awarded a two-year scholarship at Wayne County Commuity College District. I am currently studying for my Associate Degree in Science. I have been inducted into Phi Theta Kappa honors society and the Tri beta, honor society for biology sciences. Due to hard work and long study hours my grade point average is 3.92.

Even though I have many responsibilities, I have helped my autistic daughter earn straight A’s and she is on track to graduating from High School. At this same time, I will be graduating with my Associate Science Degree in 2021 and my bachelor’s in nursing in 2023.

As a proud and grateful member of Project Bloom Girls 2 Women, I will tell others that education is important and how it helps to shape a person’s entire identity. With Project Bloom Girls 2 Women, I am positive that more women like me will be inspired and encouraged to pursue their goals. At the same time, we all can be positive role models and inspire girls to study and work hard to exceed in school. Together, we all will appreciate the value of education and use it to reach our dreams and aspirations.