A Mother’s Housing Worries and the Gift That Kept Her in School

As the mother of three young children, Firza dreams of one day returning to work she loves. Her West Valley College child studies courses are the first step in that direction.

When a recent car accident and job change for her husband left the family unable to pay their rent, Firza faced losing her family’s housing. She feared they would be evicted and forced to find a new place. Even worse, Firza knew that could set off a domino effect of other challenges. For starters, it would be hard to find a new home that could accommodate the family of five and still be within West Valley’s service area.  Without a home in the service area, Firza would lose the free tuition benefit that has allowed her to take classes at the college.

Thankfully, with a grant from the Emergency Assistance Program, Firza could help bring the family current on their rent. They’ve now renewed the lease on their apartment, and Firza feels a sense of relief. 

“Being Muslim, and with the holy month of Ramadan coming up, I felt even more insecure about the idea of not having housing,” Firza says. “This money was a relief.” 

Her focus is now back on her studies. Despite holding a degree in psychology from her native Indonesia and having past work experience in hospital and school settings, she is unable to get hired in the U.S. with the same degree. With dreams to work in schools again, Firza is working towards her child studies certificate. Beyond her classes, Firza loves how welcomed and supported she feels by the West Valley community.

“I’m just really grateful for the help West Valley offered,” Firza says. “This helped me secure my place, my home, and also my studies.”