Celeste’s Path to Hope

Before coming to Hope Builders, Celeste struggled with her self-confidence and longed to find her path in life.

At 4, she was removed from her mother’s custody and placed into foster care. Eventually, Celeste’s paternal grandparents adopted her and raised her in Anaheim. She excelled in school, but struggled to maintain healthy relationships.

In High School she started to party and hang out with classmates she describes as “bad influences.”

“I felt stuck and confused. I didn’t know what else to do.”

Seeing that she was making bad choices after graduation, one of her cousins invited her to join him at church. A spark of hope was ignited within Celeste when she found a community that warmly welcomed her. She quickly found herself getting more involved at church and spending less time with the negative influences in her life.

“I found people who believed in me. It helped me to believe in myself. I was ready to take the next step to a better life. I knew I wouldn’t be able to get a decent paying job if I didn’t have an education. I couldn’t afford college and was starting to feel discouraged when I first heard about Hope Builders.”

At first, she was skeptical because she thought it was too good to be true. “I found it hard to believe that I could gain the skills to start my career in four short months.” Thinking she had nothing to lose, she applied to Hope Builders’ healthcare training program.

Now, Celeste is half-way through her training and is earning the highest grade in the class. Upon training completion, she hopes to get a job as a medical assistant.

“I really want to help people. I know working in healthcare will help me do this.”