Sakima Jules became a single mother at age 18 and had to overcome many survival challenges.  Wanting to provide for her daughter, she obtained her certification as a Phlebotomy Technician.  She continued working and then gave birth to a second child.. 

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Not long afterwards, she met a man who swept her off her feet and they became engaged.  Soon she was pregnant with her third child.  Ms. Jules believed everything was ‘perfect” until her fiancé abandoned them all.  She worked two jobs and then enrolled in college to get an Advanced EMT certificate.  She was at the top of her class and then tragedy struck.  Her beloved mother suddenly was gunned down while trying to break up a fight. 

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     Not surprisingly, Sakima spiraled into a deep depression.  She signed over temporary custody of her children so she could get her life together-- for herself and for them.  She writes, “I worked and cried and I was knocked down countless times but I never gave up.”  With her determination, she got it together, reinstated her EMT certification and reunited with her children.  “I can now look in the mirror,” she says, “and affirm that I am strong.”  She recently applied to and was accepted at Paramedic school.  As a Spirit Award recipient, she will receive funding for her tuition so she can continue to build a career and provide a stable environment for herself and family.  

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*Nominated by nonprofit partner Fulton Atlanta Community Action Authority (FACAA) .