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It’s that time of year again. A time when many college graduates will walk across the stage celebrating their hard work and dedication.  Some graduates walk across the stage with a big smile responding to the screams from family and friends who came to support. While others walk across the stage with tears streaming down their faces.  Not because it is a sad moment, but tears of joy when they look back on all the hurdles they jumped to make graduation a reality.

We would like to honor two strong, powerful and resilient women who graduated on Saturday, May 14, 2016. Women who have jumped several hurdles beating the odds to make graduation a reality.

 

Aubree Graduation

 

We would like to say congrats to Aubree Alles who graduated from the University of Phoenix with her Associates in Human Services Management.  On June 7th, Aubree will  begin her Bachelor’s program in Psychology as she continues to work towards better services at her safe house and become more involved in public speaking and awareness. The most challenging part of obtaining her degree was juggling work, school, family and ministry. She is very grateful to the Sun Gate Foundation for helping her to get to the next step without an additional financial strain. Her advice to other survivors is “You are NOT what happened to you! Go get em and shine!!!!” When asked what is something you’ve learned about yourself through this process, her response was “anything worth having takes hard work and much effort, there is a process we must go through to achieve greatness.”

 

 

 

 

 

Evelyn Chumbo

 

We say congrats Evelyn Chumbo, a survivor activist, who graduated from the University of Maryland University College with a Bachelor’s in Homeland Security. Now that she completed her undergraduate degree she will be pursing her law degree while assisting survivors of human trafficking to obtain employment. The most challenging part of obtaining her degree was not being able to attend school from the ages of 9 through 17. She is a true definition of an over-comer. With motivation and encouragement from family, friends and the Sun Gate Foundation, she was able to persevere. Her advice to survivors of human trafficking is, “Isn’t easy but never give up on your educational dream if it is what you truly want.” When asked what is one thing you have learned about yourself during the process, her response was, “I have learnt that if you put your heart into what you really want, you can achieve it and never give up.”

 

 

 

 

 

Again, we say congrats to Evelyn and Aubree on a job well done. We are cheering you on as continue to pursue your dreams. We hope that these two over-comers encourage other survivors that they too can pursue their educational dreams.

 

 

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First of all, as a survivor of Human Sex Trafficking here in the United States, there are already many judgments against me. That is just the reality. I was trafficked for over 10 years between Orlando, Florida and Chicago. I am an overcomer!

I was rescued in May of 2012 in Orlando, Florida by a Jail Chaplain who had been reaching out to me for years. I was finally able to speak up and then my healing and journey began! It was clear from the start that my calling was to help others like me. So after reuniting with my family and child, I began that journey. I found that as a survivor there are many opportunities for me to speak and share my story but it is a challenge for me to get a job in the field. Recently, I have taken a position managing a home for women. I have dreams of working for a larger anti-trafficking organization one day but I know it requires some education. In order for me to counsel professionally, I must attend college. Recently I started college, but the Pell did not cover my full tuition. Student loans are tough and I have difficulty getting a job due to my past, but I had to accept a job to survive while in college. Receiving a Grant would allow me to continue in my dream. It would allow me to be able to reach out to women on a deeper level one day and go where very few are willing. Right now, I am just a survivor to many, but if I continue college, I will be a survivor with a degree and that means something! It means showing a great example to my now 8 year old daughter that Mommy overcame and so can she! It means telling my past that it did not kill me, it only made me stronger. Although my family and society say the odds are against me, I say differently. I will do this!

As survivors, we do need a hand up in the beginning. This would be my hand up to a brighter future, to a stable future for me and my child. It would mean showing other survivors that they too can find meaning in all of the hurt and move on.

Another road block for me was that during my years being Trafficked, I was arrested many times. Society does not care about why it happened, just that I have a record. I am working to get it cleared now under Florida’s new laws. However, if I am able to get a degree, I believe employers will validate that when considering me for employment. A survivor with a degree – watch out world! I am not just another statistic, I am somebody! I am asking that you help me reach this goal and fulfill my dreams of reaching others on a professional level.

Written by Aubree Alles